Apple Wallet QR Code Pass API: generate a .pkpass file from your backend

If you’re searching for an Apple Wallet QR code pass, you usually want a scannable membership card, ticket, or coupon that your users can add to Apple Wallet, without building the entire .pkpass signing pipeline first.

This guide is written for developers who want a pragmatic path: understand the moving parts, then generate a working .pkpass file from a backend or automation.

Apple Wallet QR code pass: what you are actually building

Apple Wallet doesn’t give you a single “Apple Wallet pass API” to create passes on your server.

What you build (or buy) is a system that:

• creates a pass.json payload
• bundles it into a .pkpass zip
• signs it correctly (the part that usually burns time)
• serves it as a downloadable .pkpass file so users can tap Add to Apple Wallet

What is a .pkpass file (Apple Wallet pass format)?

A .pkpass file is a signed ZIP bundle that Apple Wallet trusts. At minimum it includes:

• pass.json
• manifest.json
• signature
• images like icon.png (and sometimes logo.png)

Apple Wallet pass API options: build it yourself vs use a .pkpass generator API

You have two realistic options:

• Build: you manage Pass Type IDs, certificates, signing, updates, and all the edge cases.
• Buy/Use an API: you send JSON, you get a valid .pkpass back.

If your goal is “issue QR passes fast”, an Apple Wallet pass generator API is often the fastest route to something shippable.

How to create an Apple Wallet QR code pass (.pkpass) with one API call

This is the minimal request you need for a QR-based pass:

• barcodeValue: the string your scanner expects (member ID, ticket token, etc.)
• barcodeFormat: usually QR
• title: the label users will recognize in Wallet

cURL: Apple Wallet pass API example (JSON in, .pkpass out)

curl -X POST https://api.walletwallet.dev/api/pkpass \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ww_live_<your_key>" \
  -d '{
    "barcodeValue": "MEMBER-12345",
    "barcodeFormat": "QR",
    "title": "Membership Card"
  }' \
  -o membership.pkpass

JavaScript: create a .pkpass file with fetch

const res = await fetch('https://api.walletwallet.dev/api/pkpass', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
    'Authorization': 'Bearer ww_live_<your_key>',
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    barcodeValue: 'TICKET-789',
    barcodeFormat: 'QR',
    title: 'Event Ticket',
  }),
});

if (!res.ok) throw new Error(await res.text());

// In Node.js, write Buffer.from(await res.arrayBuffer()) to a .pkpass file.

How to add a .pkpass file to Apple Wallet (Add to Apple Wallet button)

To ship the “Add to Apple Wallet” experience, you typically:

• host the .pkpass file behind a normal HTTPS download URL
• put that link behind Apple’s official Add to Apple Wallet badge on your web page/email

Test and debug: open a .pkpass file on iPhone and macOS

• On macOS: double-click the .pkpass file to preview.
• On iPhone: open the link/file in Safari/Mail/Messages and tap Add.

Common issues when you create a pkpass file (signature, images, identifiers)

If you’re building your own .pkpass generator, the most common failure modes are:

• invalid or expired signing certificates
• missing WWDR intermediate cert
• pass.json identifiers not matching your Pass Type ID
• image size/format issues (.png, correct dimensions, @2x variants)
• barcode data that works in tests but fails on real scanners

FAQ: Apple Wallet API, pkpass API, Apple Wallet pass generator API

Is there an Apple Wallet API for servers?

Not a single “create pass” endpoint from Apple. In practice, people mean an API that returns a signed .pkpass file.

What is a “pkpass API”?

Usually: JSON in, .pkpass out (plus optional features like images, updates, and templates).