How to Add Unsupported Cards and Passes to Apple Wallet for Quick, Easy Access on Your iPhone

Apple's Wallet app lets you store boarding passes, concert tickets, gym memberships, vaccination cards, movie stubs, rewards cards, insurance info, student IDs, and more in one place on your iPhone, and you just double-click the Home or Side button to access them. Unfortunately, many cards and passes are not officially supported — but that doesn't mean you can't add them.

Despite being ten years old, a lot of apps have resisted adding support for the Wallet app, like Costco, Petco, Petsmart, Target, Wegmans, and Whole Foods. To see those passes, you must unlock your iPhone, open the app, sign in (if not logged in), and find your rewards code to scan. It's pretty annoying if you only use the app to show your barcode.

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Some apps in the App Store will mention "Wallet" support, but that doesn't mean it will do what you want. It may let you add a loyalty card but not a payment or gift card. Or it may allow you to add a store credit card but not a loyalty or gift card. It may be impossible to figure out precisely what Wallet "support" it offers.

Instead of dealing with all those issues, you can use Pass2U Wallet to add unsupported cards and passes to Apple Wallet on iOS.

Step 1: Install Pass2U Wallet

Start by installing MicroMacro Mobile's Pass2U Wallet app from the App Store. It requires iOS 12.0 or later and has a pro version available as an in-app purchase for $1.99 that removes ads, makes passes shareable, lets you edit field labels, give you access to the widget, and more. For this guide, you only need the free version.

App Store Link: Pass2U Wallet - cards/coupons (free)

How to Add Unsupported Cards and Passes to Apple Wallet for Quick, Easy Access on Your iPhone

Step 2: Double-Check for Supported Apps (Optional)

Now that you've installed the app, find your unsupported physical and online cards or passes that you want to add to Apple Wallet. Before adding one, it's a good idea to check if the company's app supports Apple Wallet first because you may want to use that instead. If that's the only reason you'd install the app, Pass2U Wallet may be easier.

On iOS 15 and iOS 16, you can visit Apple's Apps for Wallet collection in the App Store to see a list of highlighted apps that support Wallet, but it won't show you every app. When browsing the App Store, you can tell if an app supports Apple Wallet if it says so in the "Supports" section near the bottom of its app page.

You can add boarding passes, transit cards, concert tickets, gym memberships, vaccination cards, movie stubs, rewards cards, insurance info, student IDs, and digital car, house, office, and hotel keys.

If you don't see Wallet support for the app you want, try visiting the company's website in Safari, logging in to your account, and looking for any "Add to Apple Wallet" links. You don't need an app to add cards and passes, but most of the time, you'd never know about it since it's buried in an app's online settings.

You can also add cards and passes to Wallet from links within emails (Mail) and texts or iMessage (Messages), from AirDrop sharing, from a notification after using Apple Pay at the merchant, and by scanning a QR code or barcode with Camera or Code Scanner.

Step 3: Add Unsupported Cards or Passes to Pass2U Wallet

If your cards or passes are indeed unsupported (or you don't want to waste time trying to find out), open Pass2U Wallet on your iPhone and hit "Start Now" to begin. To add a pass — you can add a boarding pass, coupon, event ticket, store loyalty card, or generic pass — tap on the plus (+) sign at the bottom right, then select one of the following options, which I discuss in detail below.

Option 1: Apply a Pass Template

This first option lets you choose an existing card or pass template that other Pass2U Wallet users have created. Aside from tapping on "Apply a pass template," you can open the menu in the top left and visit "Pass Store" to view existing templates.

Templates are sorted by popular, new, and any you've created. You can use the search tool in each section to find a specific template. When you find and select the template you want, hit "Apply" in the top right.

It will ask you to create a Pass2U Wallet account, and you must do so if you want to use a template. You don't need an account to use the other three options below. If you do create an account, you can sign up with your email address and a password or via Facebook, Google, or Apple.

Once you sign in to your account and apply a template, you may need to fill out information such as your name, member number, telephone, website, member since, etc., depending on the type of card or pass. Of course, the most crucial part is the barcode, which you can type in or scan with your camera.

Hit "Done" to create your pass, and it should ask you if you want to upload the data to create the template and pass, which is required to make the pass, so hit "Yes."

It will show you a preview of your Wallet card; tap "Add" to add it. It will be instantly available in Apple Wallet, and you can find it on your list of passes in Pass2U. Tapping on it from Pass2U will open the card up in Apple Wallet.

Option 2: Scan the Barcode on the Card

If the card or pass you want to add doesn't have an existing template, you can use your iPhone's camera and scan a barcode from a physical or online source. The app can only scan 1D barcodes (Code 128) or 2D barcodes (QR code, Aztec code, and PDF417). Permit it to access your camera, then scan the code. If successful, a pop-up will appear that asks if you want to convert the barcode into Apple Wallet pass format; hit "OK."

Select the type of pass (mine's a store card), and enter a name for the pass. For a store card, you can also add your name, a logo, an address, and a description. When you add a location, a map will appear where you can enter the address or mark a pin on its location. You can even change the color of the pass.

Hit "Done" to create your pass, and it should ask you if you want to upload the data to create the template and pass, which is required to make the pass, so hit "Yes."

Option 3: Enter the Barcode on the Card

If you cannot scan the barcode for some reason, use this option to manually choose the type of barcode you wish to add and enter the number underneath the barcode on your physical or online card or pass.

Choose the correct type of barcode: Code 128 (most common barcodes), QR code, or Code 39. Enter the code number and hit "Create a Pass." Select the type of pass (mine's an event ticket), and enter a name for the pass.

For an event, you can also add a logo, seat, event time, location, and other information. When you add a location, a map will appear where you can enter the address or mark a pin on its location. The address will show up on your pass as a handy reminder.

Hit "Done" to create your pass, and it should ask you if you want to upload the data to create the template and pass, which is required to make the pass, so hit "Yes."

Option 4: Get the Barcode in the Photo

Your final option is to scan a barcode from a screenshot in the Photos library on your iPhone. It's useful for cards, passes, and tickets that only exist online. Find and select the screenshot in your photos, and the app will scan it and recognize the barcode. Tap "Confirm" to continue, select the type of pass (mine's a coupon), and enter a name for the pass.

For a coupon, you can also add a logo, the offer details, an expiration date, a description, or a location. When you add a location, a map will appear where you can enter the address or mark a pin on its location. The address will show up on your pass as a handy reminder.

Hit "Done" to create your pass, and it should ask you if you want to upload the data to create the template and pass, which is required to make the pass, so hit "Yes."

Step 4: View Your New Cards/Passes in Apple Wallet

Each pass or card will be its own pass or card in the Apple Wallet app. So when you use the double-click shortcut on the Home or Side button to open Apple Wallet — or if you don't have the shortcut enabled, open the Wallet app — you'll see each pass or card as an individual card to select.

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Cover photo and screenshots by Nelson Aguilar/Gadget Hacks