Google Pay API for Passes

With the Google Pay API for Passes platform, your business can showcase its loyalty cards, gift cards, offers, event tickets, boarding passes for flights, and transit passes to millions of Android users.

With the API, you can create a link or button that allows users to save loyalty cards, gift cards, offers, event tickets, boarding passes for flights, and transit passes to the Google Pay app. These saved items are stored as objects.

Be aware that the availability of Google Pay Passes varies for different countries. It's available in all countries that support contactless payments, except India.

With the use of location-based notifications, updates, and messaging, you can use the API to engage customers with your Passes, and conveniently manage them in the Google Pay app.

Typical integration process

The following chart shows a typical process for integration with the Google Pay API for Passes.

Stage 1: Technical discovery.
Stage 2: Technical integration. Stage 3: Validation and QA. Stage 4: Rollout phase.
Stage 5: Launched.

The following activities are involved in each stage of a successful integration:

Technical discovery
1. Review the developer documentation.
2. Create a service account.
3. Design the integration.
Technical integration
1. Develop the integration.
2. Stage the deliverable.
Validation and QA
1. Perform QA tests.
2. Review the UX design (only for boarding passes and event tickets).
Rollout phase
1. Start to launch in different areas.
2. Begin crowdtesting.
Launched
1. Go live in all areas.

Recommended integration strategies

Google Pay API for Passes supports the Pass verticals listed in the following table. Review the table and choose the recommended integration strategy by Pass and integration type.

	Loyalty programs	Offers	Gift cards	Event tickets (ET)	Boarding passes (BP) for flights	Transit passes (TP)	Grouped tickets (BP, ET, and TP only)
Web browser	JavaScript (JS) web button	JS web button	JS web button	JS web button	JS web button	JS web button	JS web button
SMS or email	JSON Web Token (JWT) link	JWT link	JWT link	"Skinny" JWT link	"Skinny" JWT link	"Skinny" JWT link	"Skinny" JWT link
Android app	Android SDK	Android SDK	Android SDK	Android SDK	Android SDK	Android SDK	Android SDK
WebView	JWT link	JWT link	JWT link	"Skinny" JWT link + JWT POST request method	"Skinny" JWT link + JWT POST request method	"Skinny" JWT link + JWT POST request method	"Skinny" JWT link + JWT POST request method

Caution: If possible, avoid the use of a WebView with the Passes integration, and prompt the user to save their Pass from the Android app instead. If a WebView is used, implement the shouldOverrideUrlLoading method, which allows redirects to pay.google.com. This implementation is similar to the following code snippet:

@Override
      public boolean shouldOverrideUrlLoading(WebView view, WebResourceRequest request) {
        if(request.getUrl().getHost().startsWith("pay.google.com")) {
          Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, request.getUrl());
          view.getContext().startActivity(intent);
          return true;
        }
        ...
        ...
      }

To understand what’s available with your integration strategy, read the following information about Passes and Google Pay.

Save to Google Pay

All Passes support saving to Google Pay from email, SMS, app, and web. For more information, read about the implementation details on how to Save passes to Google Pay.

Redeem from Google Pay

All Passes support show and scan redemption, as well as NFC Tap redemption. Read about the implementation details on how to Redeem passes from Google Pay.

Engage through Google Pay

All Passes support a business information section, custom messages, custom text and image sections, and redemption status, which determines if a user has removed the pass and localization. The following table lists features and notifications that are uniquely supported by different types of Passes:

	Loyalty programs	Offers	Gift cards	Event tickets	Boarding passes for flights	Transit passes
Features
Templates
Linked offers
Query from Assistant
Notifications
Geofenced notifications
Expiration notification
Select field update notifications
Imminent event, flight, or journey notification

For more information, read about the implementation details on how to Engage users through Google Pay.

To see what each feature looks like in the Google Pay app, see the pass template pages for loyalty, gift cards, offers, event tickets, boarding passes, and transit passes.