The pass push: the channel nobody rents to you
Your customer carries your card on their phone, and that card can talk to them — no app installed, no fee per message and no algorithm deciding whether they see you. The only thing you can use up is their patience.
A channel you don’t rent from anyone
An ad is paid for just to show up. On social media, an algorithm decides how many of your followers see you today. The wallet card doesn’t work like that: the member added it to their phone on purpose, and that screen is yours.
The maths fits on a napkin. A slow Tuesday, 400 members with the card on their phone, an average ticket of €11. You let them know that today dessert comes with the set menu. If twelve come back, that’s €132 from a Tuesday that didn’t exist; if four come back, €44. Pick your own percentage: what changes the sums is that reaching all 400 cost nothing. With no cost per recipient, there’s no threshold to clear.
What happens when you hit send
Apple has no messaging for passes: the only way to make a notice pop up on the lock screen is to change a field on the card. That’s what etlas does, and it’s why the notice doesn’t just ping — it stays written on the back of the card, in the “Notice” field, for as long as it lasts. Google Wallet does have direct messaging, so there it arrives as a message. You write it once; it reaches each person wherever they keep the card.
The notice expires on its own: you choose how long it stays highlighted —1, 3, 6, 12, 24 or 48 hours, 12 by default— and then the card goes back to normal by itself, with no further notification.
The card supplies the heading: it’s your club’s name —the one you set in the pass design—, so there’s no title to write. The text is translated into each member’s language —the editor warns you if automatic translation isn’t switched on— and, if you write {name}, each person sees their own.
| Where it’s read | How much really fits |
|---|---|
| iPhone lock screen | about 110 characters before it cuts off |
| On the card, at a glance | up to 150; beyond that the text shrinks |
| Field maximum | 240 characters |
- Go to Push and click New notification.
- Who do you want to reach? — Everyone, Build a segment, Saved segment or One member. The live reach shows underneath.
- What do they get? — write the notice, choose how long it stays highlighted and check it in the preview.
- When is it sent? — Now, Schedule (day and time) or Recurring (every day, week or month).
- Review and send. Delivery is queued: you can keep browsing and watch the progress at the bottom.
Who gets it, and who doesn’t
The first step gives you the live reach: how many members match the filter, how many will see it on Apple, how many on Google and how many show up as “no wallet”. Those get nothing: they have a profile, but no card on their phone. The criteria come from your actual programme:
- Ranking top: the people who come most often, all-time or this month.
- Current stamps and Tier, in Include or Omit mode. This is where the most profitable campaign in the panel lives: writing only to people who are one stamp away from a reward.
- Points and Age, by range.
- Last visit: “Visited within the last…” or “Hasn’t come in…”, in days.
With more than one location, the Push list has a Send to selector at the top: whatever you pick there stays selected when you open the editor and governs the send. Filters are saved with a name and come back as “Saved segment” — but note that the segment doesn’t store the branch; you choose that each time.
What to send, depending on your business
| Business | Segment | Notice | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neighbourhood café | Visited within the last 30 days | Today your pastry comes with the coffee, until 12 | Now, 3 h on the card |
| Dinner restaurant | High tier, include | Friday: we’re keeping the window table for you | Scheduled, Thursday |
| Two locations | Send to one + Hasn’t come in 60 days | New menu, and your reward is still there | Once, then check |
If you want that notice to go out on its own every time a member meets the condition, that’s not a campaign: it’s an Automations flow, which also respects the courtesy hours of 9:00 to 21:00.
What burns the channel
And the mistake that throws no error: sending a notice that says nothing. “We’re waiting for you” isn’t a campaign. Every send carries a reason and a date: what’s on and until when. If you don’t have that this week, don’t send. There’s nothing wrong with keeping quiet.
Frequently asked questions
Does the customer have to install an app?
No. The notice arrives on the card they already carry in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet: there’s nothing to install. Anyone who hasn’t added it to their phone gets nothing, and the panel tells you how many that is before you send.
How many notifications can I send?
Depending on your plan there’s a monthly cap on audience sends —the top plan has none— and, where there is one, the panel reminds you before you start writing; the counter resets on the 1st. Writing to ONE member from their profile doesn’t use up your allowance: that’s customer service. As a rule of thumb, one a week is already plenty.
Can I schedule it or set it to repeat?
Yes: Now, Schedule for a day and time, or Recurring every day, week or month. The time is always your business’s local time, and recurring ones can be paused and resumed from the list.