When you create a campaign, you'll see three different message fields. Each one shows up in a different place. Understanding the difference is the single biggest thing that will make your campaigns effective.

New to campaigns? Start with Messages and Campaigns.

The three fields at a glance

Field	Where the customer sees it	Where your staff sees it
Push notification message	On the phone's lock screen	—
What appears on the card	Inline on the wallet pass	—
What your staff sees	—	On the scanner app, next to an Apply button

Push notification message

The short text that pops up on your customer's phone when the campaign fires.

Required for every campaign and message.
Delivered through Apple Wallet and Google Wallet (not SMS or email).
Keep it under 160 characters for best delivery.
Plain text only — no links, images, or formatting.

Good examples:

"Happy birthday! Enjoy a free coffee on us today 🎂"
"We miss you! Come back for 20% off your next visit this week"
"Happy hour starts now — 2-for-1 until 7pm"

Why it matters: This is the hook. If the push is boring, customers won't open the card. Be specific about the offer and when it's valid.

What appears on the card (pass message)

Optional text that shows up inside the customer's wallet pass — on the front of the card, in a dedicated offer area.

Optional. Leave blank for push-only campaigns (these render as `MESSAGE` in your Campaigns tab).
Stays visible until the offer expires or is claimed, so it's a reminder the customer can come back to.
Good for rewards that customers need to redeem in person.

Good examples:

"Show this at the counter for 15% off"
"Bonus: +2 stamps on your next visit"
"Your free birthday drink is ready — valid through Sunday"

Why it matters: Pushes disappear from the lock screen in minutes. The pass message stays on the wallet pass, so if a customer checks their phone an hour later, they can still see what the offer is.

What your staff sees (scanner message)

The text your cashier sees on the scanner app when they scan this customer's card and the campaign is active.

Required for campaigns with a staff-side reward (discounts applied at the counter).
Not shown to the customer.
Should be written for the cashier — direct and instructional.

Good examples:

"15% off — birthday treat"
"Free coffee — week 1 of win-back"
"Priority seating — Gold member perk"

Why it matters: When three people walk in at rush hour, your cashier needs to know what to do in under two seconds. Keep the scanner message short, specific, and action-oriented.

How they work together

For a birthday campaign with a 15% discount at the counter, you might write:

Push: "Happy birthday! Tap for a 15% treat today 🎂"
Pass: "Show this at the counter for 15% off"
Staff: "15% off — birthday"

When a scanner later scans the customer's card: 1. The cashier sees "Active offers" with "15% off — birthday" and an Apply button. 2. They tap Apply; the customer sees "Offer applied" on the scanner. 3. The offer is marked claimed in your analytics.

See What Your Staff Sees When a Campaign Is Active for the scanner-side walkthrough.

Common questions

Can I leave the pass message and staff message blank?

Yes. If you only fill in the push notification, your campaign is a `MESSAGE` (push-only) — good for greetings and announcements. Fill in the staff message too and it becomes a `CAMPAIGN` with a reward your cashier can apply.

What's the character limit?

Push notifications: keep under 160 characters. Pass and staff messages don't have a hard character limit but short is better — cashiers will skim.

Can I use emoji?

Yes — emojis work in all three fields. Use them sparingly for emphasis (🎂 for birthday, 🎁 for gift, etc.), not as decoration.

Can I test what each message looks like?

Yes. Save the campaign as a draft, install the card on your own phone using Test Card, then trigger the campaign (scan yourself, or use a birthday campaign on your test account). You'll see the push and pass message as a customer would, and the scanner message when you scan your own card.