Three ways to reach your customers

Passtastic lets you communicate with customers through their wallet card in three ways:

1. Manual push messages

Send a message to all customers of a specific card — or to a customer segment — at any time.

How to send:

1. Go to your card and click Send Message (from the card menu on the dashboard, or from the Marketing tab on the card page).

2. Choose your audience:

All Customers — everyone with this card
Customer Segment — a specific group (e.g., inactive customers, new members)

3. Write your message (max 160 characters for best delivery).

4. Click Send Message.

The message appears on the customer's lock screen as a wallet notification. It's not an SMS or email — it comes through Apple or Google Wallet.

Important: Wallet push notifications are plain text. Links, images, and formatting are not supported by Apple/Google Wallet.

2. Automated notifications

Set up messages that send automatically based on rules. Available on Multi-Location and Groups & Brands plans.

Go to Automations in the sidebar to create and manage these.

Available automation types:

Birthday — send a birthday message to customers (requires birthday data collection). You can set the day offset (e.g., day before, day of, day after), hour, and timezone.
Win Back Inactive — re-engage customers who haven't visited in a set number of days
Visit Milestone — celebrate when a customer reaches a visit count (e.g., 10th visit)
Loyalty Reward Alert — notify when stamps or points reach a certain level
Post-Visit Follow Up — send a message after a customer visits
Welcome Message — greet new customers after they add your card
Expiration Reminder — warn customers before their card or coupon expires

Each automation is linked to a specific card. You can set a custom message, choose the timing, and activate/deactivate it at any time.

3. Geofencing (location-based alerts)

When a customer with your card walks near your store, a notification appears on their lock screen. This is configured in the card creator when you set up locations.

How to set up:

1. Open your card in the card creator (edit an existing card or create a new one).

2. On the Locations step, enable Location-based notifications.

3. Add a location:

Search for your address or enter coordinates
Set the notification radius (in meters)
Write a notification message (e.g., "Welcome back! Show your card for today's special")

4. Save and publish.

You can add multiple locations, each with its own message and radius.

How geofencing works on different devices

Apple (iPhone): The notification shows your custom message on the lock screen when the customer enters the radius. It appears as a wallet card notification.

Android: Android may show a generic "nearby" message instead of your custom text in some cases. This is a Google Wallet limitation — the behavior varies by device and Android version. Your custom message is still stored in the card, but Google Wallet may not always display it.

Common questions

Does the customer need to be near my store for a specific time before the notification triggers?

No. On Apple devices, the notification triggers as soon as the device detects it's within the radius. There's no required dwell time. On Android, the timing may vary.

Can I send a push notification that links to my website or business page?

Wallet push notifications are plain text only — no clickable links. However, the customer can tap the notification to open the card, which includes your business page link if you've set one up.

Why are birthday messages arriving late?

Check the timezone and hour settings in your birthday automation (Automations → edit the automation). If the timezone doesn't match your customers' location, messages may arrive at unexpected times. The day offset setting (0 = on the day, -1 = day before) also affects timing.

How many messages can I send?

All plans include unlimited push notifications. There is no per-message fee.

Can I send messages to specific customers instead of a whole group?

Manual messages go to all customers of a card or a segment. To reach individual customers, use a segment that matches them specifically, or contact them directly using their profile information from the Customers page.