Introduction
This guide outlines the process of launching a live project on PassKit. A live project is an active project that has been assigned an Apple certificate. It is the Project status required for issuing and managing commercial passes that your end users can access.
Terminology
Project
A project in PassKit refers to a Program (Membership/Loyalty), a Campaign (Coupons) or a Production (Event Tickets).
Draft Project
When you initially create a project, a Draft Project is automatically generated. This serves as a workspace for creating, editing, and testing passes and not used for commercial passes. Draft Projects have limitations and used solely for initial testing purposes. Passes issued from a Draft Project are temporary and automatically deleted 48 hours after issue. Changes made to a draft project do not affect a corresponding live project.
Live Project
A live project is an active project that has been assigned an Apple certificate. It's the Project status required for issuing and managing commercial passes that your end users can access.
Certificate
A certificate generated from your Apple Developer Account and uploaded to PassKit for cryptographic signing of passes.
Requirements
To set your project live, you need to have met the following requirements:
Verified email address
The PassKit account holder email address has been confirmed.
Valid Payment Method
Payment details added to your account for subscription purposes.
Certificate Uploaded
A certificate generated from your Apple Developer Account and uploaded to PassKit for cryptographic signing of passes.
Process
This example will show how to set a Membership/Loyalty project live, however the process is the same for each pass type.
From the Overview page
Locate the "Launch Box" on the right side of the analytics.
Optionally change the project name.
Select the desired certificate.
Click the "Launch" button.
From the Projects list
Find your draft project and click the three dots.
Optionally change the project name.
Select the desired certificate.
Click the "Launch" button.
That's it! Your project is now live.
Considerations
Test with a Live Project
Draft Projects are primarily designed for initial experimentation and visualization of your Wallet Passes. You can use them to explore the design and functionality of your passes in Apple and Google Wallet. However, Draft Projects are not suitable for developing integrations or conducting comprehensive end-to-end testing.
If you attempt to use a Draft Project for integration purposes, you risk encountering the following issues:
Incorrect Distribution Links: Sharing Draft Project distribution links will lead to delivery issues.
Integration Errors: Incorrect parameters used in integrations like Zapier or custom API development.
Data Misalignment: Importing data into the wrong project.
Pass Expiration: Issuing passes from a Draft Project results in them expiring automatically after 48 hours, causing confusion to end users.
To ensure your project functions correctly and is ready for public use, it's crucial to:
Use the Live Project for Development: Develop integrations and conduct thorough testing within the Live Project to replicate real-world conditions.
Avoid Draft Project Limitations: Understand the limitations of Draft Projects and avoid using them for anything other than initial design and testing.
Transition Early: Move to the Live Project as soon as possible to minimize the risk of errors and delays.
Passes are not transferrable
When you launch your project, any passes previously issued in the Draft Project will remain in that project, and automatically expire 48 hours after they were issued. Any passes in the Draft Project at the time of going live are not transferred to the Live Project.
Passes issued in a Draft Project are not transferred to a Live Project
Your new Live Project will begin with no passes.
Equally, any passes issued in a Live Project are not transferred into the Draft Project. i.e. once set live, there is no connection between the Draft Project and the Live Project.
Updating a Project
Once set live, a Live Project is NOT CONNECTED to the initial Draft Project
Any modifications made to your Draft Project will not automatically be applied to your Live Project. These two projects are independent workspaces.
If you wish to make changes to your Live Project, you'll need to edit it directly. You can use the Draft Project to experiment with changes and preview their effects before implementing them in the Live Project.
Conclusion
Launching a project on PassKit is a straightforward process that involves verifying your email address, adding a payment method, and uploading an Apple certificate. Once these requirements are met, you can easily switch your project from Draft to Live status.
Remember:
Draft Projects are for testing and experimentation.
Live Projects are for issuing and managing commercial passes.
Changes to a Draft Project do not affect the corresponding Live Project.
Passes issued in a Draft Project are not transferred to a Live Project.
By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can successfully set your project live and start issuing commercial passes to your end users.