# How to add tickets to Apple Wallet on your iPhone

> Every way to add tickets to Apple Wallet: the Add to Apple Wallet button, .pkpass files, organiser apps, and what to do when your ticket has none.

Published 2026-11-04 · https://kardin.app/guides/add-tickets-to-apple-wallet

**If your ticket has an Add to Apple Wallet button, tap it in the email, app or web page, then tap Add. A .pkpass file opens the same way from Mail, Messages or Safari. If there's no button, ask the issuer first. After that, you can make a pass yourself with Wallet's Create a Pass on iOS 27 or with an app that reads PDFs and photos.**

You can add tickets to Apple Wallet in a few different ways. Which one works depends on how the ticket reached you: an **Add to Apple Wallet** button, a pass file attached to an email or linked on a web page, or the organiser's own app. This guide covers each of those, then explains what to do when none of them applies, such as a ticket that only came as a PDF, a screenshot or a sheet of paper. It's for anyone with an iPhone who would rather open a pass at the gate than dig through their inbox.

## What a Wallet ticket actually is

An Apple Wallet ticket is a pass: a small signed file, usually ending in `.pkpass`, that Wallet shows as a card with a barcode. Concert tickets, boarding passes, train tickets, museum entries and conference badges can all be passes. A PDF, a screenshot or a confirmation email is not a pass, even when it has a barcode. That's why some tickets go straight into Wallet and others don't. If you want the details, see [what a pkpass file is and how Wallet passes work](/blog/what-is-a-pkpass-file).

The best pass is one made by whoever issued the ticket. It's built for their scanners, and it can be updated if they support that. So try the official routes first.

## How to add tickets to Apple Wallet the official way

### 1. Tap the Add to Apple Wallet button

Apple's advice is to "look for 'Add to Apple Wallet' in an app, email, message, or web page." Ticket sellers often put it in the confirmation email or on the order page.

1. Open the email, app, notification or web page that has your ticket.
2. Tap **Add to Apple Wallet**.
3. A preview of the pass appears. Tap **Add** if asked.
4. Open the Wallet app to check the ticket is there.

If you bought several tickets, you may get a button for each one, or one button that adds them all. It depends on the seller.

### 2. Open a .pkpass file from Mail, Messages or Safari

Some sellers attach the pass as a file instead of showing a button, or link to it from their website.

1. In **Mail**, tap the pass attachment in the email. In **Messages**, tap the pass in the conversation. In **Safari**, tap the link or button that downloads the pass.
2. A preview of the pass opens. Tap **Add**.
3. Check the Wallet app.

If tapping the file does nothing in another email app or browser, open the same email in Apple Mail or the same page in Safari and try again.

### 3. Add it from the organiser's or airline's app

Airlines, rail companies, ticket sellers and venues often keep your tickets in their own app.

1. Open the app and sign in with the account you used to book.
2. Find your booking or ticket (often under "My tickets", "Trips" or similar).
3. If you see **Add to Apple Wallet**, tap it and then tap **Add**.

Some organisers don't offer a Wallet pass at all and want you to show the ticket inside their app. Their barcode often rotates or animates, refreshing every few seconds, so a screenshot or copy won't scan. In that case, use their app at the gate. It's their rule, and no Wallet pass can stand in for it. For flights, check-in usually has to happen first. The [boarding pass guide](/guides/add-boarding-pass-to-apple-wallet) covers that.

## Where your ticket goes once it's added

- **The Wallet app.** All your passes are there. Tap one to show its barcode.
- **The Lock Screen.** Apple describes "Suggest on Lock Screen" as a pass appearing "based on your time or location—for example, a boarding pass near your departure time." This only works if the pass carries a date or location.
- **Your Apple Watch.** Apple says a ticket added on your iPhone is added automatically to Wallet on your paired Apple Watch.
- **Offline.** A pass in Wallet opens without signal, which matters in crowded stadiums and on planes. Add it while you still have a connection.

## When there's no Add to Apple Wallet button

Apple's own advice is: "If you don't see an option to add your ticket or pass to the Wallet app, contact the merchant or company that issued it to make sure they support passes in the Wallet app." Before you do, look in these places:

- **The confirmation email.** The button is sometimes far down, below the order summary.
- **Your account on the seller's website.** Some sellers show the Wallet button only on the order page, not in the email.
- **The seller's or venue's app.** Some sellers offer Wallet passes only from inside the app.
- **A separate "your tickets are ready" email.** Tickets for big events are sometimes released closer to the date.

If the issuer really doesn't offer a pass, you'll usually have a PDF, an image or a paper ticket. Keep that original whatever you do next. If you need to act right now at a gate, the [PDF ticket with no Wallet button](/scenarios/ticket-pdf-no-apple-wallet) page covers what to do on the spot.

Some honest limits apply to every workaround:

- **Rotating or animated barcodes can't be turned into a working pass.** Apple says it plainly: "If you take a photo of a barcode or QR code that expires, such as a ticket for a concert, the pass won't work."
- **ID checks and app-only rules still apply.** If an organiser or airline checks your ID or requires its own app, a pass you made yourself doesn't change that.
- **Self-made passes are static.** They show what you put in them and don't update with delays, gate changes or cancellations.

## Making a ticket pass yourself

When the ticket has a static barcode (one that never changes), you can make a Wallet pass from it. There are two main routes.

### Wallet's own Create a Pass (iOS 27)

From iOS 27, Apple Wallet can make a pass itself. Apple presents this mainly for "membership and loyalty cards that have a barcode or QR code but no digital pass", but it also includes an event template.

**Manually:**

1. Open Wallet and tap **Add Card**.
2. Tap **Create a Pass**, then **Create Pass Manually**.
3. Pick a template. Apple offers standard, membership and event passes.
4. Fill in the details and add the pass.

**From a photo or screenshot** (needs an iPhone 15 Pro or later with Apple Intelligence, the latest iOS, and visual intelligence turned on):

1. In Photos, open a photo of the ticket's barcode or QR code and tap the Info button, or swipe up. You can also take a screenshot of the code.
2. If the code is detected, tap **Add Pass to Wallet**.

You can change some fields and the pass's look later from the pass, using the More button and then **Edit Pass**. Apple's pages don't describe adding a PDF this way, and Apple Intelligence isn't available in every language or region. Apple's two help pages also present the device requirements a little differently, so check whether the option appears on your iPhone.

### Kardin: for tickets that came as a PDF or image

Kardin is an iPhone app (iOS 16.4 or later) that turns a PDF, a photo, a screenshot or a scanned barcode into an Apple Wallet pass. It also reads the ticket's details for you. It can help when the ticket only exists as a PDF, when you want a proper event, flight, train or bus pass style, or when your iPhone doesn't have Apple Intelligence.

1. Open Kardin and import the PDF from Files. You can also share it to Kardin from Mail, Files, Photos or Safari, use a photo or screenshot, or scan the barcode on a paper ticket with the camera.
2. Kardin reads the first page of the PDF on your iPhone: its text and any barcode. It uses the iPhone's built-in barcode reading, so the code is decoded, never guessed.
3. Kardin picks a pass type (event, flight, train, bus, card or other) and fills in what it finds. For an event, that means the event name, date, time, venue, gate, section, row and seat.
4. Check everything on the review screen and its live preview. Fix any field, or change the pass type.
5. Kardin opens Apple's own **Add to Apple Wallet** screen. Tap **Add** to confirm.

When Kardin can read a date and time, the pass carries them, so Wallet can suggest it on the Lock Screen around the event. QR, PDF417, Aztec and Code 128 barcodes, the formats most tickets use, keep their original format.

Things to know before you rely on it:

- **Only the first page of a PDF is read.** A PDF with several tickets gives one pass.
- **Reading the details is best-effort.** Small, rotated or messy text can be missed or misread, so always check the review screen.
- **You need an internet connection to create a pass.** After that, the pass opens offline in Wallet.
- **The pass is static.** It won't update with time or gate changes.
- **On privacy:** your files and photos are read on the iPhone and never uploaded. To create the pass, only its content (field labels and values, the barcode value and format, colours and the date) is sent to Kardin's server. Apple requires every pass to be signed, and the server signs it and sends it straight back without storing it. There's no account. See [security](/security) for the details.

For a full walkthrough of the PDF case, see [how to add a PDF ticket to Apple Wallet](/guides/add-pdf-to-apple-wallet).

## Comparing the ways to add tickets

| Method | Best for | What you need | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Add to Apple Wallet button | Tickets whose seller supports Wallet | The email, app or web page with the button | Only exists if the issuer offers it |
| .pkpass file | Passes attached to emails or linked on websites | Mail, Messages or Safari | Same as above; some email apps may not open it |
| Organiser's or airline's app | Tickets you manage in an app | The app, usually with an account | Some keep tickets in the app with a rotating code |
| Wallet's Create a Pass | Cards and simple passes with a static barcode | iOS 27; the photo method needs iPhone 15 Pro or later with Apple Intelligence | Standard, membership and event templates; expiring codes won't work |
| Kardin | Tickets that only came as a PDF, image or paper | iPhone with iOS 16.4 or later; internet to create | First PDF page only; static pass; check the details it reads |

## Mistakes to avoid

- **Leaving the ticket in your email until you reach the gate.** Signal near big venues can be poor. Add the pass, or at least download the PDF, the day before.
- **Screenshotting a rotating barcode.** It won't scan. Show it in the organiser's app.
- **Deleting the original.** Keep the confirmation email and PDF even after the ticket is in Wallet, in case a scanner rejects the pass or you need to make a corrected one.
- **Skipping the check on a pass you made.** One wrong date or seat causes confusion. A wrong barcode means the ticket won't scan.
- **Assuming a self-made pass will tell you about changes.** It won't. Watch for emails or notifications from the airline, rail company or organiser.
- **Putting sensitive things in a third-party pass.** Don't add bank card numbers, PINs, passwords or ID documents to a pass made by any app. Passes can be viewed without Face ID and sync through iCloud.

## The short version

- Look for **Add to Apple Wallet** first: in the email, on the seller's order page, or in their app. Tap it, then tap **Add**.
- A `.pkpass` attachment or download opens in Mail, Messages or Safari. Tap it, then tap **Add**.
- If an organiser uses a rotating barcode, needs its own app or checks your ID, follow their rules. No Wallet pass replaces that.
- With no official pass and a static barcode, use Wallet's Create a Pass on iOS 27, or an app like Kardin to turn a PDF or image into a pass.
- Add tickets before you leave home, check the details, and keep the original as a backup.

## FAQ

### Do tickets in Apple Wallet work without internet?

Yes. Once a pass is in Apple Wallet it's stored on your iPhone, so you can open it and show the barcode with no signal, as long as the barcode doesn't rotate. That helps in a stadium or on a plane. Add the ticket while you still have a connection, because adding or creating a pass needs one.

### Will my Apple Wallet tickets show up on my Apple Watch?

Yes. Apple says that when you add a ticket or pass to Wallet on your iPhone, it's added automatically to Wallet on your paired Apple Watch. Whether the scanner at the gate can read it from your wrist depends on the venue.

### Can I send a ticket in Apple Wallet to a friend?

Some passes can be shared from Wallet. If there's no Share button on the pass, Apple says the issuer hasn't turned on sharing. In that case, use the organiser's own transfer option if it has one. Each person should have their own valid ticket.

### Will a ticket in Apple Wallet update if the time or gate changes?

A pass from the issuer can update itself if the issuer supports it. A pass you make yourself, with Kardin for example, is static and won't change when the time, gate or platform does. Check the organiser's, airline's or rail company's app or emails for changes either way.

### My PDF has tickets for several people. How do I add them all?

See whether the organiser offers a separate Add to Apple Wallet button or file for each ticket, which is the easiest route. Kardin reads only the first page of a PDF, so a PDF with several tickets gives one pass. If each ticket comes as its own file, import them one at a time.