The sheer number of clip out coupons in newspapers, the number of people holding membership and loyalty cards, and the volume of printed tickets is universal and prevalent. The explosion of the Internet and digital conversions is so common that if newspapers were to disappear tomorrow, the world wouldn't stop spinning.
Enter Passbook - the Apple Newstand equivalent for paper passes
Apple is offering businesses the option to provide tickets, loyalty cards, membership cards, and coupons to their customers digitally via their mobile devices.
Passbook looks to become the new e-wallet that allows users to access and store what would usually appear in consumer's wallets. Like a traditional wallet, Passbook helps people store all their coupons, boarding passes, and loyalty cards in the same place. Rather than carrying bulky wallets around, consumers only need their devices to access all of these passes. It's a digital hub that enables users to stay organized and efficient.
Another feature of Passbook goes beyond what traditional paper passes can do. With push notifications, pass holders will receive alerts and updates if their pass changes. Their store card balance is automatically updated to reflect the new number, and consumers will be notified if there is a flight delay whilst their boarding pass changes to correspond to the new time. Real time communication between the merchant and the consumer enhances efficiency and allows for the transmission of information to be more systematic.
Analogous to push notifications, geofencing is also another attribute that takes users' GPS locations and essentially presents the appropriate Passbook pass on their lock screens. When a person is near or has entered a Starbucks outlet, their Starbucks card would automatically appear on their devices, and users simply swipe and scan to make purchases.
The Power of Information
Information is what makes the world go round. Being informed, staying alert and updated with what's happening around you is extremely important in this day and age. Passbook takes care of that demand and makes transmitting information between several parties a lot easier. With this comes a magnified user experience.
The digital era is here to stay, while static coupons, tickets, and paper passes are slowly becoming obsolete. Digital passes provide much more functionality and accessibility, and it capitalizes on the digital marketing space too. With the number of smartphone users continuing to grow exponentially, Passbook is certainly an app that could change the way we all use our wallets.
Paul Tomes invites you to use the PassKit API for free. You can experience Passbook for yourself. Create Passbook Passes yourself.
You will also be able to create, design, and distribute your very own Pass using the API and the web interface.
To access the PassKit API, and send push updates to the iPhone lock screen for free simply visit download the passbook pass from an iPhone or iPod Touch running iOS6, and choose the Starbucks Sample from the Retail Cards section.
