Both Apple Wallet and Google Wallet use your device's GPS and other location services to trigger notifications on the user's lock screen when they are near a specific location. However, the implementation and features differ significantly.

A system in Apple Wallet that displays a pass on the lock screen when a user is within a predefined distance of a location.

A maximum of locations that can be associated with a single pass

How the notification is presented on the device

The approximate distance at which a notification is triggered.

The name for Google Wallet's location-based notification feature.

The daily limit of 4 notifications per day to prevent users from being overwhelmed.

Apple Wallet uses a system that can display a pass on the user's lock screen when they are within a predefined distance of a location. This is often described as a "relevant location" trigger.

Apple Wallet allows you to associate a maximum of 10 locations with a single pass. If your business has more than 10 locations, you'll need to use a different strategy, such as updating the pass with the 10 closest locations to the user's current position.

The notification is a passive "suggestion" that appears on the lock screen. It doesn't make a sound or vibration, and it's designed to provide quick access to the pass without being intrusive.

You can add a custom line of text that appears on the lock screen notification to provide more context, such as "Welcome! Don't forget to use your points." This is a powerful feature for engaging customers right at the point of entry.

The radius for triggering the lock screen display is approximately 100 meters. This can vary depending on the type of pass (e.g., event passes may have a larger radius).

Google Wallet has recently introduced Nearby Passes notifications, which function similarly to Apple Wallet's location-based notifications, but with some notable distinctions.

Google Wallet allows an unlimited number of locations to be associated with a single pass. However, we still cap this at 10 locations to ensure optimal performance and parity with Apple.

The notifications are dynamic push notifications, which can appear audibly and/or visually on the lock screen, depending on the user's settings.

Unlike Apple Wallet, the content of location-based notifications in Google Wallet is static and cannot be edited. The notification simply informs the user that a pass is available nearby.

Google Wallet's location-based notifications trigger within a radius of approximately 150 meters, which is slightly larger than the radius used by Apple Wallet.

Google Wallet has a daily limit of 4 total notifications per day. This limit is set to prevent users from being overwhelmed by frequent alerts, particularly when moving between multiple locations.