Creating an Apple Pass Type Identifier and Certificate

In order to issue passes, Apple requires that you have an Apple Developer Program account. The Apple Developer Program is a paid subscription that enables distribution of apps and passes.

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Enroll in the Apple Developer Program if you do not already have an account.

Once enrolled, follow the steps below so that you may begin issuing passes on the Badge platform.

Step 1 - Create a Certificate Signing Request (CSR)

Issuing a pass requires a signing certificate. Before you can generate a signing certificate, you need a certificate signing request (CSR).

1. Use the Badge API to create a CSR file:

   Shell

   curl --request POST \
        --url https://api.trybadge.com/v0/workspace/appleCertificateSigningRequests \
        --header 'accept: application/x-pem-file' \
        --header 'authorization: Bearer your-workspace-api-key'
   

2. Save the CSR file to your local machine. It should use the .certSigningRequest file extension.

Step 2 - Register a Pass Type Identifier in the Apple Developer Portal

A pass type identifier is a unique identifier that Apple uses to identify and group related passes.

1. Navigate to Apple Developer Portal (Register a Pass Type ID).

2. Provide your Description and Identifier.

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   Pass Templates that share the same Identifier may be visually grouped inside the wallet when passes are downloaded. Keep this in mind when deciding whether to reuse Identifiers between multiple Pass Templates.

3. Click "Continue" and then "Register" to create the Pass Type Identifier.

Step 3 - Create a Certificate in the Apple Developer Portal

Every Pass Type Identifier requires a corresponding certificate.

1. Navigate to Apple Developer Portal (Create a Certificate).
2. Select "Pass Type ID Certificate" from the list, then click "Continue".
3. Enter your Pass Certificate Name, and then select the Pass Type Identifier you created in the previous step. Click "Continue".
4. Select "Choose File" and upload the CSR file you saved previously.
5. Click "Continue" and then "Download" to save the generated certificate (pass.cer) to your local machine.

Step 4 - Upload the Certificate to your Badge Workspace

Now that you have a certificate, the final step is to upload it to your Badge workspace.

1. Use the Badge API to upload the certificate to your Badge workspace:

   Shell

   curl --request POST \
       --url https://api.trybadge.com/v0/workspace/appleCertificates \
       --header 'accept: application/json' \
       --header 'authorization: Bearer your-workspace-api-key' \
       --header 'content-type: application/pkix-cert' \
       --data   '@path/to/your/pass.cer'
   

Congrats! You've completed the Apple Certificate Upload process, and you are now ready to begin creating Pass Templates.

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Certificate Renewal

It is important to take note of the Certificate Expiration Date and renew the certificate before it expires.

To renew a certificate, follow the same steps as above, but instead of registering a new Pass Type Identifier, reuse the existing one (i.e you may skip Step 2). When uploading a new certificate to a Badge workspace, any workspace certificate with a matching Pass Type Identifier will be replaced.