How to Use Passbook in iOS 8

Passbook, in iOS 8, has your iPhone for tickets, loyalty cards, boarding passes, etc. The payment platform is built into Passbook. Here’s how to set up and use Passbook in iOS 8.

Passbook is an app that comes pre-installed on all iPhones and some users know how to use it right out of the box, while others may not know what Passbook is all about and how it works in the world.

Passbook gives you your loyalty cards, event tickets, boarding passes, etc. It lets you put it on your iPhone and scan from your device when you need it, so you don’t have to carry extra paperwork with you.

Also, if you have an iPhone 6, Passbook also includes Apple Pay, which lets you pay for items in participating locations using just your iPhone 6 at checkout. Simply hover your device over the payment terminal and Apple Pay will automatically open on your iPhone 6. From there, scan your fingerprint on the Touch ID sensor and you’re on your way.

Here’s how to set up Passbook and get your various loyalty cards and other scannable items on your iPhone running iOS 8.

you need to know

Before you start setting up Passbook, it’s important to note that it has limitations and the biggest limitation is the inability to store every single barcode from any store.

Unfortunately, Passbook only works with iOS apps that support Passbook, so there are only a few stores in Passbook where you can store loyalty cards, and the same is true for airlines with boarding passes – not all airline apps for iPhone support Passbook.

However, most of the major players in retail, tickets and boarding passes offer Passbook support. To view all iOS apps that come with Passbook support, go to: iTunes App Store.

How to Set Up Passbook

To set up Passbook and add passcards to the app, you’ll first need something to add to it, whether it’s a loyalty card, event ticket, or boarding pass for an upcoming flight. Before you can set up and use Passbook, you’ll need something to add.

For our example, we’ll use a Walgreens Balance Rewards Card. To add your Walgreens Rewards Card to Passbook, the first thing you need to do is download the Walgreens app.

Once the app is downloaded and installed, run it and log in using your credentials. From there, find your rewards card (in this case, we’ll tap on it, which will bring up a scannable barcode). From here, you can add it to Passbook by tapping on it.

You can now open the Passbook app and your Walgreens Balance Rewards card will appear. From there, you can tap on it to bring it up and scan it at the checkout.

Alternatively, if you don’t want to download and install the app to add the loyalty card to Passbook, you can scan the barcode in the Passbook app if you have a physical card.

To do this, while in the Passbook app, swipe down and then tap the plus icon in the upper-right corner of the screen. From there, you can get a loyalty card, event ticket, boarding pass, etc. Tap on it to scan the barcode.

How to Set Up Apple Pay

Apple Pay lets you store your credit card information on your iPhone and use it to make purchases at any store that supports Apple Pay. iPhone 6 has an NFC chip that lets you tap a payment terminal in a store to buy goods instantly.

Also, doing this doesn’t give the store your credit card information, so you’ll be less susceptible to store hacks that steal credit card information, similar to the latest Home Depot and Target hacks.

Apple Pay also works with mobile shopping apps, allowing you to make one-touch payments on the Touch ID fingerprint sensor in shopping apps that support the feature.

To set up Apple Pay, you’ll need to run iOS 8.1 or later and an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus.

First thing first, open the Passbook app. Swipe down anywhere until a plus icon appears in the top right corner of the screen. Tap this plus icon.

Go ahead and tap on it to begin the process. There are two ways to add a credit or debit card to your Apple Pay wallet. One way is to quickly add your Apple-registered card for iTunes purchases. You can tap on it or simply select .

If you choose the former, all you have to do is enter that card’s security code and click to add it to your Apple Pay wallet. That is all!

If you choose to add your own credit or debit card, the process will take a little longer, but it’s still quick and really easy.

When selecting , you can manually enter the card details (your name, card number, expiration date, and security code) or take a photo of your card and have Apple Pay read the numbers on the card and enter those details automatically. you can use the camera, but you will still have to enter the security code manually.

Depending on the card you’re adding and which bank it’s at, you may need to use that bank’s verification system. In my case, I needed to get a verification code from Chase to validate the Chase Freedom card. But once you get the card and enter Apple Pay, the card has been verified and activated and is now ready to use.