Mobile wallets are becoming part of our daily lives. Whether you use it or not, payment terminals are rapidly enabling contactless payment technology, giving rise to mobile payment options such as Apple Pay and Android Pay. But mobile wallet is not just a payment tool — the ways businesses can use it to deliver value to customers are multiplying, and have few limits.

What Is Mobile Wallet?

There are two sides to mobile wallet: payment and non-payment. Mobile wallet (also referred to as “digital wallet” or “wallet passes”) is content or information in the form of a wallet item that is stored in the Apple Wallet or Android Pay app. While Apple Pay, Android Pay and Samsung Pay have received lots of attention, it’s the non-payment side of mobile wallet that will deliver true utility to the consumer and reduce costs for businesses. It has the ability to transform the physical billfold to a fully digital, mobile wallet, providing brands an easy way to reach 100% of their customers on mobile — with or without an app.

Multiple wallet items, or passes, can be housed in each of these native app ecosystems for consolidated, easy access anywhere and everywhere.

How We Can Help

Using Urban Airship Wallet, brands can create all kinds of passes including loyalty cards, coupons, offers, event tickets, boarding passes, ID cards and gift cards. Create new passes, or update existing passes for an easy, ongoing way to communicate with your mobile audience at just the right moment. Our aggregate data shows that 85-98% of Urban Airship Wallet passes used in highly-targeted campaigns are hardly deleted, providing a great platform for continuous customer engagement.

Consumers are more than curious — they’re ready. According to Forrester Research Inc., more than 55% of consumers are interested in using mobile wallets for loyalty programs, coupons, discounts and special offers. That number is only going to go up as understanding of the channel increases. Mobile wallets are quickly gaining recognition as a new, persistent method to engage with users.

In this Idea Book, we go beyond the ordinary to spark the wallet pass imagination. Included are five unique mobile wallet use cases that can be adopted and implemented in a variety of different industries, with one current innovative example of the passes in-use by Boston’s WBUR and The New York Times.

Up Your Gym Membership Game With Mobile Wallet

Entrepreneurs like gym owners have costs. Staff, equipment, overhead and other recurring expenses add up. What if there was a way to better engage your clientele, add additional value to their experience and lower your costs at the same time? Why not offer an eco-friendly, cost-saving and easy-to-use mobile wallet option instead?

The Ultimate Engagement Tool

Not only does a mobile wallet gym pass get rid of the cumbersome card that must be brought to the gym, it can help members with motivation and encouragement as well. Gym wallet passes allow businesses to send out notifications that can appear on the lock-screen, similar to push notifications coming from apps. Everything from “Working on your delts? Free pointers at 5:00 p.m. today!” to “New cardio equipment has arrived! Come check it out.” can help drive attendance and retention.

Want more ideas? Gyms could send notifications about their newest fitness classes, and update members’ wallet passes with an image related to the session. They can change the color of a pass to praise a member who has been in every day that month, or offer members tips on their fitness goals. Or, that wallet pass can be turned into a punchcard for spin, yoga or Zumba classes.

Use the wallet pass as a punch card for pre-paid gym classes as well as the membership card.

Cut Down On Flab — And Administration

For gyms and fitness centers, mobile wallet passes cut down on the cost of plastic member cards — and help with the cost of lost cards. Going from plastic to digital can yield cost savings of 10X-25X. And wallet passes can be set to expire, so gyms can easily control member access.

With mobile wallet, gyms can:

• Issue 1:1 membership cards
• Set expiration dates for membership
• Set up a barcode on mobile wallets to scan on entry
• Light up member’s lockscreen with timely content
• Update passes to target specific users based on use or behaviors taken from the gym’s CRM database

New Ways To Upsell Targeted Members

To make using a wallet pass even more compelling, gyms could offer special deals for private sessions, discounts on latest gym apparel and gear, or offers for healthy food items — all encourage more member engagement and purchases. Wallet passes can also be used for free trials to grow and expand their member base. These offers can be sent via email, SMS or social channels.

Member Organizations Take Note!

This use case is also applicable to any member organization, such as a public library that uses barcodes to check out books, the local zoo to monitor access or a nearby amusement park to access rides.

In-Store Pickup: A Better Omni-Channel Experience With Mobile Wallet

During Black Friday 2015, the National Retail Federation reported more people shopping via their phones than in-store for the first time ever. Retailers are scrambling to strengthen overall omni-channel marketing experiences to drive more sales online, mobile and in-store — wherever the customer is, however they choose to make a purchase. As such, there has been a significant rise in retailers offering in-store pickup for online and mobile orders over the past year.

While this isn’t entirely new, more and more retailers are jumping into the fray, adding multiple levels of complexity for themselves in supply chain, replenishment, system integration and, last but not least, customer service communication.

The good news is, even without an app, mobile wallet can be used to keep customers informed in real-time as they head to the store for pickup. For a customer, today’s in-store pickup experience is still a burden — checking email to see if their order is ready for pickup, printing the order confirmation, having to physically bring that piece of paper to the store.

Streamline The Customer Experience

Mobile wallets allow customers to download their order confirmation details onto their smartphones with one tap — all without downloading an app. To enable download, retailers simply add a button onto the confirmation email, include a link on the confirmation screen or through an SMS/MMS text link.

Wherever you can place a URL to communicate with your customers, you can distribute a mobile wallet pass. Mobile wallet order confirmations are stored in Apple Wallet or Android Pay, depending on their device, for easy access from their smartphone.

Increase Customer Satisfaction Through Personalization

One of the smartest use cases we’ve come across for in-store pickup is layering location-aware (geofences and/or beacons) communication onto the mobile wallet confirmation pass. Doing so allows retailers to automate notifications to the customer upon store arrival.

For example, as a customer enters a geofence or beacon, a message can be sent to their lock screen alerting them their order is ready for pickup. With a single swipe on the lock screen, they can readily show the sales associate the order confirmation and be in and out quickly — no need to fumble through their email inbox to dig up that order, no need to print the order confirmation and no need to remember to bring the print out.

Some brands are taking this to the next level by delivering welcome messages upon store entry. Sales associates can also be alerted that “Mrs. Smith” is on the premises for pickup. This level of engagement saves time, is seamless and leads to increased customer satisfaction.

Retailers See Benefits Of Higher Mobile Engagement

Mobile is changing the retail landscape, and there are many use cases for how retailers can use it to their benefit. By streamlining one key method — mobile wallet — retailers can:

• Issue a wallet item with the order confirmation number, store location and other important information
• Directly send a notification to a customer’s lock screen, alerting them their order is ready for pickup
• Create geofences and beacons that tie to mobile wallet for a more personalized experience
• Light up a member’s lock screen with the order confirmation info when they enter the store
• Alert sales associates that a customer has arrived at the store for pickup.

Congrats! You’ve Earned Free Popcorn

The movie-going experience continues to undergo changes as technology improves, but some things have remained constant. Moviegoers still look forward to the thrill of seeing a feature film on opening night, dipping into a fresh bag of popcorn and enjoying a night out with friends. One thing they don’t love? Buying tickets. And mobile wallet passes can help change that.

Enter Mobile Movie Tickets!

Attendees already have the option of buying in advance, why not take paper out of it altogether with a wallet pass? A mobile movie ticket can be delivered to a user’s mobile device in multiple ways. An “Add to Wallet” call-to-action can be placed on the order confirmation page or email, as an example. With the tap of a button, the moviegoer now has a mobilized version of their ticket on their phone.

Also, with location-based targeting, the whole loyalty card process can be simplified. Currently, when customers go to the ticket booth or concession stand, they have to pull out their phone, unlock it, find the app, navigate to the rewards section (potentially log in) and then scan…whew.

With beacons, a loyalty card is automatically displayed on the lock screen, right at the point of action. A simple swipe on the notification (Apple Watch users don’t even have to pull their phones out) and the loyalty card is brought to the foreground, making it much easier, friendlier and seamless to use. In one step, theaters can increase loyalty and improve the movie-going experience for attendees.

“Yes! Loyalty Pays Off!”

The value of the mobile movie ticket doesn’t end there. Let’s say the moviegoer is a member of the theater’s loyalty program and recently qualified for free popcorn at their next visit. The ticket pass can be dynamically updated to remind the user to redeem their free popcorn at concessions.

Continue Mobile Engagement Long After The Film

Finally, after the movie ends, the strip image at the top of the mobile ticket can be updated to feature upcoming new releases. As a theater chain, imagine being able to sell that valuable space to studios to promote their upcoming features to millions of mobile ticket pass holders (or targeted groups of them).

In addition to mobile tickets for individual movie purchases, theaters can offer loyalty members the ability to download a mobile version of their loyalty card. The same functionality applies – location awareness, dynamic strip images and 1:1 messaging based on loyalty status. Theaters save money on replacing lost cards and provide a better experience for their most valuable customers. The 21st century moviegoing experience has arrived.

Take the Digital Wedding Mobile: Wallet Makes it Easy

The wedding industry has seen the advent of two critical trends over the past 15 years — the growth of DIY and the incorporation of technology into these seminal events. Planners and consultants have been tasked to incorporate both elements into weddings to help create unique events that have a personal touch. No where is this more evident than the associated printing and information sharing that occurs around the events — creating their own online wedding announcements, RSVPs, landing pages, crowdfunded wedding registries are only the beginning for couples. So why not wallet passes?

Digital Brings Costs Down

With costs averaging more than $26,000 for a wedding in the U.S., couples are looking for ways to save. One of the easiest things to recommend couples personalize and take digital is wedding collateral, such as save-the-date announcements, invitations and programs. But it doesn’t have to be boring or complicated!

Mobile wallet options can reduce time, cost, paper and headaches — all while making weddings an interactive experience on a whole new level.

Open A Line Of Communication With Guests

As mentioned, save-the-date notices are a popular DIY item. But it’s a one and done — you send it and the next communication typically does not occur until the invitation is sent (which can be months later). By creating a digital version of a save-the-date, planners and consultants can help couples set the tone for a modern wedding by providing a living resource for the event.

Using an e-invitation service, personalized emails can be sent to guests containing a link to download a mobile wallet pass announcement to their Apple or Android device. All guests need to do is tap the button and, voila, they have added the mobile wallet item onto their smartphones.

Once the pass has been downloaded, the guests’ passes can be updated with news and reminders as the date approaches. For instance, reminders can be sent to RSVP, book hotel rooms or attend a new group activity ahead of the event, and a notification will display on guests’ phones.

Share Critical Information On The Day-of

As the wedding approaches, those who declined attending can delete their pass, or only those who plan on attending can be targeted for further updates.

For the big day, the pass can be updated with the wedding program on the back, directions to the venue(s) or other critical information. Since grandma may not be as technologically savvy as some of the other guests, paper programs can still be handed out to only those who need them, reducing both costs and the number of printed copies.

As an added touch after the wedding, a “Thank You” notification can be sent and passes can be updated with some favorite wedding photos.

Make Personalizing Weddings Easier

As you think about helping couples remain on the forefront of wedding trends, think about how to incorporate more digital items — like mobile wallet — to help you communicate, keep track of all the moving parts and ultimately deliver an unforgettable experience.

The Mobile Biz Card: Disrupting a 17th Century Way of Doing Business

While the traditional business card design aesthetics may have changed since their 17th century introduction, the concept has remained the same. The traditional business card is a self-introduction that includes information on how to reach someone. But it’s the 21st century, so enter mobile wallet.

The new mobile wallet version disrupts the traditional uses of business cards, delivering more capabilities and providing more contact methods.

Sharing & Scanning Made Simple

By creating a digital version of a business card via mobile wallet, employees can easily share their information without adding to paper clutter. Through iOS’ built-in capability, users click on the “i” icon in the bottom right hand corner, which allows the sharing of wallet items via MMS, email, AirDrop and more.

This is a simple and easy way to share a business card, and this same feature can be used for other purposes (sending concert tickets to a group, for example) — without having the hassle of emailing a PDF version, or having to print at home.

Better With Location

Digital business cards can also be used to leverage location-aware technology, allowing very targeted geomarketing at a personal level. By tying a mobile wallet business card to a personal beacon (say, on a keychain), users are able to alert others via a lock screen notification when they are nearby.

Upon sending a mobile wallet confirmation pass, recipients are alerted that their contact is in proximity, which makes locating a specific person much easier in a sea of people. This benefit not only comes in handy when trying to locate contacts at a conference, but even friends at a festival or other gatherings.

The Perfect Pair: Modern Love Podcast Meets Mobile Wallet

Finally, here’s a real-life innovative use case for Urban Airship Wallet technology from The New York Times’ popular Modern Love column and an added audio experience with Modern Love: The Podcast. The Modern Love column has published weekly reader-submitted essays that explore the joys and tribulations of love for 11 years and running. The podcast, produced in collaboration with WBUR (Boston’s NPR News station), carries this content over the airwaves.

Modern Love: The Podcast builds on this rich heritage and adds a new dimension to the popular column, exploring tales of love through sound — readers’ stories are read aloud by notable personalities, such as Judd Apatow and Dakota Fanning, followed by updates from the essayists themselves.

Why Choose Wallet?

“To promote the new podcast series, we wanted to find an interesting way to share information about upcoming podcasts, and leverage our compelling audio assets,” said Kristen Holgerson, director of marketing and promotion at WBUR. The team went with mobile wallet for several reasons.

For listeners, mobile wallet offers a streamlined experience with easy access to the podcast anywhere. Users only have to download the pass once and it is automatically updated weekly. Once the pass is installed, the WBUR podcast team can send scheduled reminders to highly visible device home screens, sharing the week’s special guest and accompanying links, including audio ads recorded by guest readers made to sound like personal voicemails.

“It’s a fun approach but it also makes a lot of sense for WBUR to use mobile wallet because passes can link back to iTunes, which is the primary way users hear the Modern Love podcast,” said Jessica Alpert, managing producer for program development at WBUR. “Plus, unlike SMS, we can use the back of the wallet pass to provide links to the guest reader’s voicemail and other ways to hear the podcast without overwhelming listeners. Tuning in involves a couple of taps to the wallet pass — making it less likely for listeners to get lost in a myriad of emails or text strings.”

The Wallet Implementation

To set this up, the Modern Love podcast team emailed fans who had opted in to receive more information about the new podcast series, sending a simple link to download the pass to their mobile wallet. This first promotional effort netted conversion rates twice the industry average, based on the number of recipients that downloaded the Modern Love wallet item.

Once the pass is installed, the WBUR podcast team can send scheduled reminders to device home screens, sharing the week’s special guest and accompanying links. Users swiping this reminder are immediately taken to the pass itself.

Mobile wallet offers a streamlined experience for listeners, with easy access to the podcast anywhere. They only have to download the pass once and it is automatically updated weekly. Initial data shows that those who have downloaded the pass keep it (a 96% retention rate), offering the Modern Love podcast team an ongoing channel to continuously engage listeners.

The Results So Far

“Using Mobile Wallet to promote the podcast is great because we avoid the expense and possible annoyance associated with ongoing use of other channels like SMS,” said Holgerson. “We also don’t have to spend a ton of energy convincing people to download another app to their phone, and wallet made it super easy to execute this promotional idea — from concept to execution, it only took about two weeks. That speed and ease allowed us to focus on our core mission of delivering engaging, thoughtful and high-quality content.”