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PassEntry Zapier integrationAutomate PassEntry with Zapier.

The PassEntry Zapier integration gives you 5 triggers, 5 actions and 1 search. All five triggers are instant: a pass created, added to a wallet, removed or scanned starts your automation without waiting, even on the free plan.

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Overview

What the PassEntry Zapier integration actually does

PassEntry issues and manages Apple and Google Wallet passes: loyalty cards, event tickets, memberships. Connected to Zapier, it reports what happens to each pass (created, added to a wallet, removed, scanned) and lets your other tools issue passes, change them, push a message to them, move loyalty points or switch them off.

Three results people build first. A loyalty card that counts by itself: a purchase in your shop or a scan at the till runs Update Loyalty Balance, which can add points, redeem them or set a new value. A pass issued the moment someone qualifies: a new CRM contact or a paid order runs Create Pass, which hands back a download link you can email or text. A message straight to the lock screen: Send Notification pushes a short text to a pass already in a wallet, which reaches the customer on the phone rather than in an inbox.

Now the limits. Templates are not managed here: they are created in the PassEntry Dashboard, and every Zap works from one you already have. Almost every step finds its pass through an External Identifier, usually your own CRM record ID, so if you never set one when issuing passes, updates have nothing to hold on to. And nothing reads past events: a Zap only sees what happens after it is switched on.

If you are still choosing a tool, start with the Zapier review, then n8n vs Zapier.

Vocabulary

Zapier vocabulary, the short version

Eight words carry this page. Here they are in plain English.

Zap
The automation you build on Zapier: one trigger, then one or more actions that run every single time that trigger event happens.
Trigger
The event that starts the Zap, here something that happens to a PassEntry pass. Once the Zap is on, Zapier waits for it.
Action
What the Zap does after it starts: the step that writes, sends or changes something for you, like messaging a pass.
Task
The unit Zapier bills: one action your Zap completed successfully. The number on your plan counts those and nothing else.
Polling vs instant
Zapier checks a polling trigger on a timer. An instant trigger is reported by the app itself, so nothing waits for a check.
Filter
A step that lets the Zap continue only when the incoming data meets your condition, and stops it there otherwise.
Search step
A step that looks up something already in an app, so the steps after it can reuse what it found instead of guessing.
Connection
Your PassEntry account linked to Zapier once, then offered to every PassEntry step of every Zap you build afterwards.
Cost

What PassEntry on Zapier really costs

PassEntry is not a premium app, so it runs from the free plan. The trigger never costs a task; each action that goes through costs one, and an action that fails is not counted against you.

  • TriggerNever costs a task
  • Each successful action1 task
  • Failed actionNot counted
  • Free plan100 tasks a month, two-step Zaps only
  • PassEntry triggers5 instant, 0 polling

The free plan gives 100 tasks a month and unlimited Zaps, capped at two steps each: one trigger, one action. Put Search Pass or a filter in front of an action, or chain two actions, and the Zap turns multi-step, which needs a paid plan. The polling grid below never applies to PassEntry, since its five triggers are instant. A few apps and actions also take more than one task each, so read the count on a test run.

Connect

Connect your PassEntry account in three steps

  1. 01

    Open the Apps page

    In your Zapier account, go to Apps and click + Add connection. A dialog appears: type PassEntry in the search field and select it from the list of results.

  2. 02

    Sign in to PassEntry

    Click Add connection. A new tab asks you to sign in to PassEntry. Use the account that owns the templates and passes your Zaps are going to read, message and change.

  3. 03

    Grant access

    Allow Zapier into the account. The connection is saved, and every later PassEntry step offers it from a list. For templates or passes you do not own yourself, get read or write access to them first.

First Zap

Your first Zap: welcome the people who saved the pass

GoalWhen a pass lands in a wallet, keep only the ones your rule selects, then push a welcome message to that pass.

  1. 01

    Set the trigger

    Create a Zap, choose PassEntry as the app and New Pass Added to Wallet as the event, then pick your PassEntry connection from the list.

  2. 02

    Test it

    Run the trigger test. Zapier brings back the three most recent items from your account, so you build the rest on a pass that really sits in someone's wallet.

  3. 03

    Add a filter

    Click the plus icon and add Filter: the field to look at, the rule, the value. A filter makes the Zap multi-step, so this one needs a paid plan.

  4. 04

    Add Send Notification

    Add PassEntry with Send Notification. Map External Identifier from the trigger (check the test shows one), then write your Message, which is mandatory too.

  5. 05

    Test, then publish

    Test the action on your own pass first, since the message really reaches a phone. Read what came back, then click Publish to switch the Zap on.

Triggers

The 5 PassEntry triggers

5 events start a Zap when something happens in PassEntry, and 5 of them are instant: the app calls Zapier straight away, whatever your plan.

1

New Pass Created

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new pass is created in PassEntry.”

Starts the Zap whenever PassEntry issues a pass, whether it came from the dashboard, from a Zap or from another tool. Creation is not installation: the customer may not have saved it yet, which is exactly why this trigger suits admin work.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan
When to use it
logging each new loyalty card in your CRM, or sending the download link by email from another app.
Watch out
a Zap that watches this trigger and runs Create Pass will keep setting itself off.
2

New Pass Added to Wallet

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new pass is added to a wallet.”

Fires when a customer actually adds a pass to their wallet. Of all five triggers, this is the one that tells you the card is now in someone's phone and ready to receive messages.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan
When to use it
stopping the reminder sequence that asks people to install the card, or pushing a welcome offer.
Watch out
Pass Status Changed also fires on this event, so do not run both for the same job or every install counts twice.
3

Pass Removed From Wallet

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when user removes a pass from their wallet.”

Goes off when someone deletes a pass from their wallet. From that point your notifications and balance updates no longer reach them through the pass, so this is the churn signal of a wallet program.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan
When to use it
tagging the contact as lost in your CRM, or queuing a win-back email with a reason to reinstall.
Watch out
the same removal also starts Pass Status Changed; choose one of the two.
4

Pass Scanned

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a pass is scanned using NFC or barcode.”

Reacts each time a pass is scanned, by NFC or by barcode. That is the physical moment: the customer is at your counter, your door or your event, which makes it the trigger for points, check-ins and attendance.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan
When to use it
adding a stamp to a coffee card on each visit, or marking a ticket holder as present.
Watch out
the Zap only sees scans made after it is published, so earlier visits never earn points.
5

Pass Status Changed

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a pass is added to or removed from a customer's wallet.”

One trigger for both directions: it fires when a pass is added to a customer's wallet and when it is removed. Useful when a single Zap should keep a status field in step, whichever way it moves.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan
When to use it
keeping an "installed" yes-or-no field in your CRM in sync with reality.
Watch out
it overlaps the two dedicated triggers above; to react to one direction only, add a filter, which makes the Zap multi-step.
Actions

The 5 PassEntry actions

PassEntry gives you 5 actions. For each one: what it does for you, when to reach for it, and what to watch out for.

1

Create Pass

Action

In Zapier“Issues a wallet pass for the customer from the selected template and returns the download link.”

Issues a wallet pass for a customer from the template you pick, and hands back the download link. That link is what you send by email or SMS in the next step.

When to use it
after a signup, a purchase or a ticket order.
Watch out
Pass Template is mandatory and must already exist in the PassEntry Dashboard; set an External Identifier you can reuse later.
2

Deactivate Pass

Action

In Zapier“Deactivates a pass when it's no longer valid or needed.”

Switches off a pass that is no longer valid or no longer needed. The card stops being valid for its holder, without anyone having to touch the PassEntry dashboard.

When to use it
a cancelled membership, a refunded ticket or a closed account in your CRM.
Watch out
External Identifier is mandatory; map it from an earlier step so the right pass is switched off.
3

Send Notification

Action

In Zapier“Sends a notification to an existing pass”

Pushes a short message to a pass already saved in a wallet. The customer sees it on the phone without opening any app.

When to use it
a flash offer, a door-time reminder before an event, or a thank-you after a purchase.
Watch out
External Identifier and Message are both mandatory; the identifier must be the same one used when the pass was created.
4

Update Pass

Action

In Zapier“Updates an existing pass by External ID. Only include fields you want to update — any fields left out will remain unchanged.”

Changes an existing pass, located by its External ID. Only the fields you fill are touched; everything you leave blank stays as it was.

When to use it
after a tier upgrade, a seat change or new contact details in your CRM.
Watch out
Pass Template is mandatory, and passes on different templates (Gold, Silver, Bronze) each need their own Zap.
5

Update Loyalty Balance

Action

In Zapier“Modify the loyalty balance on a customer’s pass: add, redeem, or override with a new value.”

Moves the points on a customer's pass in one of three ways: add, redeem, or replace with a new value. It is the heart of a loyalty card run from your till or your shop.

When to use it
crediting points after each order, or redeeming them at checkout.
Watch out
External Identifier, Operation and Amount are mandatory, and the amount must match the integer or decimal format set on the template.
Searches

The PassEntry search

1 search step looks for data that already exists in PassEntry, so a later step can use it.

A search step finds an existing pass so the next steps can update, message or deactivate it. PassEntry's search sits at the bottom of the Action event list, under SEARCH. Three settings decide what happens when the result is not one clean match.

1

Search Pass

SearchFind or create

In Zapier“Searches for a pass by External ID or UUID and returns full pass information including download link and pass status.”

Finds a pass from your External ID or its UUID and brings back what later steps need, the download link and the current status among them. A Zap that starts in your CRM can reach the matching card this way.

When to use it
before resending a lost download link. Its Find or Create Pass line in the editor is this same search with creation ticked, not a separate step.
Watch out
External Identifier is mandatory.

The three settings every search exposes

  1. Successful if no search results are found?
    Left on its default, a search that finds nothing stops the Zap and skips the steps that relied on it. Switched on, the Zap carries on empty-handed.
  2. Create X if it doesn't exist yet?
    Ticking this box turns the search into Find or Create Pass: the setting above disappears and the step asks for what it needs to create the missing pass.
  3. If multiple search results are found?
    Keep the first match (the default), stop the Zap, or hand every match on at once.
When it breaks

When a PassEntry Zap breaks

Zapier attaches no help article to PassEntry and lists no limit specific to it. What goes wrong comes from the way Zaps work in general.

These four cases cover most surprises. When a Zap stops and the reason is not obvious, Zapier troubleshooting walks through the checks.

  • Existing cardholders never come through

    A Zap only reacts to what happens after it is switched on. Passes created, installed or scanned earlier stay out; moving the backlog is a separate job.

  • The Zap keeps setting itself off

    A Zap that writes where its own trigger watches, such as Create Pass under New Pass Created, fires again and again and burns through your tasks fast.

  • A bulk issue stalls the trigger

    When a trigger suddenly returns a huge batch, after issuing passes to a whole customer list for instance, Zapier's flood protection can hold it back.

  • The same item does not run twice

    On polling triggers Zapier remembers what it has already seen, so an item never starts the Zap twice. All five PassEntry triggers are instant, so that safeguard is not what governs them.
Need help

Need help automating PassEntry with Zapier?

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FAQ

PassEntry and Zapier: common questions

01Is the PassEntry Zapier integration free?
Yes, it runs on the free Zapier plan, because PassEntry is not a premium app. The free plan includes 100 tasks a month and unlimited Zaps, each limited to one trigger and one action. A Zap that searches for a pass before updating it, or that filters on something, is multi-step and needs a paid plan. A straight pair, such as a scan that adds loyalty points, fits on the free plan.
02How many tasks does a PassEntry Zap use?
One task for each action that succeeds, and none for the trigger. A Zap that adds points on every scan costs one task per scan. A Zap with three actions costs three times what a one-action Zap costs. If an action fails, for example because the External Identifier matches no pass, it is not counted. Waiting for scans, installs or removals costs nothing, however many arrive. Only completed actions are billed.
03Does PassEntry trigger Zaps in real time?
Yes. All five PassEntry triggers are instant: PassEntry itself tells Zapier when a pass is created, added to a wallet, removed, scanned or changes status, and the Zap starts at once. The plan interval grid (15 minutes on the free plan) only concerns polling triggers, and PassEntry has none. A Zap built on an instant trigger shows a lightning bolt in the editor, and the type cannot be changed. Nothing to tune on your side.
04What does it take to connect PassEntry to Zapier?
A PassEntry account, plus read or write access to any template or pass you do not own yourself but want the Zap to touch. In Zapier, open the Apps page, click + Add connection, pick PassEntry, sign in in the tab that opens and grant access. Before building anything, create at least one pass template in the PassEntry Dashboard, because Create Pass and Update Pass both require one. The connection is then reused by every PassEntry step.
05Why does a PassEntry update hit the wrong pass, or none?
Because almost every PassEntry step finds its pass through the External Identifier, and it must be the same value you set when the pass was created, usually your CRM record ID. If passes were issued without one, or with a different one, Update Loyalty Balance, Send Notification and Deactivate Pass have nothing to match. Fix it at the source: set the External Identifier in Create Pass from day one. Passes issued without one stay out of reach.
06What if the PassEntry operation you need is not listed?
Then Zapier cannot do it with this app today, and no setting will make it appear. The visible list is 5 triggers, 5 actions and 1 search; templates themselves, for example, are only managed in the PassEntry Dashboard. Sometimes existing steps get close, such as Search Pass followed by Update Pass. Otherwise the job stays in PassEntry itself, or moves to a tool that offers it. Better to know that before you build.
07Zapier, Make or n8n for PassEntry?
Pick on criteria, not on a winner. On Zapier, PassEntry gives five instant triggers, five actions and one search with a find-or-create option, and it runs on the free plan while each Zap stays at two steps. If your flows chain a search and an update, or several actions, budget for a paid plan. Then check whether the other tool offers the PassEntry steps you rely on, loyalty balance and notifications first.
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