Every pass has a status. Some change on their own as the customer interacts with the pass; others you set deliberately.
The five statuses
| Status | Means | Set by |
|---|---|---|
| Issued | Created, not yet added to a wallet | Automatic, on creation |
| Active | Added to at least one device | Automatic, on install |
| Removed | The holder deleted it from their wallet | Automatic |
| Deactivated | You turned it off. Reversible | You |
| Nullified | You voided it. Permanent | You |
Issued
The pass exists and has an install link, but nobody has added it. New passes start here.
A long list of passes stuck at issued usually means the install links aren't reaching people, not that anything is broken. Check how you're distributing them.
Active
Someone has added the pass to Apple or Google Wallet. This is the status you want.
The pass detail page shows which wallet, and the install history shows when.
Removed
The holder deleted the pass from their wallet.
It's not a failure state and it isn't final - the install link still works, so they can add it again whenever they like. It's worth watching in aggregate rather than individually: a lot of removals soon after issuing usually means the pass isn't earning its place.
Removal is detected reliably on Apple Wallet. On Google Wallet, a pass that's deleted may continue to show as active - the platform doesn't always tell us. Read your removal numbers as a floor rather than an exact count.
Deactivated
You've switched the pass off. It's marked unusable in the holder's wallet, and the change is pushed to their phone.
It's reversible. Reactivate and the pass works again.
Use it for a suspended membership, a lapsed subscription, or a pass that's temporarily invalid.
Nullified
You've voided the pass permanently. It's marked void in the wallet and cannot be brought back.
Use it when a pass should never work again - issued in error, or replaced by a different one.
Voiding cannot be undone. If there's any chance you'll want the pass back, deactivate it instead - the customer-facing effect is the same, and deactivation is reversible.
Expiry
Separately from status, a pass can carry an expires at date. Once past, the pass can no longer be installed and the install page says so. Passes already in wallets are unaffected by the expiry alone - if you also need those turned off, deactivate them.
Archiving is not the same as voiding
Archiving is about your list, not the customer's wallet - though it does affect both.
Archiving a pass:
- Hides it from your Passes list, your CSV exports and your notification audiences.
- Also deactivates it, so the wallet copy stops working.
- Is fully reversible - restore brings it back, and reactivates whatever archiving deactivated.
Use it to tidy up. When you archive from the passes list you get an Undo on the confirmation, and archived passes stay available under the Archived tab.
The distinction in one line: archive when you want it out of your way, void when it must never work again.
Archived passes are excluded from notification audiences. That's deliberate - the pass is deactivated, so messaging its holder about it would be odd. If you archive a group and then wonder why a campaign reached fewer people than expected, this is why.
A typical lifecycle
- You issue a pass - issued.
- The customer adds it - active.
- You update it over time; the status doesn't change.
- Their membership lapses; you deactivate.
- They renew; you reactivate - active again.
- Years later you tidy up and archive it.
Where to go next
- Tags and bulk actions - archiving and tagging in bulk.
- Live pass updates.