How Digital Wallets Work as Access Credentials
Apple Wallet and Google Wallet can store digital access credentials the same way they store boarding passes and payment cards. When an employee holds their phone near an NFC-enabled reader, the reader validates the credential and grants or denies access — all in under a second.
The technology behind it is NFC (Near Field Communication) — the same protocol used by physical RFID and NFC cards. The difference is that the credential lives on the phone's secure element (a dedicated chip that stores sensitive data separately from the phone's main processor) rather than on a physical card.
In TimeClock 365, admins provision digital wallet credentials from the management dashboard. The employee receives a notification to add the credential to their wallet app. No IT desk visit, no card issuance, no physical handoff required.
Benefits vs. Physical Cards
Can't lose it: Employees lose physical cards. A phone is something people rarely leave behind. Removing the card from the equation eliminates one of the most common access control support tickets — "I lost my badge."
Always with them: Employees carry their phones everywhere. A physical access card is often left at home, on a desk, or in a coat pocket from the day before. Digital credentials travel with the employee reliably.
Instant revocation: When an employee leaves the company, the admin revokes the digital credential from the dashboard. The credential is invalidated immediately — no need to collect a physical card, no risk of a former employee keeping a copy.
Instant provisioning: New hire starts today? The credential is provisioned from the dashboard in minutes. No printing, no encoding, no courier. The employee adds it to their wallet on their first day before they've even reached their desk.
Setup Process
- Admin creates or selects the employee profile in TimeClock 365
- Assigns an access credential with the appropriate doors and schedules
- Employee receives a push notification or email with the wallet pass
- Employee taps "Add to Wallet" — the credential installs in one tap
- Employee holds phone to the reader — access granted
The process takes under 2 minutes for both admin and employee. No drivers, no apps beyond the standard Wallet app, no IT support required.
Which Readers Support Wallet Credentials
Not all NFC readers support wallet-based credentials out of the box. Look for readers that support HCE (Host Card Emulation) for Android and Apple VAS (Value Added Services) for iPhone. The NFC readers used with TimeClock 365 support both protocols — meaning the same reader handles physical NFC cards, Apple Wallet, and Google Wallet interchangeably.
This matters for mixed environments: some employees prefer physical cards (works with gloves, works when the phone is dead), others prefer wallet credentials. A compatible reader serves both without separate infrastructure.
Privacy: No Payment Data Involved
A common question: does using Wallet for access control expose payment card information?
No. Access credentials are entirely separate from payment credentials in both Apple Wallet and Google Wallet. The reader used for door access only communicates with the access credential — it cannot read payment card data. There is no technical or logical connection between the two.
Use Cases
Offices and tech companies: Knowledge workers carry their phones constantly. Wallet credentials eliminate the badge lanyard entirely for most staff.
Hotels and hospitality: Guest room keys delivered digitally via wallet are already standard in the hospitality industry. The same technology applies to staff access credentials.
Coworking spaces: Members get wallet credentials when they subscribe, revoked automatically when their subscription ends. No card stock to manage, no reader for check-in at the front desk.
Multi-site enterprises: One credential works across all sites. Physical card programs for multi-site organizations involve card issuance, shipping, and tracking across locations. Wallet credentials have none of that overhead.
If you're running an NFC-based access control system and want to modernize the credential experience, Apple and Google Wallet support is the fastest upgrade available — no new hardware required in most cases. See how TimeClock 365 supports wallet credentials →