Source: Michael Tsai
After a decade and a half of gatekeeping digital wallet functionality, Apple is surrendering control to end users. Its developer ecosystem failed to deliver the breadth of pass types consumers needed. This moves friction from "convince Apple to add support" to "figure out the format yourself"—democratizing wallet innovation but risking fragmentation across amateur-built passes of wildly different quality. The shift reflects consumer demand for customization over curation, particularly in categories where Apple's roadmap lagged (loyalty programs, local transit, regional payment schemes) and third-party apps couldn't legally compete.