Digital wallets
An overview of digital wallet support (Apple Pay and Google Pay) under Airwallex's lightweight and full white-label branding programs, including push provisioning, timelines, and platform responsibilities.
Airwallex's Issuing platform supports digital wallet integration with Apple Pay and Google Pay under both the lightweight and full white-label branding programs. Each program lets your cardholders add their Airwallex-issued card to a digital wallet, but they differ in how the experience is branded, the contractual requirements involved, and the go-live timelines.
How digital wallets work
The mechanism that enables an in-app wallet experience is called push provisioning. When a cardholder taps "Add to Apple Pay" or "Add to Google Pay" in your app, your application calls Airwallex's Digital Wallet Management APIs to generate a provisioning payload. That payload is then passed to the Apple or Google Software Development Kits (SDKs), which add the card to the device wallet.
Without a branding program, a cardholder can still add an Airwallex-issued card to Apple Pay or Google Pay, but the experience runs through Apple's or Google's standard card-adding flow, and Airwallex's name is visible throughout.
The lightweight and full white-label programs differ in the provisioning experience they deliver:
- Lightweight: Cardholders can add their card through Apple's or Google's standard manual provisioning flow. Push provisioning via the Airwallex app is also available but is not recommended, as it requires cardholders to download the Airwallex app and the experience is Airwallex-branded rather than platform-branded. No SDK integration is required in your platform's app. Airwallex manages all contracting and approvals on your behalf.
- Full white-label: Cardholders add their card directly from within your platform's own mobile app. Your platform integrates Airwallex's Digital Wallet Management APIs and the Apple or Google push provisioning SDKs to deliver a fully branded, in-app provisioning experience.
Digital wallet push provisioning requires integration with white-label issuing notifications. Without white-label issuing notifications, the one-time passcodes sent to cardholders during provisioning are delivered by Airwallex, breaking the branded experience at the point of wallet setup. See White-label issuing notifications.
Apple Pay and Google Pay programs
The program structure, contractual requirements, SDK requirements, and timelines differ between Apple Pay and Google Pay, and between regions.
| Program | Platform contract required | SDK required | Go-live timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Pay, without push provisioning | Sub-entity registration initiated by Airwallex; no direct contract required | Not required | 4–6 weeks |
| Google Pay, with push provisioning | Sub-entity registration initiated by Airwallex; no direct contract required | Google push provisioning SDK (Android) | 2–3 months |
| Apple Pay (US and Canada) | No separate program agreement required | Apple push provisioning SDK (iOS) | 3–4 months |
| Apple Pay (outside US and Canada) | NDA and program agreement directly with Apple required before integration begins | Apple push provisioning SDK (iOS); third-party certification lab may be required | 3–4 months |
Process stages
The following stages apply to the full white-label digital wallet program. Under the lightweight program, Airwallex manages contracting and approvals on your behalf and no SDK integration is required in your platform's app. Cardholders can add their card through Apple's or Google's standard manual provisioning flow. Push provisioning via the Airwallex app is also available but is not recommended.
| Stage | Estimated timeframe | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Contracting | Up to 4 weeks | Airwallex works with your platform to complete contractual requirements with Apple and Google. For Google, Airwallex initiates a sub-entity registration on your behalf. For Apple, Airwallex supports your platform through the NDA and program agreement process. Not required for US and Canada Apple Pay. |
| Design | 3–6 weeks | Your platform creates digital card art and, where required, a marketing plan to specifications provided by Airwallex. Airwallex reviews the materials and submits them to Visa and the digital wallet provider for approval. This stage can begin in parallel with contracting. Timeline depends on how quickly your platform develops the materials. |
| Technical integration | 2–4 weeks | Your platform integrates its mobile application with the Apple or Google push provisioning SDKs and with Airwallex's Digital Wallet Management APIs. Airwallex provides documentation and integration support throughout. This stage can be done in parallel with design and approval work once contracting is complete. |
| Operational setup | No additional time; overlaps with technical integration | Your platform establishes the customer support processes required for digital wallet operations, including cardholder identity verification during provisioning and token management requests. Airwallex provides guidance on the required support workflows. |
| Certification | 2–4 weeks | Airwallex works with your platform to complete technical certification with Apple or Google. Apple Pay outside the US and Canada requires a third-party certification lab; Google Pay is certified by Airwallex directly. |
| Launch approval and go live | 2–4 weeks | Airwallex submits a launch approval request to Apple or Google. A minimum of 10 business days' notice is required after certification passes. Apple Pay can only launch on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month. |
Platform and Airwallex responsibilities
| Area | Your platform | Airwallex |
|---|---|---|
| Contracting | Sign any required NDAs and program agreements with Apple | Initiate Google sub-entity registration; support Apple contracting process |
| Card art design | Create digital card art to Airwallex's specifications | Submit card art to Visa and the digital wallet provider for approval |
| Mobile integration | Integrate Apple and Google push provisioning SDKs; integrate Airwallex's Digital Wallet Management APIs | Provide API documentation and integration support |
| Notification flow | Build the cardholder notification flow (for example, delivering one-time passcodes during provisioning) | Provide webhook events to trigger notifications |
| Customer support | Build and staff customer support processes for digital wallet operations | Provide guidance on required support workflows |
| Certification | Participate in end-to-end testing | Manage technical certification with Apple and Google |
| Go-live coordination | — | Coordinate go-live approval with Apple and Google |
See also
To deepen your understanding or see how this concept applies in practice, refer to:
- Concepts: