In-store: scan or tap

In store, the pass identifies the customer at your POS. Identification is local. The scan or tap hands your POS an identifier it resolves against your own systems, with no Stell call in the checkout path, so checkout keeps working even if everything else is down. Your systems stay the ledger: points and balances are computed where they always were.

Barcode scan
NFC tap

The barcode carries the payload configured on your pass template, using placeholders such as {{customer.externalId}}, {{customer.emailAddress}}, or {{customer.mobileNumber}}, or set per pass with the API’s payload field. Left unset, it falls back to the pass id. Point it at the identifier your POS can resolve, usually externalId. See barcodes on pass templates for the template side.

The customer taps once at the terminal, and payment and identification happen in the same gesture. Apple VAS and Google Smart Tap ride the contactless tap. No app to open, no barcode to aim at. The reader authenticates with merchant-specific keys and decrypts a per-tap payload, so it can’t be screenshotted or replayed the way a barcode can.For NFC there is no template setting. Send the payload field when you issue the pass. Left unset, it falls back to the pass id. Point it at the identifier your POS can resolve, usually externalId, and keep it to 64 characters or fewer. The same field also drives the barcode kept as a fallback.Two prerequisites, both arranged with Stell support:

NFC pass enablement. Apple VAS and Google Smart Tap activated for your program. Stell is a certified Apple VAS provider and handles the approvals and certificates.
Terminal provisioning. Your terminals must support VAS / Smart Tap and carry the right keys. The terminals and the vendor relationship are yours; confirm support and key setup with your terminal vendor.

After the sale

Push the new balance to the pass. Update pass with the new loyaltyState. Everything downstream of the scan or tap is identical for barcode and NFC. Optionally record the visit. Create transaction with passId, storeId, type (for example PASS_AND_PAYMENT), instrument (QR for a barcode scan, APPLE_VAS or GOOGLE_SMART_TAP for a tap), status (APPROVED, DENIED, FAILED, or PENDING), pointsEarned, and your reference. Recorded transactions appear in the portal’s Transaction Log. Staff can then investigate usage without leaving Stell.

Getting started

Integration guide

Passes

Pass Templates

Engagement

Programs

Companies

Stores

Merchants

Terminals

Transactions

System

In-store: scan or tap

After the sale

​After the sale

After the sale