Table of Contents
Before You Start
Granting Swapcard Access
Creating an App Store Connect API Key
Creating an App Store Connect API Push Key
Understanding Access Options
Common Mistakes to Avoid
After Setup
1. Before You Start
⚠️ Important: Swapcard can only work with organizational Apple Developer accounts.
Personal developer accounts (registered under an individual’s name) are not supported.
Before proceeding, confirm that:
Your Apple Developer Program membership is active (annual fee paid).
All pending Apple Developer Agreements are signed.
Your organization’s D-U-N-S number is valid.
💡 You can review your membership under Apple Developer → Account → Membership details.
2. Granting Swapcard Access
To publish and update your branded app, you must invite Swapcard to your Apple Developer account.
Invite ios@swapcard.com as an Admin (recommended) in App Store Connect.
To invite Swapcard as Admin:
Go to App Store Connect.
Click Users and Access → Add User (+)
Enter the email: ios@swapcard.com
Assign the Admin role
Click Invite
Once accepted, Swapcard will have the required permissions to manage app creation, configuration, and updates.
Alternative Access Option (App Manager)
If your organization cannot grant Admin rights, invite ios@swapcard.com as an App Manager instead.
⚠️ In this case, make sure to enable these checkboxes:
Access to Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles
Access to create apps
This ensures Swapcard can configure and publish your app properly.
Note: App Manager access limits visibility into some account details, which may slow troubleshooting.
See related question in: FAQ — Branded App Setup & Access
3. Creating an App Store Connect API Key
An API Key is required for automatic iOS app updates and configuration in Studio.
Step-by-Step: How to Generate an API Key
Log in to App Store Connect.
Go to Users and Access → Integrations tab → App Store Connect API → Team Keys.
2. Enter a name for the key. The name is for your reference only and is not part of the key itself.
3. Under Access, select the role for the key (admin or app manager). Then, click “Generate”.
4. Once created, you’ll see three key elements:
Issuer ID
Key ID
.p8 API Key file
Upload in Studio
In Event Studio → Mobile Settings → iOS, upload the required details:
Issuer ID
Key ID
API Key (.p8 file)
💡 Reusing Keys:
If your organization publishes multiple apps under the same account, you can reuse this same API key across apps, as long as it remains active. There’s no need to create new ones.
4. Creating an App Store Connect API Push Key
Push notifications require an additional Push Key (.p8 file) and Key ID.
Step-by-Step: How to Generate a Push Key
Go to Apple Developer.
Click Add (+) to create a new key.
Name the key (for example: “Swapcard Push Key”).
Under Key Services, select:
Apple Push Notification service (APNs)
Click Configure and Select both Sandbox & Production in the Environment
Click Save and then Register.
Download the .p8 Push Key file.
Upload in Studio
In Event Studio → Mobile Settings → iOS → Push Notifications:
Enter the Key ID
Upload the .p8 Push Key file
This enables Swapcard to manage push notifications for your branded app.
5. Understanding Access Options
When configuring your iOS branded app, Apple allows you to invite users under different roles in your Developer account.
However, only two roles enable Swapcard to build and submit your app successfully: Admin or App Manager.
Other roles, such as Developer, Finance, or Marketing, do not grant the required permissions for app setup or submission.
Ideal Access: Admin
The Admin role provides full access to all necessary permissions, enabling a faster and smoother app submission process. With Admin access, we can efficiently handle:
API key generation and management
Certificate and provisioning profile setup
Push notification configuration
Troubleshooting if any key or file mismatch occurs
Although clients are responsible for filling out all required Apple credentials directly in the Studio, Admin access allows us to verify and correct issues more efficiently if something goes wrong during the build.
App Manager Access
The App Manager role can also be used, but it introduces limitations.
When invited as App Manager, our team cannot automatically create or manage the necessary credentials. Clients must manually generate and upload to the Studio:
The App Store Connect API Key (.p8 file)
The API Key ID and Issuer ID
The Push Key (.p8 file) and Push Key ID
When creating App Manager access, please ensure the following options are enabled:
Access to Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles
Permission to Create New Apps
Recommended Workflow for Security-Conscious Clients
If you prefer to restrict Admin access, we recommend a temporary Admin access approach that ensures both security and efficiency:
Grant Admin access to ios@swapcard.com during the setup phase.
Once the app is successfully built and submitted, change our role back to App Manager.
Revoke the API key created with Admin access and generate a new one under App Manager access.
Upload the new API key in the Studio to ensure continued functionality for future updates.
This workflow allows a smooth, secure, and fully functional app setup while keeping your account under complete control.
6. Common Mistakes to Avoid
⚠️ Using a personal developer account: Only organizational accounts are supported.
⚠️ Expired membership: Ensure your annual Apple Developer subscription is renewed.
⚠️ Missing certificates or API key details: Double-check all fields are correctly filled in Studio.
⚠️ Unverified D-U-N-S number: Make sure your organization is verified with Apple.
⚠️ Insufficient permissions: Ensure Swapcard has “Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles” access enabled if App Manager access is granted.
7. After Setup
Once everything is configured:
Swapcard builds and uploads your iOS app to your account.
App status updates appear in Studio every 24 hours.
💡 Status definitions in Studio:
In Review: Apple is reviewing your app.
Published: App is live on the App Store.
Outdated: A new version is needed or awaiting publication.
Tip: Apple’s review process may take up to 48 hours. If status doesn’t change after that, verify in your App Store Connect dashboard.