MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--You probably already know someone who’s used it. That moment when it’s time to pay the parking meter, instead of swiping their card or feeding in quarters, they take out their smartphone and pay with an app. What you probably don’t see is when they receive a text just before the parking time is about to expire, and how they’re able to add more time without running back to the meter. Or that the app automatically discounts the parking session by 20% for Miami residents. Yes, its PayByPhone parking, and more than 100,000 people in Miami use it every month.
In 2008, Miami became the first major US city to accept mobile payments for parking. Partnering with the Miami Parking Authority (MPA), the PayByPhone service was rolled out to more than 8,000 regulated street spaces and over 20 parking lots within the city. Stickers were installed on every parking meter and signs were put up near the pay & display machines. Since then usage of PayByPhone has grown from 100k transactions in 2008 to over 1 million in 2012, far exceeding MPA’s expectations.
“At Miami Parking Authority, we strive to deliver the best parking experience possible for our customers. The adoption of PayByPhone in 2008 helped us broaden our product portfolio to offer our consumers more choices than ever, and it has been a resounding success," said Arthur Noriega, Chief Executive Officer of Miami Parking Authority.
Residents and visitors love the added benefits that come with PayByPhone. Text message reminders, the ability to extend parking from wherever you are, and email receipts all make PayByPhone a far better experience than using the traditional parking meter.
In another ground-breaking move, the MPA introduced a 20% discount for City of Miami residents who use PayByPhone. The parking authority sees a significant reduction in costs when drivers use PayByPhone. There is less cash to collect and the parking meters require less maintenance due to lower usage. Plus, parking revenues increase from parking time extensions and greater overall compliance.
"The MPA has always been one of the most innovative parking authorities in the country. So when they launched PayByPhone 5 years ago, we were very confident that it would be a success. Couple that with Miami’s unique population of consumers and visitors who like to be on the leading edge of all things new and it is no surprise that the number of users continues to grow rapidly each week,” said Barrie Arnold, Chief Commercial Officer for PayByPhone.
Since the MPA started using PayByPhone, surrounding cities have jumped on the bandwagon. Coral Gables, South Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Lauderdale-By-The-Sea have all contracted with PayByPhone to offer their drivers the convenience of mobile payments. The majority of the user base in South Florida uses the PayByPhone smartphone app which has the most 5-star ratings of any parking app.
This summer, PayByPhone ran a competition on Facebook and Twitter giving away a total of $1000 over four weeks to Miami drivers. The promotion was met with rave reviews and generated many new users and awareness of the benefits.
About PayByPhone
PayByPhone has a 12 year track record of innovation and technology leadership and is the forerunner in mobile payment solutions for the parking industry, with operations in New York, Vancouver, London, Paris and Melbourne. PayByPhone has over 6 million registered users and more than hundreds of cities, universities and municipalities all over the world. Large cities offering PayByPhone include Miami, San Francisco, New York, Seattle, Dallas, Vancouver, Ottawa and New Orleans. In addition to parking, PayByPhone also offers mobile payment options for taxi’s, bike rentals, electric vehicle recharging and tolling. More info www.paybyphone.com.
