The Parkmobile app is perfect for travelers—especially road warriors. Instead of frantically looking for coins to feed a parking meter, drivers can now pay for parking using their smartphones. And if your meeting or meal is taking longer than expected, there’s no need to run and refill the meter. Users can add money to their parking session with just a quick tap of their finger. The Parkmobile parking system is available in more than two dozen states, from Hawaii to Vermont. There are over 2,000 locations, including on-street and off-street parking, city parking, airports, and privately operated parking lots.
Users just download the free app (Android, iOS and Windows) and then look for the Parkmobile sign or sticker on the meter. Since these meters aren’t in every location, it might be wise to research in advance if Parkmobile is available where you’re going (if not, stock up on some quarters). Here are some of their top cities and airports:
- Cities: New York City, Atlanta, Washington DC, Houston, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Fort Worth, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Charlotte, New Orleans, Miami, Oakland, Chicago, Milwaukee, Boston, Palm City Market, Newport Beach, Ponce City Market, Santa Cruz, Providence, Los Angeles (LA), New Orleans, New Haven
- Airports: Chicago O’Hare, Chicago Midway, Washington Thurgood Marshall, New Orleans International, George Bush International.
- For a complete list of locations and parking garages, go to us.parkmobile.com/locations
How it works
Once registered, use the Parkmobile app to enter the zone number listed on the sign to start a parking session. And that’s it! You can also opt-in to receive a notification 15 minutes before your parking session is set to expire, so there’s no more setting the timer on your phone (that’s what I’ve always done).
Unless you use it a lot or plan on registering more than five license plates or phone numbers, you don’t need to spend the $0.99/month membership. The free basic membership is all you need, as it provides:
- Free online or mobile app registration
- Free push notifications and email parking alerts
- Optional text (SMS) reminders and alerts
- A transaction fee per parking session applies (fee varies by location)*
- Up to 5 license plate numbers per account
- Up to 5 phone numbers (users) per account
Other cool advantages include the ability to locate your car with GPS, track parking expenses, change account settings, and print reports.
Parkmobile has been around for four years and has mostly high ratings (some reviews note negative experience, but I’m not sure if that was early on or recent). Have you tried Parkmobile? What’s your experience been like?
Parking in London is also available through phone