You’ll soon have another option to pay for parking in Miami. Drivers can soon use the ParkMobile phone app, as well as the existing PayByPhone, when paying to park at public lots and garages managed by the city. The new partnership starts March 3 between the Miami Parking Authority and ParkMobile. The familiar PayByPhone app isn’t going anywhere. You’ll simply have the option of choosing which app to use. Both parking payment apps work the same. “When Miami Parking Authority launched PayByPhone in Miami about 16 years ago, the decision was rooted in deriving a benefit to the customer, meaning a seamless, quick, and easy way to pay for parking,” Alejandra Argudin, chief executive officer of the Miami Parking Authority, said in a statement. “That purpose remains unwavering today. Considering the city’s rapid growth rate, transformation, and traffic challenges, adopting ParkMobile will afford customers an additional payment option, help enhance urban mobility, and increase consumer engagement.” Want to pay for parking using the new option? Here are details from ParkMobile’s Dave Holler, vice president of sales:
How to get the app
App stores: Drivers can download the ParkMobile app for free on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store for iPhones or Android devices, respectively.
Pro tip: So you aren’t fumbling about on the side of the street inputting your current credit card info and license plate numbers into the ParkMobile or PayByPhone apps, download and set up your parking apps before you hit the road and search for a parking spot.
Can you still pay for parking without an app?
Kiosk:
For the app averse, downloading the apps is still the most convenient way to manage parking as a driver in Miami. But don’t fret. Drivers looking to pay for parking without the use of a smartphone can use credit cards in areas that have parking kiosks.
Text:
Holler also said that drivers who are still looking to park using a phone without downloading a separate app, ParkMobile prompts users to text the number listed on the kiosk’s approved signs. “After inputting their vehicle information, users will be texted a link to a secure web browser to complete the payment process.”
Parking fees
Transaction cost: You will be charged parking transaction fees to use the ParkMobile and PayByPhone apps, about 30 cents. For example, if parking costs $5 at a Miami lot or street space and the service fee is 35 cents, your total will be $5.35. The $5 goes to Miami and the 35 cents goes to ParkMobile.
Can you get a discount if you’re a registered Miami resident?
Resident rate: If you are a resident of Miami and registered as such with the Miami Parking Authority for discounted parking in certain zones, your charge for parking via the apps would be at the discounted rate.
How to register:
Miami residents can register at www.miamiparking.com/resident-discount.
Is there surge pricing?
The parking apps generally aren’t run like ride share companies where rates fluctuate for high traffic attractions like Art Basel or popular neighborhoods with restaurants and clubs versus quieter residential blocks. “Parking costs are determined by Miami Parking Authority and guided by the needs and goals for the community the parking is located,” ParkMobile’s Holler said. “Service fees for ParkMobile are not dynamically adjusted for events or moments of high demand.”
What about old-fashioned parking meters
This isn’t “Back to the Future” and parking meters are in the past. “Miami has phased out traditional parking meters in favor of modernized digital kiosks in order to provide improved service to both residents and visitors,” says Holler.
Do you need both apps on your phone?
In the city of Miami once ParkMobile is enabled in March, ParkMobile can be another app on your phone. You can still use PayByPhone or switch between the two. Or just opt for one.
Miami Beach and Coral Gables also utilize the two providers. So does South Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Dania Beach. In April 2024, Miami Beach added the PayByPhone option to its existing arrangement with ParkMobile. “This follows a 10-year investment by Miami in digital parking solutions, ultimately shifting to an open market approach that encourages consumer choice, where drivers can opt to pay using their preferred parking provider,” Holler said. “This transition is also intended to foster healthy competition between providers to continue providing the best possible experience to consumers. Offering more than one parking provider helps streamline operations for the city and limits issues such as the event of an app outage,” he added. Suggestion: Some other cities or garages use other apps. PayByPhone and ParkMobile seem to be the most common in South Florida but there are others, too. So it’s a good idea to load the apps for the cities or garages you frequent and just group them in one place on your smartphone to minimize the number of screens you have to swipe through.
Do you get alerts when parking is about to expire?
As with PayByPhone, ParkMobile pings you with a text or email alert before a parking session expires so that you can extend parking, when applicable, or get a move on it back to your car before time runs out.
This story was originally published February 11, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article300049014.html#storylink=cpy
