Leave a Review PayByPhone Parking
Great Overall
Works really well, and easy to use.
One ask would be for better integration with the parking limits for each lot so that you have the ability to add a day. I often find myself needing to add an extra day but need to wait until the current parking expires.
There’s a 14 day limit at the lot I usually park in, and I’m usually parked for 5 days so adding that 6th day shouldn’t be a problem. For that to happen the app would have to know about the limits of each of the lots as far as I can tell.Show lessPeggleRager
A great concept, however…
Being able to pay and adjust how much is a great concept. However, today, when I overstayed my limit, for some reason, the app disconnected from my parking space, not giving me the option of adding more money for more time. I think that we users should have to sign out manually before we are disconnected.
After I wrote the paragraph above, I discovered that PayByPhone had alerted me via text message, and then by tapping the link in the message I could get back to my original parking arrangement. So I take it all back and now find that PayByPhone is a great app!Show lessAlan-in-Seattle
Works poorly with congested bandwidth
The commuter rail station I park at is in a small town an hour outside Boston. Cell service is fine except for when it hits high saturation levels as is the case in the 10-15 minutes prior to an inbound train arriving. That’s when this app doesn’t work at all. It seems like it always has to talk to a server for every step of the transaction: pick location, pick vehicle, retrieve parking rates, make financial transaction.
However, my banking apps, train ticket app, other apps still work in the same situation, although slower, but still work! I have to wait to do my parking transaction until the next train stop which is at a bigger city center and had more cell service capacity. Seems like work needs to be done on the app to make it more efficient on the backend.
If I mark a location as a favourite (spelling intentional) then why isn’t the favorites tab presented to me first? And when I pick a favorite location why does the app have to go verify the location exists? Maybe you need to work on your analytics and caching.Show lessChedbe
Ease of use
This app is phenomenal! It sends me reminders that I need to add time or hurry up and finish what I’m doing. In addition - no receipts to carry, I have multiple cards on file for personal or business expenses, and the receipts come via email!
But the single best thing about this - I don’t have to wait for the meter/station to take care of my transaction. 90% of the times I parked and then tried to pay, it took way too long - and then, half the time the transaction didn’t even go through!
The people you have on phone duty are wonderful!
Thanks!Show lessSammy Winder
Clunky
Had to update my review because the latest updates keep going further and further in the wrong direction. I park in the same place with the same car and use the same credit card every work day; this app has always made that a chore and it has only gotten worse with the updates. Two big problems, one; even though they have a captive audience (most locations force you to use this app and only this app if you want to park), the makers continue to try to force you into using location services -presumably to sell your location data. This is clearly bogging down their servers at peak times. Problem two; the designers of this app have no clue about frictionless design and require the same inputs day after day instead of being smart enough to consolidate those inputs into one “repeat previous” button.Show lessD@rkSn0w
Convenient
This app is incredibly convenient, makes parking very simple. The text message reminder is a life saver, as is the email confirmation. I recommend turning on notifications, as the app will send you a reminder, or two, that your paid parking time is running out and give you the exact amount of time you have left. The aforementioned reminder also gives you the option of adding more time.Show lessFboughts
Fantastically Convenient!
The Pacific Northwest is no friend to frou-frou hairstyles. Instead of standing at a meter in the rain, snow, wind, etc., you open the app, punch in the area and stall number and pay! It even sends a text reminder when it’s time to move your car.
This is a wonderful invention for people who manage parking and getting small children in and out of a vehicle, as well as those of us who are attempting to give our hair a fighting chance against the elements.
- Erin, OlympiaShow lessErinH918
Overcharged on numerous occasions
There have been several occasions, as of late, where I choose to park for one day. I make sure to select pay to park for 1 day, the review before charge shows I chose 1 day with the correct amount to be charged, and then I hit pay. I receive my text message receipt only to find out that I have actually been charged for 2 days and not 1. There is some bug in the app that is causing this and has done this several times now. On some days I have been able to let this go if I plan to return to the same lot the next day but on others I am being charged for a day that I won’t be there. This needs to be addressed.Show lessThisguy12930
Be careful when using it in downtown Olympia, WA
I've tried using this application to pay for parking three times over a 12 month period. Each experience has been the same.
I enter the location number. I enter the stall number. The location number changes. If you decide to give it a shot and pay, the meter next to your car never updates to reflect as being paid. Hello parking ticket.
Also, if you pay for 1 hour, and decide after 30 minutes to go somewhere else and a few blocks away and pay for a different spot, the application won't let you because it thinks you are still parked somewhere else for another 30 minutes.Show lessSpunkyremus
Good, but where is the map?
It works pretty well, but why am I always typing in codes? It knows my gps. Just show me the map and I can pick the pay station with one tap! Or QR codes on the signs - especially now that iOS supports QR codes natively in the camera app.
Could be so much faster to use.
The other annoying thing is I usually want max time - and unless you can calculate the exact total minutes, it’s a lot of taps to switch to hours and then type in the correct hour. Could be just one tap! Ironically, the physical pay meters are easier to use in this way - they have an add-time button. A few taps and you are at max time.Show lessKanjiLizzard
