PayByPhone Parking vs ZipBy
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PayByPhone Parking
Easily pay for parking from your phone, extending sessions remotely and finding nearby spots. Get notifications before your session expires and track your parking history. Supports multiple payment methods for a seamless experience.
- Start and extend parking sessions remotely
- Find available parking using Maps or Nearby
- Receive session expiry notifications
- Review parking history
- Pin parking location
- Emailed receipts for expense tracking
- Multiple payment options
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PayByPhone is a global leader in mobile parking payments. More than 95 million drivers worldwide have trusted us with their payments to date. We simplify journeys for millions with smart, intuitive technology and user-focused features. Available in 11 languages, our app is used across more than 1,300 locations -including cities and private operators - in the UK, North America, France, Germany, and Switzerland. With the PayByPhone app, we help parking to be quick, seamless, and secure. Just enter or scan the location code, choose your duration, and pay using your preferred payment method - all from your phone. It’s all designed to simplify your journey, so you can focus on what matters most. Key features: Start and extend parking sessions remotely See active sessions at a glance with the Today View widget Use Maps or Nearby to find available parking Get SMS or push notifications before your session expires Review your parking history and past sessions Pin your parking location to easily find your vehicle Receive emailed receipts for expense tracking Pay with credit/debit card, Google Pay, Apple Pay, or PayPal (where available)
ZipBy
This app allows you to enter and exit enabled car parks without a ticket. It automatically charges your credit card upon exit, eliminating the need to wait in line to pay. You can also pre-book parking spots for added convenience.
- Ticketless entry and exit
- Automatic credit card payment
- Pre-book parking spots
- Secure credit card payment
- Emailed parking receipts
- Monthly statements
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What is ZipBy? When you download and register ZipBy on your phone you can drive in and out of any ZipBy enable car park without needing a ticket. If payment is required it automatically charges your credit card when you exit the car park. Why ZipBy? • Ease of registration • User friendly • Pre-book your parking spot • Ticketless entry and exit • Secure credit card payment • No standing in line to pay for your parking • Emailed parking receipts • Emailed monthly statement • Work expense claims • Register using your contact and credit card details • Once registered no need to interact with the App • Apple Pay available for Zoned Parking payments Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: PayByPhone Parking at 4.8 against ZipBy's 4.0. PayByPhone Parking also leads on ratings volume (759K vs 548) and review sentiment (42% vs 18%). ZipBy's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
PayByPhone Parking holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PayByPhone Parking has 759K ratings behind it against 548, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 42% of PayByPhone Parking's written reviews are positive against 18% of ZipBy's.
PayByPhone Parking ships an update weekly, ZipBy every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PayByPhone Parking | ZipBy |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (759K ratings) — better | 4.0 (548 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 41.6% of reviews — better | 18.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 759K — better | 548 |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Every 5 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #52 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 125 MB | 82 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | PayByPhone Technologies Inc. | ZipBy |
Customer experience
PayByPhone Parking
ZipBy
Bugs and requests
PayByPhone Parking
Reported bugs
5 issues- App freezes and crashes
- Payment transactions fail
- Location detection issues
- Notifications not working
- Overcharging for parking sessions
Requested features
6 requests- Allow paying by minutes or half-hours
- Add ability to end parking session early
- Improve location detection accuracy
- Provide better notifications and reminders
- Enable refunds for unused parking time
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- Simplify the payment and setup process
ZipBy
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
PayByPhone Parking
No in-app purchases
ZipBy
No in-app purchases








