SEATTLE – The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) announced that as of January 3, 2017, it has eliminated the 35 cent per transaction fee charged to consumers for the PayByPhone app for on-street paid parking in Seattle. The PayByPhone parking app that lets people pay for parking with their smart phones. This puts paying by phone on par with paying by debit/credit card or coin at the nearest parking pay station. PayByPhone allows users to receive text messages when parking is about to expire and, if time is still available, to extend parking without returning to their cars.
“We are excited about improving people’s customer experience when they park,” said SDOT Director Scott Kubly. “Removing the user fee improves the easiest way to pay for parking, making it more convenient than ever.”
Currently in Seattle, pay by phone payment represents about 14% of all on-street paid parking transactions. That accounted for about 1.4 million transactions in 2016. This number is expected to grow with the removal of the user fee.
“By absorbing the convenience fee, the PayByPhone service becomes even more accessible to residents and visitors of Seattle,” explains Kush Parikh, President and CEO of PayByPhone. “Not only can you pay for parking directly from your phone, but people love that they can extend their parking session from anywhere.”
New users can download the free PayByPhone app through the Apple Store or Google Play. This year, the City will work with PayByPhone to expand payment options to include Apple Pay and Android Pay. The PayByPhone app also allows users to store multiple vehicles and means of payment on one user account.
SDOT will reimburse PayByPhone for mobile parking payment services instead of the user fee. Funding comes from SDOT’s Parking Program and was part of the recently adopted 2017 City Budget.
Contact: Sue Romero, Senior Public Relations Specialist, 206.684-8548
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