iOS App of the Day: Parkmobile
When my local city started supporting mobile payments through Parkmobile, I was relieved. I spend a lot of time driving around, paying for metered parking and always running out of quarters. Unfortunately, this is the perfect recipe for acquiring a nice collection of parking tickets. With the Parkmobile service you can either call in your parking payment over the phone or use their mobile app to pay with your credit card. The Parkmobile iPhone app provides a quick stress-free way to pay for your parking and get moving faster to where you need to be.
Pros:
- Free registration
- Saves time
- Don’t have to carry coins with you
- Don’t have to predict how much time you will need for meter
- Text message alert sent before your parking expires
- Payment secure
- Only pay for the exact time you park
- Track parking expenses
- Have to enter in your credit card information for app registration, does not sync with iTunes payment
- Parkmobile service may have transaction fees depending on your area
- Customer service is slow with 1-2 business day response time
- Parkmobile support not found in all areas
How it works:
After you download the app you will need to create a username and password and provide your email address. In order to sign up for the Parkmobile service you will need to enter in your credit card information and basic car information. Required vehicle information includes your license plate number, license plate number State/Province, and a description of your vehicle (optional). After you’ve provided all of the necessary information you can use the app to pay for parking immediately.
If you live in an area where Parkmobile supports parking the concept is rather simple. First, pull into a Parkmobile space. Spaces are marked with a green Parkmobile sign with a cell phone logo. Second, pay for your spot using the app. To pay for your spot, enter in zone, select the location, and the space number. If you have more than one car registered you will also have to select the vehicle that you are using on the next page. That’s it. If you are at a metered spot you won’t have to worry about getting a ticket, as you can “opt-in” to receive one text message reminder 15 minutes prior to your parking expiring.
Parking authority check your license plate number with Parkmobile to verify payment with the company. Transaction fees may apply depending on which area you live.
Conclusion: I am notorious for not having enough change on me for parking, and there’s nothing worse than finding yourself with an expensive parking ticket. When I found out that Parkmobile was available in my local city I couldn’t wait to give it a try. The app makes parking stress free and now I don’t have to worry about running back to my spot to put more time on the meter. I have heard of some people still receiving a parking ticket after using the Parkmobile app to pay for a parking spot, but all you have to do is call customer service with your transaction information and the ticket is removed.
Has anyone else seen Parkmobile spots in their local area and used the mobile app? Let us know about your experience with the app in the comments below.
Parkmobile for iOS is available for free in the iTunes Store. Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.Requires iOS 4.0 or later. iTunes Link
This is part of our iOS App of the Day series. We take our favorite app for iOS for each day and post it here for you to check out. Feel free to check out all of our App of the Day posts here.
