Pay by phone parking allows a driver parking in a space the option to make the paymnet via a credit card through the use of a mobile phone, mobile application or computer, as opposed to inserting change into a parking meter or into a pay and display machine.
Most pay-by-phone solutions require pre-registration, including providing either a credit card for debit at the time of parking, or or the use of a credit card to pre-load a prepaid account.
A trial of pay-by-phone technology has been running in Carlton, Melbourne since 2011. This Melbourne trial is set to be expanded. The new system called "Payzone system" has been imported from Ireland and will let motorists pay for on-street parking at the City of Melbourne's 12,000 parking bays via a smartphone app, under a proposal due to go before the Melbourne City council in March 2014.
The introduction of a pay-by-phone parking system in Melbourne is expected to reduce council's fine revenue. However, this will be offset by saved maintenance when hundreds of old parking meters bet removed.
From a customer’s standpoint, pay-by-phone parking is more convenient and timely than standard methods of parking payment. One of the reasons supporting this is that there is no need to have coins or any other type of currency readily available. Also, data collection allows for customers to track their parking expenses.
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