Galveston, Texas has become the first major U.S. city to use phone-based payments completely in place of parking meters.
Many cities offer mobile as one option to pay for parking, but still have meters or kiosks as backup. Such cities include Boston, Chicago. Miami, Seattle, and San Francisco. But in Galveston’s new deployment, there are no meters nor kiosks. Visitors are encouraged to use the PayByPhone app or mobile web site, or they can call a toll-free number to pay. Those that don’t have a cell phone or credit card can pay with cash at a number of the local merchants along the seawall.
The app – available for Android, iOS, and BlackBerry – registers payment using license plate numbers, eliminating the need for a receipt left in the window. The service can text users when their parking time is about to expire, and let them easily extend it, avoiding a ticket. The city pockets significantly more from parking fees by avoiding the ongoing costs of meters or kiosks.
The service supports new EMV requirements of credit card companies by using CreditCall to process payments.
