ParkMobile Charges the Same $0.35 Fee in 108 U.S. Cities
Parking-app convenience fees in 312 U.S. cities (median $0.35 per session)
A survey of pay-by-phone parking fees across 312 places in 43 states and DC finds the median per-session charge is $0.35, the most common fee by far. ParkMobile runs the app in 289 of those places, with fees ranging from $0 to $0.75. Anchorage, AK, has the highest flat fee at $0.70, while 15 places charge nothing at all.
Most common fees: $0.35 (108 places), $0.45 (56 places), $0.30 (30 places).
- ryandrake
It shouldn't be called a "convenience fee" unless you can opt out of it and pay some other non-convenient way. What if I don't want their version of convenience? Why should I have to pay a convenience fee? Why can't they just roll this into the main price of parking? It's gotten to the point where as soon as I see the word "fee" I assume I'm being ripped off.
- emptybits
I have been out of this industry annd without stake in it for years. But I co-founded PayByPhone, the original pay-for-parking app. TFA suggests that it’s charging $0 in fees. Is this true?
Then aside from theories of corrupt decision making, why wouldn’t every city or parking provider choose the $0 option? (Particularly city governments with a responsibility to their residents.)
- cco
Interesting that the blog post's app charges + 10% per transaction (min $0.75). So their floor is about 2x the median.
- cmiles8
It’s getting out of control. Not that long ago 25 cents paid for the parking entirely.
This is an area where I’m hoping AI will cause total disruption. There’s no reason for all these apps to exist. A high school kid with AI coding could build a perfectly functional app in an afternoon and keep more money in local communities. These parking app companies need to just go away.
- billfor
Here on the east coast I have parknyc, parkwhiz, pango, passport, best parking, and God knows what else. All these towns use different apps and they're all less than 5 miles away from each other. Most have sealed up the coin slot or taken the meter away, forcing you to use the app.