Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

PayByPhone Parking vs ParkNYC Powered by Flowbird

PayByPhone Parking 4.8★ · Free to download 75
Winner PayByPhone Parking
ParkNYC Powered by Flowbird 4.8★ · Free to download 65

PayByPhone Parking has a slight edge over ParkNYC, offering broader availability and generally smoother payment processing, despite recent reports of glitches and location recognition issues.

Full reviews: PayByPhone Parking · ParkNYC Powered by Flowbird

PayByPhone Parking and ParkNYC are both mobile apps designed to simplify parking payments. PayByPhone, with its higher lifetime rating and wider reported service area, generally offers an easier experience for many users, though it has faced recent technical issues. ParkNYC is primarily focused on NYC and is criticized for its mandatory minimum account top-up and frequent login requirements.

Head to head

Features tieR23R29R30R33
PayByPhone Parking PayByPhone offers features like extending parking remotely and reminders, which users appreciate for convenience. However, some users report issues with the map function not showing nearby spots and the inability to edit existing car descriptions or remove old cars. Recent updates have also been reported to delete saved favorites and stored credentials.
ParkNYC Powered by Flowbird ParkNYC allows users to extend parking remotely and offers alerts when time is running out. Users appreciate the ability to change vehicles. However, the app lacks Apple Pay integration, a 'pay it forward' feature, and the ability to stop parking time early. Some users also miss the parking history feature from older versions.
Ease of Use tieR1R3R4R8
PayByPhone Parking Many users find PayByPhone easy and fast to use for paying and extending parking. However, a significant number of recent reviews report the app being non-functional, not recognizing parking zones, or having glitches with payment processing. Users also complain about being forced to log in every time, lost saved credentials after updates, and a broken UI on newer iPhones.
ParkNYC Powered by Flowbird ParkNYC is generally considered easy to use for paying and extending parking. However, a major recurring complaint is the need to log in every single time the app is opened, with no FaceID or biometric support. Users also report the app being laggy, crashing, and having a non-user-friendly interface for adding time.
Reliability tieR1R3R4R5
PayByPhone Parking PayByPhone has a mixed record on reliability. While some users find it reliable, many recent reviews indicate significant issues, with the app not working at all, failing to recognize parking zones, or rejecting payment forms. There are reports of users receiving tickets despite paying through the app due to these glitches or app downtime.
ParkNYC Powered by Flowbird ParkNYC is generally seen as reliable for paying for parking and avoiding tickets by some users. However, there are reports of the app being laggy, crashing, and not remembering payment cards. Some users also report still receiving tickets even after paying through the app, suggesting potential synchronization issues with enforcement.
Price/Value edge: PayByPhone ParkingR6R7R11R14
PayByPhone Parking PayByPhone is generally considered affordable by some users. However, many users complain about extra fees, such as convenience fees ($.60) and SMS fees ($.20), which they feel are unnecessary or excessive, especially when the app doesn't function optimally.
ParkNYC Powered by Flowbird ParkNYC is heavily criticized for its mandatory minimum account top-up, often $25, which users consider a 'scam' or 'city robbery' for short parking durations. There are also complaints about surprise fees, such as an additional 20-25 cents on a 50-cent stop.
Support edge: PayByPhone ParkingR49R52R82
PayByPhone Parking PayByPhone users report extreme difficulty in reaching actual customer service, often being directed to a 'horrible waste of time AI' that sends them in circles. There are complaints about a lack of clear instructions and confusing parking services.
ParkNYC Powered by Flowbird Reviews do not provide specific details about ParkNYC's customer support. One user mentioned requesting features and receiving no response.
Pick PayByPhone Parking if

You need a parking app with broader geographic coverage beyond just NYC R4R10. You want to avoid mandatory minimum top-up amounts and prefer to pay closer to the exact parking fee, even with convenience fees R6R7R64.

Pick ParkNYC Powered by Flowbird if

You primarily park in New York City and are willing to deal with frequent logins and the $25 minimum top-up for a generally functional app . You appreciate features like extending parking remotely and getting alerts for expiring time .

Evidence note: Recent reviews for PayByPhone Parking show a significant increase in negative feedback regarding app functionality and location recognition, which contrasts with its high lifetime rating. ParkNYC's reviews consistently highlight the frustration with mandatory minimum top-ups and frequent login requirements.

Frequently asked

Does PayByPhone Parking work in San Francisco?
While PayByPhone Parking used to work in San Francisco, multiple recent reviews indicate that the app is no longer working there, with users reporting it doesn't recognize locations or returns error messages R10R19R54R58.
Does ParkNYC require a minimum payment to use?
Yes, ParkNYC requires a minimum account top-up, which is frequently reported as $25, making it inconvenient for users who only need to pay for short parking durations R64R73R94R100.
Do either of these apps have extra fees?
Yes, both apps have extra fees. PayByPhone charges convenience fees, often around $.60, and SMS fees of $.20 R6R7. ParkNYC has 'surprise fees' and charges an additional 20-25 cents on small transactions R99.
Do I have to log in every time I use these apps?
Many users report having to log in every time they open both PayByPhone Parking and ParkNYC, which is a significant source of frustration for users of both apps R16R18R66R69.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R23] PayByPhone Parking 5/5 · US No ticket: Best way to pay and not worry about running back to the meter. Pay and it will remain you to add more time too. Convince of paying by phone .
  2. [R29] PayByPhone Parking 5/5 · US Bang: Im just happy you can actually pin how long you want to stay at a spot. Also super easy and reliable
  3. [R30] PayByPhone Parking 3/5 · GB Issues: Thank you for your reply. I didn’t actual realise there was a map function! I will use this from now on and it will hopefully solve the issues below. Thanks again. The app is great and easy to use but often it can’t find the parking meters. I have difficulty walking so being able to pay from the car and not having to walk to a meter and back again makes a huge difference, if the app can
  4. [R33] PayByPhone Parking 3/5 · GB Easy: Unsure why there isn’t a notification / countdown on lock screen on the phone. Needs an update to incorporate this
  5. [R1] PayByPhone Parking 1/5 · US PayByPhone parking: App doesn’t work at all when I open it. Only then is the green dots on the screen.
  6. [R3] PayByPhone Parking 3/5 · US Pay feature glitches: Pay feature always glitches and takes a while to actually work bc it will reject all payment forms unless you manually type in your info. Even then some times the page will like bounce and not allow it. And it wont let my card on my apple wallet work either? Ive had this issue on other fast pay apps too. They’ll just reject a normal card? Wish they’d fix that issue bc it’s a
  7. [R4] PayByPhone Parking 1/5 · US Non functional: After happily using this app for years, it has not worked for the past month or so. It doesn’t recognize the parking zone making it unusable. Moved on to another app.
  8. [R8] PayByPhone Parking 5/5 · US Stop working: More than 2 weeks this app is not working! Could not find any location!
  9. [R5] PayByPhone Parking 4/5 · US Miguel: Once I parked in Miami-Dade and the app was down and I couldn’t login paybyphone to pay, it was activated about an our later and I paid, but of course I got a ticked (they put the tickets via wifi) and did not leave anything in my dashboard, I complained to the M-D Sect of Courts & didn’t care, now I have lawyers trying to collect payment Unacceptable!!!
  10. [R6] PayByPhone Parking 3/5 · US Fees: Stop charging extra fees like SMS I don’t need a text that should be optional my phone is smart enough to set a reminder 😑
  11. [R7] PayByPhone Parking 1/5 · US Awful quality app: Even though I have cell phone signal it absolutely never tells me nearby spots so I have to walk over and look at the number to park. And it charges a $.60 convenience fee! Whose convenience is it? Especially when it doesn’t even tell me the nearby parking lot number and the sign is tiny and far away. And now I also see there’s a $.20 SMS fee. What is that for? Do better pay by
  12. [R11] PayByPhone Parking 5/5 · US Súper bueno: Todo es fácil y rápido o mejor es económico
  13. [R14] PayByPhone Parking 5/5 · US So easy!: PayByPhone makes parking so easy and affordable! Can’t beat it!!!
  14. [R49] PayByPhone Parking 1/5 · US No Customer Service Support: Terrible app, no customer service, not clear instructions, confusing parking services.
  15. [R52] PayByPhone Parking 1/5 · US More reasons this app sucks!: It’s apparently, nearly impossible to get actual customer service. You can communicate with their horrible waste of time AI, and if you search for how to speak with someone, it tells you to use the AI, and also brings up 47 additional, irrelevant “help” articles. They want you to go through the AI in order to possibly get actual help, but that trash AI just sends you
  16. [R82] ParkNYC Powered by Flowbird 1/5 · US ParkNYC: Needs to be setting to stop using time when parking ends. Also we are in USA no need for 24 hr time am pm way we work. I have requested both these issues and no response
  17. [R10] PayByPhone Parking 1/5 · US Broken in SF: Completely broken in San Francisco, no locations recognized anywhere. What’s the point of this anymore?
  18. [R19] PayByPhone Parking 1/5 · US No longer working in sfo: For the last few months, the app is no longer working in San Francisco error messages all around, even if I type in the exact location it doesn’t work please fix
  19. [R54] PayByPhone Parking 1/5 · US Parking app: App no longer works at all? I’ve used it for years and now it’s useless, not sure why it is listed on App. Location in SF
  20. [R58] PayByPhone Parking 2/5 · US Locations are shown as non existent: Several times recently in San Francisco, I've repeatedly entered the location numbers and the app tells me it doesn't exist.. This happened to my coworkers as well. They ended up using another app which renewed their parking fee flawlessly. This is a relatively new problem. It could prove costly as a parking fine in SF is well over $150.00.
  21. [R64] ParkNYC Powered by Flowbird 1/5 · US Minimum Charge is 25: I was trying to park and it was 4.50 for 3 hours but the minimum I can put on my account is 25 so its just useless unless you an actual resident.
  22. [R73] ParkNYC Powered by Flowbird 1/5 · US Absolute scam: I tried to park for one hour. Cost is $5. The stupid kiosk in the street says “touch screen to continue” except the touch screen was disabled, forcing me to download this stupid app. Go to pay my $5 to park and the app insists I need to top off with $25. What an absolute SCAM. Don’t give these criminals your money.
  23. [R94] ParkNYC Powered by Flowbird 1/5 · US $25 starting fee: It’s crazy to me that it’s a minimum fee to use the meter app. People should be able to put exactly what they need to use the meter app. Some meters don’t take coins nor cards as payment.
  24. [R100] ParkNYC Powered by Flowbird 1/5 · US Unreasonable: Shouldn’t have a set amount of how much money I have to put on my card. I should be able to put as much as I can afford at the time a 10 dollar deposit is understandable 25 is unreasonable!
  25. [R99] ParkNYC Powered by Flowbird 3/5 · US Surprise fees: 20 cents on a 50 cent stop is a lot but then charged another 25 cents. Ridiculous
  26. [R16] PayByPhone Parking 1/5 · US Why do I need to log in EVERY TIME I open the app?: Horrible horrible experience. The app forces me to log back in every time I open it
  27. [R18] PayByPhone Parking 3/5 · US Keeps signing me out, recovering password very slow: This is not the first time I tried to pay and the app signed me out, and it said my password was not valid. When I try to recover my password the SMS never arrives. Almost every app I use does not do this. This is one that does and it's a real inconvenience when your sitting in a space trying to pay to park
  28. [R66] ParkNYC Powered by Flowbird 3/5 · US Keeps logging out: I don’t know what to do, this app keeps signing out all the time, each time I open it it needs logging in again and again.
  29. [R69] ParkNYC Powered by Flowbird 3/5 · US Convenient but used to be better: Why do I have to login every time I use it?

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store