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

PayByPhone Parking vs ParkMobile

PayByPhone Parking 4.8★ · Free to download 60
Winner ParkMobile
ParkMobile 4.8★ · Free to download 65

ParkMobile has a slight edge over PayByPhone Parking due to its broader reported coverage and more consistent core functionality, despite both apps sharing similar issues with glitches and customer support.

Full reviews: PayByPhone Parking · ParkMobile

Both PayByPhone Parking and ParkMobile offer convenient ways to pay for parking, but both suffer from significant app glitches, payment processing issues, and poor customer service. ParkMobile appears to have more widespread functionality and fewer reports of complete non-functionality in specific areas compared to PayByPhone.

Head to head

Core Functionality & Reliability edge: ParkMobileR1R4R8R10
PayByPhone Parking Many users report PayByPhone Parking is completely non-functional, failing to recognize parking zones or process payments, especially in certain cities like San Francisco R1R4R8R10. Some users also experience persistent login issues and lost saved data after updates .
ParkMobile ParkMobile users also report issues with the app not working, including verification code problems during setup and occasional payment method rejections R84. However, many users find it functional and easy to use for its primary purpose .
Ease of Use & User Interface tieR2R11R14R17
PayByPhone Parking While some users find PayByPhone easy and fast R2R11R14R17, others report a difficult user experience with glitches in the payment feature R3, broken UI on newer phones , inability to edit car information , and the need to re-enter car details or login every time .
ParkMobile ParkMobile is generally praised for being convenient and easy to use once set up . However, some users find the registration process onerous , the search bar glitchy , and the app confusing, especially when trying to correct mistakes like wrong license plates or zone numbers .
Fees & Value tieR6R7R36R42
PayByPhone Parking PayByPhone Parking charges extra fees, including a convenience fee ($.60) and an SMS fee ($.20), which users find annoying and unnecessary R6R7R36R42. Some also complain about high parking prices R42.
ParkMobile ParkMobile also charges a service fee in addition to the parking fee, which users perceive as greed rather than convenience . Some users also feel the parking rates are too expensive . One user reported being charged for parking on a Sunday when it should have been free .
Customer Support tieR5R25R49R52
PayByPhone Parking PayByPhone Parking receives strong criticism for its customer service, with users reporting it's nearly impossible to reach a human, being stuck in AI loops, and receiving no help for issues like incorrect tickets R5R25R49R52.
ParkMobile ParkMobile's customer service is also widely criticized for long wait times (30-40 minutes), unhelpful AI, and agents who are slow to respond or claim inability to resolve payment issues or account problems . Users report no recourse for fraud or mistakes .
Features & Notifications edge: ParkMobileR23R33R36R7
PayByPhone Parking PayByPhone offers reminders to add more time R23, but users desire lock screen notifications instead of paid SMS messages R33R36. The 'nearby spots' feature is reported as non-functional R7. Users also struggle with editing existing car descriptions and the app sometimes loses saved favorites .
ParkMobile ParkMobile provides notifications during parking sessions and live activity on iPhone . However, users complain about persistent marketing notifications even after disabling them . Some wish for longer parking duration options and the ability to add more time when a session is up .
Pick PayByPhone Parking if

You are in an area where PayByPhone is known to work reliably and you prioritize a simple, fast payment process when it functions correctly R14R17.

Pick ParkMobile if

You need an app with broader reported coverage and more consistent core functionality, even if it has its own set of glitches and customer service challenges . You also value features like live activity and notifications .

Evidence note: Recent reviews for PayByPhone Parking are heavily skewed negative, with many reporting the app is completely broken in key areas like San Francisco. ParkMobile also has significant negative reviews, but they are more spread across various issues rather than complete non-functionality, suggesting a higher baseline of usability.

Frequently asked

Do these apps charge extra fees?
Yes, both PayByPhone Parking and ParkMobile charge extra fees in addition to the parking cost; PayByPhone charges a convenience fee (e.g., $.60) and an SMS fee (e.g., $.20), while ParkMobile charges a service fee R6R7R36R42.
Are there issues with payment processing?
Yes, both apps have reported issues with payment processing; PayByPhone users experience glitches where payment forms are rejected or Apple Wallet doesn't work R3R34R43, and ParkMobile users sometimes find their payment methods are not accepted R84.
Is customer service helpful for these apps?
No, customer service for both apps is widely criticized, with users reporting long wait times, unhelpful AI, and difficulty reaching human support, often leading to unresolved issues with payments or tickets R5R25R49R52.

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. [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.
  2. [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.
  3. [R8] PayByPhone Parking 5/5 · US Stop working: More than 2 weeks this app is not working! Could not find any location!
  4. [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?
  5. [R2] PayByPhone Parking 5/5 · US Lo mejor: Resuelve todo
  6. [R11] PayByPhone Parking 5/5 · US Súper bueno: Todo es fácil y rápido o mejor es económico
  7. [R14] PayByPhone Parking 5/5 · US So easy!: PayByPhone makes parking so easy and affordable! Can’t beat it!!!
  8. [R17] PayByPhone Parking 5/5 · US Happy Customer: Makes everything do easy! Simple to use, faster than walking from car to kiosk where I pay on the sidewalk, saving me time that I often don’t have. Love it! Many thanks for inventing this:)Customer in
  9. [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 😑
  10. [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
  11. [R36] PayByPhone Parking 3/5 · GB Notifications: Why can’t you enable notifications from the phone rather than send SMS messages and adding an additional charge. If it’s a cost thing why can’t you take money from the parking charge, very frustrating. I’m being billed by PayByPhone for the cost of the parking!
  12. [R42] PayByPhone Parking 3/5 · GB RIP off prices spoil otherwise good app: Been using this a while and didn’t mind paying an extra 20p for the convenience … However , recently some car parks adding 50-70p on a £4 parking fee is ridiculous
  13. [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!!!
  14. [R25] PayByPhone Parking 1/5 · US Who’s eating this 5 stars??: Horrible app. Blacked out and wouldn’t let me sign up for SMS or even set up an account. Charged me, but I still got a ticket. Then the site they are sub contracted for is totally broken so I can’t dispute or even pay it if I wanted to just be done!!
  15. [R49] PayByPhone Parking 1/5 · US No Customer Service Support: Terrible app, no customer service, not clear instructions, confusing parking services.
  16. [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
  17. [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 .
  18. [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
  19. [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
  20. [R34] PayByPhone Parking 1/5 · US Completely useless: Absolute BS, they don’t allow a single card I have to pay. They have zero options for you if you use a bank they don’t cover and they cover a pathetically small amount.
  21. [R43] PayByPhone Parking 1/5 · US Horrible App: It says it accepts Apple Pay and Amex through the app but both are grayed out, so I had to use a card I never use for a $3 charge. Seems like a poorly designed and glitchy app.
  22. [R84] ParkMobile 1/5 · US Suddenly Unusable. Fake reviews. Bring quarters.: I’ve been trying to use this app for two years in different cities and no matter the updates , it doesn’t allow any payment method to be accepted any zone ever. I’ve uninstalled and reinstall tried different payment methods. Even though he used to consistent and and easy app to use.

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