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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

PayByPhone Parking vs ParkWhiz

PayByPhone Parking 4.8★ · Free to download 65
Winner PayByPhone Parking
ParkWhiz 4.8★ · Free to download 50

PayByPhone Parking is generally more reliable for finding and paying for parking on the spot, despite recent glitches, while ParkWhiz is better for pre-booking parking, though it carries a significant risk of reserved spots being unavailable.

Full reviews: PayByPhone Parking · ParkWhiz

PayByPhone Parking is a widely used app for on-the-spot parking payments, praised for its convenience but recently plagued by functionality issues and unexpected fees. ParkWhiz specializes in pre-booked parking, offering potential savings but frequently disappointing users with unavailable spots and poor refund processes.

Head to head

Features tieR7R9R12R15
PayByPhone Parking PayByPhone offers basic parking payment, with some users appreciating the ability to extend time remotely and set reminders R15. However, recent updates have led to issues like lost favorite locations and stored credentials R12, and a broken map function for finding nearby spots R7. Users also report problems adding phone numbers for confirmations or reminders due to UI glitches R9.
ParkWhiz ParkWhiz focuses on pre-booking parking, often providing QR codes for entry . Users appreciate finding and reserving spots for events . However, the search feature is frequently reported as useless or broken, making it hard to find specific events or scroll through results . There are also complaints about the inability to find handicap parking areas and issues with saving passes to Apple Wallet after updates .
Ease of Use tieR3R11R14R16
PayByPhone Parking Many users find PayByPhone easy and fast to use for parking R11R14. However, recent issues include the app forcing users to log in every time R16, difficulty editing or removing saved cars , and problems with payment forms rejecting cards or Apple Wallet R3. Some find it difficult to set up if not used routinely .
ParkWhiz ParkWhiz is generally considered easy to use for booking and getting passes, especially once an account is set up . However, users report difficulties updating credit card information and issues with phone number verification codes not arriving . The app also struggles with managing multiple emails and a single phone number for account access . Some dislike new updates that remove the ability to type in desired parking locations, forcing map interaction .
Reliability edge: PayByPhone ParkingR1R3R4R5
PayByPhone Parking PayByPhone has a long history of being reliable , but recent reviews indicate significant reliability issues. Users report the app not working at all R1R4, failing to recognize parking zones or locations R4R10R13R19, and payment glitches leading to citations R3R5R25. Some updates have broken functionality, making it unusable .
ParkWhiz ParkWhiz suffers from major reliability problems, primarily that reserved parking spots are frequently unavailable or full upon arrival R64R67R69R73. QR codes or entry codes often do not work at garages . Some garages reportedly no longer accept ParkWhiz reservations .
Price/Value tieR6R7R11R14
PayByPhone Parking PayByPhone is generally seen as affordable R11R14 and convenient . However, many users complain about unexpected and additional fees, such as convenience fees ($.60) and SMS fees ($.20) for reminders or notifications R6R7. Some feel the prices are a 'rip off' in certain car parks R42.
ParkWhiz ParkWhiz can offer good value and savings for pre-booked parking . However, many users report paying more through the app than if they paid directly at the lot, sometimes double the price . There are also complaints about extra charges without explanation and the app becoming less competitive due to added fees . The value is significantly diminished when reserved spots are unavailable, leading to wasted money and needing to pay again elsewhere R67R73.
Support tieR5R25R49R52
PayByPhone Parking PayByPhone's customer service is widely criticized as poor or nonexistent. Users report difficulty reaching actual human support, being directed to unhelpful AI chatbots, and struggling to resolve issues like tickets received due to app malfunctions R5R25R49R52.
ParkWhiz ParkWhiz's customer support receives mixed reviews. Some users praise it as excellent, courteous, and effective in solving issues . However, a significant number of recent reviews describe customer service as terrible, nonexistent, or unhelpful, especially regarding refunds for unavailable spots R61R64R67R69. Users often report being unable to get through to anyone or receiving no response to refund requests.
Pick PayByPhone Parking if

You need to pay for parking on the spot and want a widely accepted app, accepting that you might encounter occasional glitches or unexpected fees R14.

Pick ParkWhiz if

You want to pre-book parking for events or specific locations and are willing to risk the possibility of the spot being unavailable upon arrival, hoping for potential savings .

Evidence note: Both apps have strong lifetime ratings, but recent reviews for PayByPhone highlight significant functionality issues that contradict its historical ease of use. ParkWhiz's core problem of unavailable reserved spots is a recurring theme across many negative reviews, despite some users having positive experiences with customer support.

Frequently asked

Does PayByPhone Parking charge extra fees?
Yes, PayByPhone Parking charges extra fees, including a convenience fee of around $0.60 and an SMS fee of about $0.20 for reminders or notifications, which many users find frustrating and unnecessary R6R7R42.
Is parking guaranteed when booking with ParkWhiz?
No, parking is not guaranteed with ParkWhiz, as many users report arriving at lots to find their reserved spots full or unavailable, leading to frustration and needing to find alternative parking R64R67R69R73.
Are there issues with PayByPhone Parking recognizing parking locations?
Yes, many recent PayByPhone Parking users report significant issues with the app not recognizing parking zones or locations, especially in cities like San Francisco, rendering the app unusable for them R4R10R13R19.
Is it difficult to get a refund from ParkWhiz?
Yes, many users report significant difficulty getting refunds from ParkWhiz, especially when reserved parking spots are unavailable, with complaints about unhelpful chatbots, non-responsive customer service, and long delays R61R64R67R71.

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. [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
  2. [R9] PayByPhone Parking 3/5 · US Broken UI for IPhone 15 pro max: Was able to pay for parking but cannot add my phone number for confirmation nor reminders. There is no way to get the keypad to disappear when finished entering number in order to confirm. If I just click out of the input panel, it says that phone confirmation was canceled.
  3. [R12] PayByPhone Parking 3/5 · US Upgrades eliminate saved favorites and stored credentials: For at least the last two upgrades, the app has made me re-enter my login credentials. This can be a minor crisis when you’re standing on the curb in a hurry and don’t have all of your credentials memorized. Also, these upgrades somehow lost all of my favorite parking locations. What’s the point of offering a feature like favorites if you
  4. [R15] PayByPhone Parking 3/5 · US the new way: i liked the credit card machine ok... and a coin machine option everything on an app is annoying, but extending the time by phone is a good idea
  5. [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
  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. [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
  9. [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.
  10. [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.
  11. [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!!!
  12. [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 😑
  13. [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!!
  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. [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
  17. [R64] ParkWhiz 1/5 · US Nightmare: I purchased the parking pass for what the app alleged was a 24 hour public lot. upon arrival the attendant refused to open the gate to the lot, he stated the lot was exclusively for monthly clients. The app does not allow you to request a refund, you must email.
  18. [R67] ParkWhiz 1/5 · US Scam: They let Me book a parking spot but didn’t check that the parking lot was already completely full. Couldn’t park. Ended up showing late. Wasted gas. I tried to contact them through phone and app for a refund but they only let you speak to a simple, unhelpful bot. I had to do a charge back through my bank.
  19. [R69] ParkWhiz 3/5 · US Not sure if this is worth it: You can book a parking but they don’t guarantee the parking lot will have spots at the moment you start your reservation, sometimes you will have to park somewhere else and come back, which will eat your savings. Price is decent if you get a spot. In several parking lots the app tells you that you have to park but all of them have a valet. Last, service is terribl
  20. [R73] ParkWhiz 1/5 · US Parking is not guaranteed: I purchased a parking spot for a July 4th event, drove 1 hr to the event, parking attendant said parking is full despite me paying for my parking spot ahead in parkwhiz. Customer support won’t help with refund. I had to submit a word form for refund. Still waiting on refund.
  21. [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?
  22. [R13] PayByPhone Parking 2/5 · US Hardly helpful: I’m literally standing here at the meter and it won’t let me punch in the number of the meter to pay on my phone. Even though it shows the meter available as one of the current meters, when I tap on that meter number, it says it’s unavailable. Seriously, what is the point of this app. I just spent the last 30 minutes of my life trying to figure this out. It’s so unreliable
  23. [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
  24. [R61] ParkWhiz 1/5 · US Got screwed; no help: ParkWhiz told me to show my parking pass to the garage attendant after parking. But there was no attendant present - only a security guard who said he could do nothing and that everything was automated. I tried to call the ParkWhiz help line, but I could not get through. So, I left, trusting that ParkWhiz would take care of things. Big mistake. I came back four hours later, p
  25. [R71] ParkWhiz 5/5 · US SCAM! BEWARE with NO REFUNDS: This app has turned bad. Recently I have had Multiple bad experiences to the point I am deleting the app. I like purchasing parking ahead especially in LA because looking for parking is stressful! Three times now they emphasized no refunds even for reasonable issues. I couldn’t use the first parking and they refused to refund me even though the parking date was weeks

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