Pay to park by phone option is here

After listening to feedback from residents and businesses, Harborough District Council has teamed up with PayByPhone to trial the option for 12 months, for users of its 16 car parks in the district. The new cashless way of paying goes live from Monday 5 August 2019.

Residents will be able to pay for parking on their phones, through the PayByPhone app, or by calling a telephone number which will be displayed on signs in the car park. The Extend-From-Anywhere feature allows PayByPhone users to extend their parking sessions remotely, in accordance with the car parks’ terms and conditions. This feature is now also available to users with an Apple Watch using watchOS 4, allowing parking to be extended directly from the watch. PayByPhone users can use the service without any additional transaction fees and can additionally choose to pay for text messages that reminds them before a parking session expires.

Cllr Jonathan Bateman (pictured), Harborough District Council’s car parking lead, said: “This is a more convenient, cashless way to pay to park in our car parks across the district. People will be able to stay shopping longer, or stop to have lunch for example, if they choose to do so, without having to return to their vehicle – which will be positive for shoppers, local businesses and the economy.”

Hannah Fuller, Client Director for PayByPhone UK, says: “We are delighted to launch PayByPhone in Harborough district. Mobile parking payments have many advantages to drivers and to the local authority. Not only does it make the parking experience more hassle-free, it also greatly reduces vandalism and the cost of maintaining the pay-and-display machines.”

The PayByPhone service is being trialled by Harborough District Council to improve security, as well as e-permits offering car park users a faster, paperless and more cost-effective way to obtain a permit.

Download the PayByPhone app for free; registration is very simple and takes less than 30 seconds. Drivers can also use the app to locate the nearest PayByPhone parking location anywhere in the country.

The PayByPhone services are already available in nearby Kettering, making it even easier for those commuting between the two locations. For a full list where PayByPhone is available, and to start using it today, download the app from the App Store or Google Play Store, or visit the PayByPhone website paybyphone.co.uk.

About PayByPhone                                                    

PayByPhone, a wholly owned subsidiary of Volkswagen Financial Services AG, is one of the fastest growing mobile payments companies in the world, processing more than £242 million in payments annually. Through the company's mobile web, smartphone and smartwatch applications, PayByPhone helps millions of consumers easily and securely pay for parking without the hassles of waiting in line, having to carry change or risking costly fines. Registration is quick and easy, and the app reminds the user when their parking is about to expire, allowing them to top up from anywhere, at any time.