PayByPhone Tacks on New Fees for Parking Text Alerts in Miami

The city attributes the new fees to "increased domestic and global post-pandemic operational costs."

November 7, 2023

Image: Public parking lots in Miami that use the PayByPhone service will be subjected to a 15-cent fee for text alerts.

Public parking lots in Miami that use the PayByPhone service will be subjected to a 15-cent fee for text alerts. Photo by Pontus Wellgraf on Unsplash

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It seems even local parking fees can't escape rising inflation.

Beginning November 13, the Miami Parking Authority announced its mobile payment operator PayByPhone is adding a 15-cent fee for text alerts to customers about their parking sessions. The parking authority said the text fees come in response to "increased domestic and global post-pandemic operational costs."

Customers will have the ability to opt-out to avoid the fees.

The Miami Parking Authority also announced PayByPhone will be available in its parking garages starting next year. Per an agreement with the city, a new parking-validation program is launching at participating restaurants and retailers as well.

The PayByPhone app, which launched in 2001, allows people to pay for their parking via a mobile application rather than having to scramble for coins to put into a meter. Miami was reported to be the first major U.S. city to accept online mobile parking payments through its partnership with the company in 2008. WLRN previously reported that PayByPhone was receiving 35 cents in fees per transaction within Miami.

As a global leader in mobile parking payments, PayByPhone has provided service to more than 70 million users in more than 1,200 cities across seven countries, according to its website.

PayByPhone has tacked on the fee for optional text messages in other parts of South Florida. There is a 35-cent fee at Nova Southeastern University in Davie, a 15-cent fee at the University of Miami, and a 10-cent fee in South Miami.

Payment service company FLEETCOR recently acquired PayByPhone from Volkswagen Financial Services.

Naomi Feinstein is a staff writer of Miami New Times where she primarily focuses on news. Naomi started her career with New Times as a summer intern in 2019, then returned as a fellow in August 2022 before joining the staff full-time in February 2023. She graduated from University of Miami where she contributed to the student-run newspaper, the Miami Hurricane. She holds a master’s degree and graduated with honors from the Columbia School of Journalism. In 2021, Naomi was recognized as the College Journalist of the Year from the Society of Professional Journalists of Florida, and she placed second for Best General News Story in the 2021 Pinnacle Awards.

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