Tired of switching between parking apps? Miami Beach adds option to align with neighbors
Drivers paying for metered parking in Miami Beach now have a new way to do so: PayByPhone, an app utilized by nearby cities, including Miami, Coral Gables, Surfside and Sunny Isles Beach.
On April 1, Miami Beach began the “soft launch” of the PayByPhone app to supplement its use of ParkMobile, a different app that will remain an option in the city. That means Miami-Dade drivers will no longer have to toggle between the two apps to park whenever they cross Biscayne Bay coming in and out of Miami Beach.
“The introduction of PayByPhone represents a positive step forward in our efforts to improve the overall parking experience for residents and visitors alike,” City Manager Alina Hudak wrote in a memo Tuesday.
ParkMobile and PayByPhone will share the same zone numbers, city officials said.
The soft-launch phase will allow for testing and the installation of PayByPhone signage, Hudak said. Under a five-year agreement approved by the Miami Beach City Commission in late January, ParkMobile and PayByPhone will collaborate to provide the new signage.
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Miami Beach had a previous 10-year agreement with ParkMobile that expired in February 2023. The city extended that deal on a month-to-month basis and received nine proposals for a new agreement. An evaluation committee ranked ParkMobile and PayByPhone as the top two bidders.
City administrators ultimately negotiated similar contracts with each of the two firms. Both firms agreed to waive a 35-cent transaction fee for Miami Beach residents.
Miami Beach residents also receive $1 per hour discounted parking rates by providing documentation to the city to prove their residency. Officials were working to transfer license plate information from ParkMobile to PayByPhone so that resident discounts will apply across both apps.
Miami Beach collected almost $28 million in parking meter revenue in the 2023 fiscal year, about $24 million of which came through ParkMobile.
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