Parking app ParkMe now takes Android Pay
Stop the circling! ParkMe, the app that provides users with realtime on- and off-street parking data, is now inviting drivers to reserve and pay for parking via Android Pay. The latest version of the ParkMe Android app is equipped with the feature.
ParkMe is the most recent major parking app to use Android Pay to process mobile payments. Image from ParkMe.
“We want to make it easier for businesses like ParkMe to offer a simpler, faster in-app payment solution for their customers. With Android Pay, people will be able to speed through checkout with their Android phones in as few as two clicks,” Pali Bhat, Director of Product Management at Google, reported the company’s blog. To use the feature, customers find their spot, click “reserve now,” then choose the “Select Android Pay” option. Android Pay doesn’t share debit or credit card numbers but instead relies on a virtual number assigned to the customer’s account in order to keep card details secure.
Mark Braibanti, ParkMe’s director of marketing and business development, sat down with us to share the latest on how the parking app is making things even easier.
Were there any technical challenges behind Android Pay integration? How long did it take to achieve?
M.B. We’d been working with Android Pay back when the project was still known as Google Wallet. We were in discussions with them for the past 2 years until it was finally ready to launch.
Are you concerned about competitors also using Android Pay?
M.B. We are not concerned about competitors using Android Pay. It’s essentially just another way of paying for your parking through our app but it makes it even easier for Android users. We think in the future, more and more apps will adopt Android Pay as a form of payment for in-app purchases.
What kind of cut does Android Pay take relative to other services? Does it take a greater cut of parking purchases than other purchases?
M.B. The Android Pay service is actually free for ParkMe and it’s no different financially. They run their payments through another third-party transaction company called Stripe who we had already been working with.
What are the unique benefits of Android Pay?
M.B. Ease of use for Android users. Rather than fumbling around with their wallet to insert credit card info, they can just pay with their existing Android account with the click of a button.
Do you have any other news to report, or other upcoming projects on the horizon?
M.B. We’re always continuing to improve our products on both the consumer side and b2b side. We’ve been very focused on expanding our coverage and global footprint and are continually adding more locations with real-time occupancy information.
Category: News, Parking Tech
