Flintshire Car Parks - Pay By Phone

PayByPhone – A Cashless Digital Payment System for Car Parking

Flintshire is launching the PayByPhone scheme from 1 April 2022 at all of its 35 car parks as an alternative method of payment to the pay and display machines. The new service provided by PayByPhone will not only improve the customer experience, but will also complement the existing cash only method provided at pay and display machines.

To improve the service user experience and in line with the Council’s commitment towards digital solutions the PaybyPhone platform will provide a more flexible and convenient process to pay for parking.

The current Pay and Display machines will remain in place and service users will still have the option to purchase their pay and display ticket via coin payments.

PaybyPhone technology is popular across Wales and has already successfully been implemented in authorities such as Conwy, Denbighshire, Gwynedd, Anglesey and Vale of Glamorgan.

PaybyPhone offers a cashless digital solution and can be accessed anywhere, anytime on any occasion. Users can download an app or register online to pay via their mobile phone or they can call 0330 400 7275 or text 65565. Registration as a first time user takes less than one minute to complete and paying to park can take as little as 10 seconds using the PaybyPhones smartphone apps. Each car park has a unique location number displayed on the ticket machines which will need to be quoted when paying.

The system benefits include: -

  • Quick and secure payments via the internet, SMS, telephone or through an app with smartphone payments

  • Parking fees charged directly to credit or debit card

  • No need to carry or use coins to pay at the machines

  • No ticket required to be displayed if paying digitally

  • Parking can be paid for remotely, meaning the user does not have to be physically in the car park to make the payment

  • Ability to extend parking time remotely (in long stay car parks) if a user wants to stay for longer, supporting and encouraging footfall in our town centres

  • An optional SMS reminder can be purchased to notify users when their paid time is coming to an end and giving them the option to extend their parking.

  • A potential reduction in the issuing of Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) for breaches of parking terms and conditions

  • Digital payments will reduce the need to touch physical surfaces

  • A reduction in cash collections from machines will be required

  • Integration of PaybyPhone to enforcement devices for monitoring of vehicles

  • Eliminate the need for annual permit applications (potential future option)

Other benefits of the system include the locations of car parks on the app before journeys are made, making the car parks more accessible to those visiting from outside the county. Once parked, a person can then pin their location so that they can easily find their car later.

PaybyPhone will offer 24 hour support 365 days with a live agent service for its customers. Calls can be made directly to a call centre on a local rate phone number as opposed to premium rate calls.

New PaybyPhone / Flintshire County Council branded signage will be visible at all relevant car parks and this comes with clear and precise details regarding costs to motorists.

There is a minimal processing fee per transaction for the digital service, which is passed onto the customer. The current transaction charge is six pence per payment. So, for example, where a parking tariff is £1.50, if a customer choses to PayByPhone they will be charged £1.56 in total.

There is also an option to have an SMS reminder sent to a phone for a charge of ten pence per message, which will help to reduce the risk of staying longer that the paid time for parking and the possibility that a Penalty Charge Notice would be issued.

Press releases and a social media campaign will be issued during the week commencing 28th March and links will be signposted to the PaybyPhone website and app. All signage to be updated in all relevant car parks from 28th March.

The Flintshire website will be updated on 1st April and a Gov Delivery email message will be released to residents to raise awareness of the system and signpost users to the PaybyPhone website and app.

Sarah Hughes