How to HONK: All Your HONK Parking App Questions Answered

Well hello there, Honker!

We get asked SO many HONK parking app questions in a week, we thought it might be helpful to share the most commonly asked ones, the real doozies and the ones that nobody even thinks to ask, so you’re absolutely in the know.

Ever wonder how the sausage gets made? Now’s your chance!

We’ve canvassed our crack Customer Support Team and selected the HONK parking app questions that get asked the most because the way we see it if you’re scratching your head about something, it’s very likely that a few others are confused about the exact same thing. And, since our entire reason for being is to make things easier…we want to get those questions answered!

Just remember,  there are no silly questions (except the one about leaving your phone in the windshield).

So read on – You might just learn something…

Q.  How will parking enforcement know I paid?

• Do I have to leave my phone on the dashboard?

• Do I have to print out a ticket from my phone?

*We’re not kidding when we tell you that these questions have been asked more than once!

A. PLEASE PLEASE don’t leave your phone on the dash! (We would never ask you to part ways with your beloved device), and we HATE paper tickets. With Honk, you never need to print your receipts. We’re paper free!

Here’s how it actually works: When you pay with the Honk parking app using your license plate as identification, we use that info to let local parking enforcement know you’ve paid — we share your plate number, what zone you’re in, and how long you’ll be there via our parking payment software. That way, enforcement has a real-time list of paid vehicles when they’re out patrolling. This is the reason we ask you to confirm your license plate and location so many times during the mobile checkout experience. Your license plate is the only information enforcement officers have to ensure that you’ve paid (we don’t collect car make, model, color, bumper stickers – NOTHING!), so keep that in mind the next time you drive a rental or your partner’s car to work. The license plate in the lot has to match the one you’ve paid on the HONK parking app.

Q. I paid at the pay station but my receipt isn’t coming up on the app… why?

A. Think of the HONK parking app as your own personal mobile paystation.  Our information doesn’t speak to those old clunky machines and at the same time, they don’t speak to us. So when you pay at the paystation, we don’t know it (nor do we really want to). So if you paid at the machine, there’s no reason a receipt would show up in the app. Drivers have two options: They can either go “old-school” and use the pay station, or step into the future by downloading the HONK parking app. If you scan-to-park or use the app to pay, you’ll be emailed your receipt right away and you always have us at your fingertips if something goes awry (try asking for a refund from a broken machine that just ran out of ink!).

Q. If I make a parking reservation in a gated lot, how do I get out of the parkade without that paper thingy?

A. We’re eco-friendly here at Honk! Gone are the days of carrying that annoying paper slip with you — simply open the HONK parking app, scan the barcode, and you’re good to go (in and out). That’s right, the barcode for your digital parking pass gets your car both in AND out of the parkade. The barcode is always on the app under ‘sessions’ and it’s safely stored on the email we send with your parking receipt.

Q. What if I reserve a parking spot ahead of time, and there’s no spot when I get there?

A. We guarantee all parking spots. But in the rare event that there’s no spot when you get there, simply reach out to customer support,  and we’ll issue you a full refund. And chances are, there’s another Honk lot nearby. Just do a search on the HONK parking app!

Q. Why am I paying a “convenience” fee for a parking spot when there’s no fee if I just pay at the pay station?

A. In order to provide our service and pay our amazing staff, we have several business models set up with our clients (You are our customers. Our clients are parking lot operators, real estate owners, Universities and municipalities). We charge our clients a small fee to provide them and you with great service and the most convenient way to park. Some of our clients choose to pass that fee on to Honkers, while others cover the cost themselves. We like to think that the convenience of using the HONK parking app to find, book, and pay for a spot (especially in the winter) is worth it!

Q. What happens if I book a spot and I’m late? Will I be reimbursed for those minutes?

A. Unfortunately, no. We do empathize, though. We know that traffic — and life — is unpredictable, and sometimes it’s impossible *not* to be late. This is where we have something in common with the meter – we can’t prorate your parking. Think of it like a hotel room. You pay for the use of the space whether you arrive at 3 pm or midnight.

The good news is, you can make sure not to overpay by UNDERpaying from the get-go. (We recommend it!) Essentially, choose an earlier end time and simply top up your contactless parking payment as many times as you need to throughout the day/night. You can do this from the HONK parking app (a.k.a., anywhere), so it’s ridiculously convenient. Even better? We remind you when your session is about to expire, so you only need to top up when you hear from us. No more paying extra to avoid a ticket!

Q. What happens if I book a spot, my kid gets sick, and I need to cancel? Do you guys do refunds, or I am stuck with a parking space I can’t use?

A. Plans change, we get it. Contact us up to the minute before your parking session begins, or within 10 minutes of your session start time, and we’ll give you a full refund.

Q. After reserving a spot through Honk, am I assigned a spot number? How do I know where to park once I get there?

A. You are not assigned a spot, so you can choose any open spot when you get there. Please make sure to follow the lot rules posted on site. Simple as that!

Well, there you have it. All of your questions… answered!

Do you have a burning question we missed? Drop us a line and we’ll get back to you with an answer, pronto.

(Plus, if it’s silly enough, we’ll add it to this page. You’ll be famous! …sorta.)