Will mobile checkout finally allow our phones to replace pay stations and parking meters? (Spoiler: we certainly think so!)

The world of payments has changed dramatically in the last year. According to Mastercard, 75% of consumers prefer using contactless over other forms of payment. And this is expected to continue post pandemic. Why? Because, quite simply, new consumer behaviors have been learned, and the old ways of paying suddenly became unsafe and seemed very grimey, to say the least.

This ‘new normal’ accelerated the push towards mass adoption of parking payment software and touch-free ways to pay. Seemingly overnight, contactless parking payments went from a nice-to-have to a need-to-have.

Still, many parking operators equate offering a mobile app with contactless payment. While an app is certainly one way to offer touch free payments, this solution unfortunately doesn’t go far enough in making contactless payments ubiquitous. Not every customer wants to download and install an app, enter their payment information — and then create an account to boot. To meet the moment, the parking industry must go beyond the app to offer safety-conscious consumers new and accessible touch-free ways to pay for both one-time parking and digital parking passes. And what better way than by providing a no-barriers, zero-steps-to-pay, app-less mobile guest checkout experience?

Up until very recently, paying for parking via a traditional parking meter or pay station came with one advantage: it was the only way that drivers could pay for parking using what everyone who drives has on them – credit cards and cash. Customers would simply select the rate/duration, and pay — no need to set up an account or download an app.

Honk’s patent-pending scan-to-park and mobile checkout experience takes this advantage away from the pay station. Customers pay for parking using the other item that everyone has on them at all times – their mobile phones. Drivers don’t have to walk across a parking lot, take out their wallet, fumble for coins, or fiddle with their credit card at a ‘dirty’ machine in order to pay. They can do it from the convenience of their vehicle, using their own device without the need to download and register an app. (Not to mention, they can enjoy bonus features like being notified if their parking session is about to expire or adding more time from wherever they happen to be — neither of which is possible with a traditional pay station.)

Let’s quickly outline the many benefits of  app-less mobile guest checkout:

1. It takes less time: It works on any phone with no app to download and no account sign-up required!

2. It’s less daunting for first-timers: It’s a simple and easy way to pay using what everyone has in their pocket – their mobile phone.

3. It’s more profitable: It’s cheaper to own & operate than traditional parking meters or pay stations — there are no large capital expenditures, no paper to supply, no need for power or internet connectivity, nothing to break and can be located absolutely anywhere payment acceptance is required.

Launched in 2019 and with thousands of locations in operation across North America, Honk’s app-less mobile guest checkout technology is making parking more profitable for parking operators while meeting the needs of this new breed of health-focused, safety-conscious, convenience-loving consumer.  Will app-less mobile guest checkout finally allow our phones to replace pay stations and parking meters? We certainly think so.

Want to learn how HONK’s app-less guest checkout fits into your parking payments strategy?