A parking meter on Parnassus Avenue. Photo: Nadia Lopez/Axios
San Francisco drivers who pay for parking meters by phone have two new official options: ParkMobile and HotSpot.
Why it matters: PayByPhone, the app San Franciscans have used for more than a decade, stopped processing SFMTA parking payments on June 1, KQED reports.
How it works: Drivers only need to download one of the new apps. Both let users enter a license plate, pay by card and extend parking remotely when allowed.
Physical meters and pay stations remain available.
Parking rates and time limits haven't changed because of the app transition.
Enforcement officers will check license plates against app payment records, so make sure the plate in the app matches the car you parked.
Pro tip: Don't automatically pay a citation if you get ticketed.
SFMTA officials told KQED that drivers can contest a citation with their app receipt.