Parking and public transit payments coming to Google Maps app

New features were rolled out onto the Google Maps app on Android yesterday that provide in-app payment options for vehicle parking and public transit.

Google is also looking to add these features to their app on iOS soon.

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The company states the parking payment capability is a result of an integration with parking solutions providers Passport and ParkMobile. Drivers can simply tap on the “Pay for Parking” button that appears at their destination, enter the meter number and the amount of time they want to pay for, and tap “Pay.”

If drivers need more time, they can extend their parking session on the app without having to go back to the meter.

Pay parking on Google Maps is now available in over 400 American cities, including Boston, Cincinnati, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, DC.

These capabilities come in direct competition with Vancouver-based PayByPhone, which provides phone and app-based parking payment in over 80 US cities, 30 cities in Canada, and dozens of university campuses across both countries. PayByPhone, owned by a division of Volkswagen, also has a limited presence in Australia and New Zealand.

Paying for parking on Google Maps. (Google)

For public transit payment, the Google Maps app is offering fare payment for over 80 public transit agencies around the world.

When public transit riders get their directions on the app, they will see the option to pay with their phone with the credit or debit cards already linked to their Google Pay account. They can then show their digital ticket to board transit or tap their phone on a reader.

Riders can understand how to pay in advance and get their fare ready ahead of time, which is particularly helpful for urban regions with multiple transit systems that each have their own separate fares.

In the San Francisco Bay Area, for instance, riders can buy a digital Clipper Card — the transit payment smart card equivalent of the Orca card in Seattle, and the Hop Fastpass Transit Card in Portland — directly from the Google Maps app. All riders will need to do is tap their phone on the card reader.

Paying for public transit on Google Maps. (Google)

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