PayByPhone Reviews 

I would give it zero stars if possible as the app just doesn't work anywhere in the South Hams in Devon that I have found. When I have 5 bars of 5g reception (Dartmouth) it tells me the connection is not good enough and I need to contact my network provider (which is EE). So I then have to walk to the shops (which in Totnes is some distance), find someone who will give me change, walk back again, pay with coins and return to the shops hoping I haven't been fined in the meantime. My phone is up to the required spec and I have deleted the app many times and reinstalled it. Nothing changes.
It makes visiting the shops a miserable experience and if possible I try to find a car park without PaybyPhone.

I think Pay by Phone have overlooked the fact that I mentioned that everywhere I have visited in the South Hams is affected by this. Which means, in my experience, it doesn't work anywhere.

Constantly having issues with Pay by Phone App. Keeps telling me it’s a poor internet connection ? but all other Apps on the phone work fine. Very seldom have any issues with Ringo but dread having to use Pay by Phone

I have been waiting for over an hour for a verification code, the app is a complete waste of time.

I have never seen such a preponderance of bad reviews for one company! The new user interface (2025) is way too busy and not user friendly. I want to quickly pay for parking and get on with my life whether I'm going to a restaurant, a hardware store or a bakery. It stupidly asks me which license plate I want to use when I only have one on file. It stupidly asks me which credit card I want to use when I only have one on file. And then it wants to try to sell me something at the end. It should be no more than three simple screens and you're done.

From the company response I received I don't think they're listening. They're seemingly tone-deaf. None of those other things apply. It is only the interface.

Actually, one page should work (If I only have one car and one credit card on file). Screen pops up and gives me my parking area number, based on GPS or I type it in. Same screen asks for how many minutes I want to park. If I put in minutes I obviously want to pay. Shouldn't ask if I want to pay! Of course I want to pay! Voila, one screen.

Paybyphone not working AGAIN and nowhere else to park. Last time it happened I parked anyway, left a note on my dashboard and got a fine. Cheers!
I'm a pensioner with not enough capacity on my phone for more apps. I had been using mobile data via internet to pay for parking but this no longer works - wherever I stand - and don't get me started on phoning which requires me to enter all my details all over again. Aaaaargh!

everything was fine until they updated the app now it hadly ever works keeps coming up withPOOR INTERNET CONNECTION is the favorite item that comes up and stops the app / next is WHAT TYPE OF VEHICLE but it wont let you add one then stops the app. Total waste of time to use it now.

Nightmare! No cash option! As part of the registration process they want you to sign up for for a month!!!?. To set up an account where they want you to type in your email address and PASSWORD…….. are you crazy! I just want to bloody park my car once! Scammers avoid at all cost complain to every organisation that employs them.

Ps: I used the QR code on the machine at Highgrove pool, Eastcote, Middx. There is no cash option, registration is lengthy and skimming personal details highlighted above. You need to sort these machines out it’s your responsible Pay By Phone, otherwise I suggest you get out of the business and let others do a better less intrusive job of allowing people to park their car without wasting half a day and being scammed in the process.! Avoid and complain!

You take money for days when it's free parking , then your customer support lies about the free parking when I have photos . You should never have processed the payment. See you in the small claims , this is a bout principle not money

Totally useless. It worked absolutely fine. Then the shiny new update has signed me out, refuses to let me back in and customer support is non existent.
Why did you mess around with it?

Wish I could put zero! Always been great. Two days ago it would not work. Now tried to re load and “start again” it’s useless and won’t even allow me to enter vehicle. Why do these companies mess about with these things? Oh! Hang on, so it goes wonky and ya get a fine🤔👎

Parked for two using 'Nearest' option and then saw it was the wrong street. Looked up how to cancel and the info was that cancellation, by text, could only be achieved if actioned within 5 minutes and this procedure would only work in a certain region of Canada. Upshot: I paid twice.
PaybyPhone has answered this, saying I could request a refund via a chat service. Chatbot's final word: "Much like a pay and display machine, it is not possible to request a refund."

Machines not working. Unable to download app. Unable to backdate parking. How hard can you make paying for parking?

Couldnot log in. Then after after paying via website I realsied that the app defaults to Canada (tiny icon top left). Have to scroll to Uk to be able to login, Sull the same weeks later.

Good morning, I have just checked my bank and you have taken the money for a cancelled transaction that I got in touch with the chatbot and three members of staff. I have supplied my mobile number privately as you requested and you have not got in touch with me. Yes I made a mistake immediately I tried to rectify the situation and this was made extremely difficult. I believe it only fair that you refund me my money. I look forward to your response.

App appeared to decline payment with a error message and so I paid with credit card. I then received an e-mail receipt for the app payment so the payment did go through originally. So I have paid paid twice. Tried to contact PaybyPhone but their AI chat bot was absolutely useless. It had only a limited number of scenarios, none of which matched mine. No way of speaking to a human.
I parked at location 801767 Southampton at 10:51, for 4 hours. I paid £4.20 for 4 hours

The cost was £4 but the service charge and SMS alert was 2.90 on top, 72.5%!

This was Conwy Council and I can't believe that they allow this sort of excessive charge? There is no manual intervention and it should save on the costs?

They've relied saying that it's 40p for SMSs, which is correct, but haven't even attempted to defend the way they fleece us for the rest for a "service" which offers nothing. I'll never use it again and can't understand why a council with their own perfectly good system would have anything to do with them?

So last Friday I went to the hairdresser and went to park as I would do and the app wouldn’t let me use my Apple Pay so I added a card and tried again still wouldn’t let me use any payment 20 mins of trying I rang my son to pay it for me I logged out and in deleted the app reinstalled it still no joy I rang them and sent 11 emails I’ve only had 1 response saying they can’t find my account so sent screen shots of all my account details and then I got sent a survey how did we do I would love to know what they have done because I’m still in the same situation with no resolve my next step is to call the local council because if the system isn’t working then give it to another company

I recently had the pleasure of parking at Caernarfon and using the PayByPhone app to pay for 24 hours. The first day passed without incident. The second day, I repeated this flawless ritual and was rewarded—with a parking fine. Naturally, I paid the parking fee, the admin fee, and the original parking fee again, because who among us does not thrill at paying three times for a single privilege?

My initial review on Trustpilot was written with some heat—not because of the fine itself, but because of the way it was handled. Wanly, I posted my experience, hoping for a flicker of accountability.

Instead, joy unbounded: a fairly polite message from PayByPhone below, followed by a more pointed one to my personal email. Not to apologise, but to urge me—with the unmistakable chill of administrative froideur—to reconsider my critique. Free speech, it seems, is welcome only when it arrives gift-wrapped in five stars. So be it.

Given the tone and temperature of their response, I have decided not to bury Caesar but to praise him. PayByPhone is a magnificent enterprise. Their customer service is a beacon of empathy, their systems paragons of precision, and their attitude toward customers a masterclass in boundless grace. Truly, they are blameless in all things.

I now regard my parking fine not as a penalty, but as a tribute—nay, a votive offering—to a company whose excellence knows no bounds. Milites currus superabunt triumpho. Long may they reign, and long may we pay.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Five golden stars, you ask, among all these paltry single-star reviews? Begone, doubters. Five million would ne'er be enough to light our chariots to their parking heaven.

I tried to use this in Coventry and they said they needed to verify my card details with no charge, which is understandable. They did this but as soon as they had them they attempted to take £49.95 ! Luckily my bank refused but however my card has now been stopped and I have a new one on way. Its just the hassle that comes with it that's the problem. DO NOT USE OR TRUST THIS COMPANY

Unable to add bank acc details despite numerous attempts over a period of 3 days so I was unable to pay for parking. The app's website uses a bot which uses cutesy language but is unfortunately thick as a plank.