Parking tickets hurt, but NYC plans to ease the ache with Apple Pay

By Malarie Gokey Published October 28, 2020

Apple Pay Parking TIckets — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Chances are if you’re a New Yorker with a car, you’ve gotten a parking ticket at some point in your life. Not only do parking tickets hurt your wallet, they’re also a pain to deal with. To this day, New Yorkers have to either pay in person, mail it in, or pay extra processing fees to get it done online. Now the city of New York is considering using mobile payment systems like Apple Pay, PayPal, and BitCoin for parking tickets, reports MarketWatch.

Although no timeframe is set for the development of a parking ticket payment app, the city does have a basic idea of how the system would work. The mobile app or website would have a simple and easy-to-use design, allow New Yorkers to scan their parking tickets into the system, and finally, pay them off with Apple Pay, PayPal, Bitcoin, and other forms of mobile payment.

City officials admit that they have a lot to learn about the world of mobile payments, apps, and mobile-friendly websites. The city issued a Request for Information on how to incorporate mobile payments into its system.

Currently, the city of New York earns $600 million in revenue each year from the 10 million parking tickets it issues. Officials hope an updated system will encourage people to pay their fines on time and thereby avoid additional late payment charges and unpaid violations. The new system would also undoubtedly make it easier for New Yorkers to pay their tickets on time, though it certainly won’t take any of the pain out of the costly fines.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

As DT's Mobile Editor, Malarie runs the Mobile and Wearables sections, which cover smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and…

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