Mobile parking payment provider PayByPhone has signed a strategic global partnership with access control solutions leader SKIDATA to integrate mobile payment capabilities into hundreds of gated off-street parking facilities worldwide, with Miami, Florida, set to become the first market to launch the new service in Q4 2025.
The partnership joins PayByPhone’s mobile payment platform with SKIDATA Connect, an all-in-one platform for managing customer experiences in parking and mobility. The integration will initially roll out across locations in Miami and Miami Beach, where PayByPhone has served as a parking provider for 16 years, before expanding to other markets in the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
“By establishing long-term partnerships that enable intelligent, connected solutions for our drivers, we deliver on our promise of simplifying our users’ journeys,” said Jonny Combe, CEO and president of PayByPhone, in a news release issued September 10. “This strategic collaboration with SKIDATA further enhances that pledge by continuing to significantly expand our global footprint in gated off-street parking.”
The partnership offers two distinct customer experiences. AutoPay enables registered PayByPhone users to opt-in for automatic payment processing, enabling completely touchless entry and exit from participating garages. Once activated, drivers can enter and exit without taking tickets, visiting pay stations, or opening the mobile app. The system automatically charges based on license plate recognition at entry and exit points.
For the second option, Pay on Exit, drivers enter the garage using license plate recognition, park normally, then complete their payment session through the app before leaving. They receive a brief grace period to exit after payment.
“SKIDATA focuses on cultivating global partnerships with best-of-breed companies that share our commitment to creating seamless, intuitive experiences for end users,” said Christopher Archer, the senior vice president of North America for SKIDATA, in the release. “PayByPhone fits this criterion perfectly.”
Carmen Donnell, managing director North America for PayByPhone, explained that the technology eliminates traditional friction points such as stopping in a lane, scanning a ticket, and paying for parking. “The ingress-egress is better,” Donnell told Parking Today. “The consumer experience is better.”
The partnership reflects broader industry trends toward multi-vendor payment environments. Donnell noted that PayByPhone has also signed partnerships with other major parking technology providers, including global parking equipment manufacturer Scheidt & Bachmann’s evopark solution and parking technology provider TIBA. Additional agreements are near completion with five or six other leading North American providers, Donnell said.
“We’re seeing the trends going towards consumer choice,” Donnell said, noting that European markets adopted multi-vendor approaches years ahead of North America. For future implementations, PayByPhone expects half of them to be multi-vendor, Donnell said.
The companies anticipate the Miami rollout to begin this October or November, with the technology already built and commercial agreements finalized. PayByPhone currently works with more than 1,300 cities and operators globally, with more than 110 million drivers having downloaded its app worldwide.
Jay Landers is the editor-in-chief of Parking Today. He can be reached at [email protected].
