Frequently Asked Questions | PayByPhone Parking

General information about PayByPhone

Is the use of PayByPhone free of charge?

The installation of the app is free of charge. In the PayByPhone Basic version, there is no registration fee or basic fee. A service fee will be charged for each parking event. This fee can be up to 10 % of the parking fee. The indication of the parking fee in the app includes the service fee. The service fee depends on the respective location. You can find detailed information at the pay and display ticket machine or on our website.

Do I have to login or register in the app?

No, you can pay with PayByPhone spontaneously and without registration. All you have to do is activate your smartphone number before paying. With this activation, the bill will then be conveniently charged to your smartphone bill or your prepaid balance.

Where can I use PayByPhone in Germany?

PayByPhone is currently available in over 230 cities in Germany: from Aachen to Zirndorf, from inner-city car parks to parking garages all the way to airports. We are working on constantly expanding our offer, both in Germany and in Europe. You can find an overview of our locations on our website.

Which mobile communication providers allow the billing via smartphone bill or prepaid balance?

In order to make billing as easy as possible for you, we have entered into cooperations with TELEKOM, VODAFONE, O2 and MOBILCOM DEBITEL.

The provider 1&1 does not yet support services like ours. But you can also use PayByPhone with a smartphone contract with 1&1: Simply register and switch to another payment method.

What payment methods are currently available?

Currently you can pay via smartphone bill, prepaid balance, PayPal, SEPA bank transfer and credit card. Our service currently supports Visa and Mastercard.

How will the ticket inspector know that I have purchased a pay and display ticket via smartphone?

The city’s ticket inspectors not only check whether a pay and display ticket is in the car, but also check whether a PayByPhone ticket has been booked using a digital license plate query. One exception: Sometimes a toll sticker must be deposited to inform the ticket inspectors.

Download the toll sticker here.

If parking in a city is offered via PayByPhone, police and public order office get special training to check digital tickets as well.

PayByPhone is not yet available in my town. When will my town be added?

Of course, we are working hard to be able to offer our services in every town. We are therefore also in contact with all towns. If you want to know exactly whether your town will soon become a PayByPhone town, please send an e-mail to support@sunhill-technologies.com.

How does redemption of parking credits by code work?

In the app, go to the voucher area and enter your code. You have a flyer with a QR code? Then simply scan in the QR code. The parking credit is deposited in your account with a click on “Redeem”.

The next time you purchase a pay and display ticket via the app, the credit will automatically be deducted from the parking fees.

Where can I see how much parking credit is left?

You currently cannot see how much credit you have already used. The initial parking credit amount will still be displayed in the voucher history.

Park and pay via SMS

How does parking and payment via SMS work?

It works with a single SMS. All you need for this:

The parking zone: This is also the phone number to which the text message is sent.
Your license plate – without spaces and separators. Simply enter letters and numbers one after the other
The specification of the selected time. You will find these on the pay and display ticket machine. 30 minutes, for example, is: .30

Important: Do not forget the period before the number.

Simply send your license plate number and your desired parking time – separated simply by a period – to the speed dial number. Example SMS for Berlin and 45 minutes parking time: BKM123.45

You will receive a confirmation SMS within a few seconds. Before the parking time expires, you will be reminded via SMS and can then extend your parking time with the same procedure.

Exceptions: Lauf, Wolfratshausen, Paderborn and Bad Honnef. In this case, the zone number must also be indicated before the license plate. Analogous to the parking time, also separated from the license plate with a period (.). Example: 3.ABC123.30

I received an error message via SMS. What can I do?

The most important thing in case of an error message is to first of all keep calm.

Then please check your entry: car license plates must be written without spaces and separators, and a period (.) must be entered before the time.

Here you can find all information on one page

Why has my SMS payment been rejected?

Please check whether your mobile communication provider has set up a so-called third-party lock that does not allow payment with PayByPhone. In this case, please activate PayByPhone via the hotline of your mobile communication provider. If there is no third-party lock, please check if the prepaid balance is sufficient.

Notice: The provider 1&1 does not yet support services like ours.

Parking and payment via app

How do I start a parking event in the app?

The map in the app shows your current parking zone highlighted in color. Select the parking zone. In the next step, enter your license plate number and select your desired parking time. After clicking on “Next”, you will get an overview to check your pay and display ticket. Book your valid pay and display ticket by clicking on “Pay now”. For non-registered users, billing takes place via smartphone bill or prepaid balance.

Where can I view my parking events in the app?

All parking events can be found in the app in the “Transactions” section.

You will also receive a transaction overview in the https://account.paybyphone-parken.de portal. For this you have to register.

How can I tell from the app that I have a valid pay and display ticket?

Immediately after purchasing the pay and display ticket you will see the success message “Your pay and display ticket has been paid for”. In addition, the parking surveillance of the city is informed about the parking event.

In which cities do I need a parking sticker?

All information on the parking sticker can be found here: paybyphone-parken.de/en/parking-sticker.

Where can I get my parking ticker?

You can get your toll sticker here: paybyphone-parken.de/en/parking-sticker.

I have entered my pay and display ticket incorrectly; can I cancel the pay and display ticket?

Unfortunately, there is no easy cancellation option. With your pay and display ticket you have purchased a real, valid pay and display ticket and your parking event is already stored in the city’s accounting system in a revision-proof manner.

This makes a subsequent change or cancellation via the app no longer possible. For a refund of the pay and display ticket, download the appropriate parking receipt at account.paybyphone-parken.de and contact the appropriate public order office.

I got a parking ticket despite valid pay and display ticket. What can I do?

That is annoying. We try to avoid this from the start by making sure that police and public order authorities in PayByPhone cities are trained to also check digital tickets.

Log onto our portal account.paybyphone-parken.de. Under the heading “Transactions”, you can download a receipt for your pay and display ticket and use it to contact the public order office. There, the transaction can be traced using the PIN.

Please note that some cities require a parking sticker as information for the ticket inspectors. You can find information on the parking sticker here.

Why has my payment been rejected?

Payment will be rejected if…

a) your prepaid balance is not sufficient to pay for the pay and display ticket,
b) your mobile communication provider has set up a so-called “third-party lock”.

You can then simply activate PayByPhone via the hotline of your mobile communication provider.

c) your SEPA direct debit data are invalid, or
d) your credit card details are invalid.

I cannot pay via SEPA transfer. What can I do?

Please check if you have any outstanding payments. If this is the case, you will also have received an e-mail from us. Please check your inbox. Please contact support@sunhill-technologies.com

My PayByPhone account

How do I delete my account?

You can delete your PayByPhone account at account.paybyphone-parken.de/en/registration/profile/delete/.

Where can I store my payment details?

Your payment details are stored in the app in your profile. For this, you have to register with your e-mail address. You can also add, delete and select standard payment methods in the portal in the menu item “Payment”. You can choose between PayPal, SEPA and credit card.

How can I change or delete my license plate number?

You can change your license plate before you book the pay and display ticket. If you select your parking time in the app, you will see your currently selected license plate number above. If you select this, you will be taken to the input section and can change your license plate number.

With iOS, you can delete your license plate by wiping it to the left. The “Delete” button will appear. With Android, you can keep the license plate pressed until a “Delete” sign appears in the bar at the top.

How can I change my email address?

Unfortunately, technical reasons currently prevent changing e-mail addresses. However, we are working on making this feature available as soon as possible.

How do I change my phone number?

Please log in at account.paybyphone-parken.de. Use your previous email address and password. Click on “Smartphone numbers” in the menu on the left. Here you can delete phone numbers and add a new phone number.

Prices and fees

How much does it cost to use PayByPhone?

You can download PayByPhone for free. Service fees may apply in addition to the cost of the parking ticket. These are displayed separately in the app when the parking ticket is booked. As a rule – currently for 168 cities – 10 % of the respective parking fee is charged as an additional service fee. Example: If the parking ticket costs 1 €, an additional 10 ct will be charged and 1.10 € will be debited from the app.. Here you will find an overview of the fees by location: paybyphone-parken.de/en/fees.

PayByPhone Premium

What fees do I have to pay as a Premium customer?

As a Premium customer you only pay the monthly amount of 1,99 € and the parking fee of your parking ticket. As a Premium customer, the service fees are completely waived for you. No matter in which PayByPhone city you park and no matter how long you park.

How do I switch from PayByPhone to PaybyPhone Premium?

If you use PayByPhone Basic without registration, first register in our portal. Click on the button “Change tariff package” under “Tariff package” on the start page. Here you can see an overview of our rates and switch to PayByPhone Premium by clicking on “Activate”.

Please note that PayByPhone Premium requires a different standard payment method than the smartphone bill.

When will I receive my welcome package?

Shipment is arranged after conversion to Premium. Delivery may take up to ten days.

Please note: At the moment, only one PayByPhone card is provided per account. It is possible to purchase a second package by creating another account at account.paybyphone-parken.de.

We hope to be able to expand the order function for additional welcome packages per account as quickly as possible.

What is the best way to install the PayByPhone card in your car?

The best place for the PayByPhone card depends on the nature of the windshield. If your windshield is neither heatable nor coated, the card can be attached to the top left of the driver’s side. Simply attach the supplied adhesive pouch and insert the card here. If your car has a heatable or coated windshield, you can find instructions for the best possible position here: paybyphone-parken.de/en/products/premium/card/.

Are collective receipts also issued for past transactions?

Collective receipts can be issued only for future transactions, i.e. from the starting date of the Premium membership. Individual receipts for past transactions are still available. The first collective receipt is available on the 1^st day of the following month.

Which cities currently offer start-stop?

In Augsburg, Bad Harzburg, Bad Homburg, Bad Oldesloe, Berlin, Bergheim, Bergisch Gladbach, Bielefeld, Bingen, Bostalsee, Brunswick, Castrop-Rauxel, Detmold, Düsseldorf, Goslar, Hamburg, Hanau, Hattingen, Hildesheim, Jena, Kiel, Cologne, Lemgo, Lübeck, Mainz, Paderborn, Potsdam, Rostock, Viersen, Wasserburg, Wiesbaden and Wolfsburg. New cities are added every month.

How does driving into the parking garage as a premium customer work?

As soon as you are a PayByPhone Premium customer, you will receive a welcome package with your PayByPhone card. The card is your access to over 250 parking garages throughout Germany.

In the majority of our parking garages, your PayByPhone card is automatically recognized at the barrier gate and the gate is opened automatically. In exceptional cases, however, you must hold the PayByPhone card against the reader of the barrier gate in order to be able to enter. You can see which technology is available in which parking garages in the app or on the location map at paybyphone-parken.de/en/locations

What do I do if the barrier gate does not open automatically?

First check whether the parking garage is technically equipped for entry with PayByPhone card. You can find a list of parking garages on the location map on the PayByPhone Premium page. If the barrier gate does not open automatically even though the parking garage meets the technical requirements, place your PayByPhone card in a different location on your windshield or hold the card out of the window towards the antenna. If this also does not work, please press the contact button on the barrier gate. The responsible employee will help you.

What do I do if I lose my card?

Simply contact our customer service who will be happy to help you at 09131 625 99 10 or send an e-mail to support@sunhill-technologies.com. The service employee will block your card and can order a new one for you right away. In a few days, there will be a new PayByPhone card and a new PayByPhone sticker in your mailbox. Note that your old sticker will no longer work after the card has been blocked and you will have to attach the new sticker in the car.

How do I cancel PayByPhone Premium?

You can cancel your Premium Membership at any time. Please switch your profile in the app or in the portal at account.paybyphone-parken.de to the basic tariff. This means that PayByPhone Premium will be canceled as soon as possible.

PayByPhone recommendation program

How do I get parking credit for myself and my friends?

In the app, you will find an “Invite your friends” area. Send your unique invitation link from there via WhatsApp, e-mail, SMS etc. to friends and acquaintances. Your link will be created automatically before it is sent.

Your friends can get PayByPhone for free on their smartphones using this invitation link. He/She will receive a € 5 voucher automatically with starting the app. When a friend books a first pay and display ticket via the app, you will automatically be credited € 5.

When will the credit be credited to my account?

The credit will be at your disposal after your friend has parked for the first time. You can find the credit under “Vouchers” in the app.

How do I redeem parking credit when I park?

The parking credit is automatically deducted from the parking fee until the credit is used up. Please note that the credit cannot be redeemed for pay and display tickets in parking garages or for parking with the start/stop function.

How many friends can I invite?

As many as you want. The more, the better. For you, and for your friends.

How long is the invitation link valid?

The link does not expire.

Your questions about PayByPhone