If you’ve been paying for SFMTA meters with PayByPhone, that option is gone. San Francisco’s Municipal Transportation Agency replaced PayByPhone with two new apps — ParkMobile and HotSpot — covering all 27,000 on-street paid parking spaces across the city. The transition happened in 2026, and PayByPhone is no longer accepted at SFMTA meters as of mid-May.
This isn’t a minor tweak. If you have PayByPhone saved on your phone and try to use it at an SFMTA meter after the cutover, the app won’t recognize the zone, or payment won’t register with the enforcement system. You need one of the two new apps.
Here’s what changed, what stayed the same, and what the new SFMTA garage reservation system means for drivers who park regularly in the city.
Why SFMTA switched apps
The SFMTA ran a procurement process that resulted in ParkMobile and HotSpot replacing PayByPhone as the official on-street mobile payment platforms. The official framing was expanded flexibility and improved features — both new apps offer expiration reminders and remote session extension, which PayByPhone also offered.
The practical result for drivers is a forced migration: delete PayByPhone from your SFMTA workflow (it still works at some non-SFMTA locations in the city, including the Presidio Trust, UCSF, USF, San Francisco State, and private garage operators who haven’t switched), and download one or both of the new apps.
The city now offers two apps simultaneously rather than one. That redundancy means if one platform has a technical problem, the other is an immediate fallback — a lesson cities learned during single-vendor outages.
ParkMobile and HotSpot: how they work at SFMTA meters
Both apps follow the same basic flow as any mobile parking payment platform:
- Download the app and create an account (both are available on iOS and Android).
- At the meter, find the zone number on the meter sticker or pay station.
- Enter the zone, select duration, confirm payment.
- Set an expiration reminder within the app so you get an alert before time runs out.
- Extend the session remotely if you need more time — within the maximum allowed at that zone.
Both apps send SMS or push-notification reminders before your session expires. Both support remote extension. The enforcement officer’s system queries both databases when checking plates, so you can use either app at any SFMTA meter.
The $0.35 convenience fee
Both ParkMobile and HotSpot charge a $0.35 per-session convenience fee at SFMTA meters. This is on top of the parking rate. For context on how this fee compares to what platforms charge in other cities and why the fee exists, see our breakdown of parking app convenience fees.
The $0.35 fee applies regardless of session length — whether you park for 15 minutes or 4 hours, the per-session fee is the same. For short sessions at low-rate meters, the fee can feel disproportionate. For longer sessions, it’s a minor addition to the total.
ParkMobile offers a Premium subscription ($9.99/month or $59.99/year) that waives the per-session fee for frequent users. If you regularly pay for SFMTA parking three or more times a week, the math works in favor of the annual subscription.
What PayByPhone still covers in San Francisco
PayByPhone wasn’t shut down in San Francisco — it was removed from the SFMTA on-street meter network only. It remains active at:
- Presidio Trust parking
- UCSF (University of California San Francisco) parking
- USF (University of San Francisco) parking
- San Francisco State parking
- Private garage operators that haven’t switched platforms
If you park at any of those locations, PayByPhone still works. If you’re at a standard SFMTA on-street meter with the familiar green pay station or single-space meter, use ParkMobile or HotSpot.
The SFMTA’s own meters have stickers identifying the current accepted apps. If you see a sticker showing PayByPhone, it’s outdated. Look for ParkMobile or HotSpot branding, or check sfmta.com for the current list.
The new SFMTA garage reservation system
Separate from the app transition, SFMTA launched an advance reservation system for city-owned parking garages. The pilot began at the Civic Center and Performing Arts Garages in August 2025; as of May 2026, it’s available at 16 city-owned garages citywide.
Drivers can reserve a space at a participating city garage in advance, including for events at venues like Davies Symphony Hall or City Hall, and pay online before arrival. This is a different workflow from the on-street meter apps — it’s a reservation system, not a session-based payment tool.
For drivers attending known events downtown, advance garage reservation eliminates the uncertainty of circling for street parking or finding a private garage at event price. The SFMTA system uses flat-rate reservation pricing rather than the variable on-street demand-based rates.
The reservation system is accessible at sfmta.com.
What didn’t change
SFMTA’s demand-based rate structure is unchanged. Rates still vary by block and time of day based on observed occupancy patterns — the legacy of the original SFpark program. The rates shown in ParkMobile and HotSpot when you enter a zone number are the current rate for that zone, the same way they appeared in PayByPhone.
Meter hours, time limits by zone, Sunday operations, street sweeping enforcement, and the residential permit zone system all operate exactly as before.
For a full breakdown of how San Francisco’s parking system works — including the rate structure, residential permit zones, hill-parking rules, and citation amounts — see our existing San Francisco parking guide.
Who needs to act
- PayByPhone users who parked at SFMTA meters: Download ParkMobile or HotSpot before your next metered session. PayByPhone will not register with SFMTA enforcement after mid-May 2026.
- Drivers new to San Francisco: Skip PayByPhone for on-street meters. Start with ParkMobile or HotSpot.
- Drivers who park at non-SFMTA locations: PayByPhone may still work. Check the app’s zone lookup or the location’s signage.
- Event-goers downtown: Look at the SFMTA garage reservation system as an alternative to street parking.
Practical tips
- Download your app before driving. Setting up ParkMobile or HotSpot at a meter with 2 minutes until the meter starts is stressful. Do it from home.
- Set expiration reminders. Both apps support this. SF’s enforcement is consistent — an expired meter is a $87 citation.
- Check the meter sticker. If you’re unsure which platform a specific location accepts, the sticker has the zone number and the accepted apps.
- Know your break-even on ParkMobile Premium. At $0.35 per session, the annual subscription ($59.99) breaks even at around 172 sessions per year — about 14 per month. Frequent commuters cross this; occasional visitors don’t.
FAQ
Is PayByPhone still usable anywhere in San Francisco?
Yes, at non-SFMTA locations: Presidio Trust, UCSF, USF, San Francisco State, and some private garages. It no longer works at SFMTA on-street meters (the 27,000 standard city meters) as of mid-May 2026.
What is the convenience fee for ParkMobile and HotSpot at SFMTA meters?
$0.35 per session for both apps. The fee applies in addition to the parking rate and doesn’t vary by session length.
Can I use ParkMobile and HotSpot at the same SFMTA meter?
Yes. Both apps are accepted at all SFMTA on-street meters. SFMTA’s enforcement system queries both databases. You can use whichever you prefer.
Does SFMTA’s garage reservation system work with ParkMobile or HotSpot?
The garage reservation system is a separate SFMTA tool at sfmta.com, not a function within either parking app. On-street meter payments go through ParkMobile or HotSpot; garage reservations go through the SFMTA portal.
Do these new apps work in other California cities?
ParkMobile operates in many US cities. HotSpot has a significant presence in Canada but is expanding in the US. Check each app’s location lookup for coverage in other cities you visit.
