City Launches First Mobile Payment Option

The City of Richmond is launching PassportParking®, a mobile parking application that allows motorists to pay for their parking through their smartphones. It is the first mobile payment option offered by the city.

With signs pointing toward a steady increase in tourism growth in the Richmond region, the city is again upgrading its parking operations to keep up with the demand of tourists and its residents in high-traffic downtown areas.

“The PassportParking® app will offer our residents and guests flexibility and convenience here in our city,” said Mayor Levar Stoney. “This technology aligns with our transportation initiatives and will allow people the freedom spend more time enjoying Richmond’s great restaurants, shops and businesses and less time worrying about the meter.”

Users can download the app then set up an account and get a four-digit pin number. Signs indicating parking zones have been placed throughout parking areas. Motorists enter the zone, their car and the length of time they are parking and the payment method. Once the system confirms the transaction, the parking session begins.

To watch a brief tutorial, visit: https://youtu.be/YiYuVK44424

The app is available for more than 1,500 on-street parking spaces primarily in the downtown area. The city has 567 single-space meters and 191 pay stations. Traditional payment methods are still available for those who choose to use them, but the PassportParking app is a convenient alternative. It enables parkers to monitor and extend parking sessions remotely, sends alerts and notifications about parking sessions, provides payment history and e-mails receipts at the end of each parking session.

The app is powered by the global leader of mobile payments for parking and transit, Passport, It is free to download through the App Store or Google Play. Users also can manage their parking at ppprk.com. In the Commonwealth, the app is also accessible in Virginia Beach, Lynchburg, the College of William & Mary and at Northern Virginia Community College.

For more information on city services, visit Richmondgov.com. To request service, visit RVA311.com.