PayByPhone Reviews 

1,056
TrustScore 1 out of 5

1.2

While we don't verify specific claims because reviewers' opinions are their own, we may label reviews as "Verified" when we can confirm a business interaction took place. Read more

To protect platform integrity, every review on our platform—verified or not—is screened by our 24/7 automated software. This technology is designed to identify and remove content that breaches our guidelines, including reviews that are not based on a genuine experience. We recognise we may not catch everything, and you can flag anything you think we may have missed. Read more

Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Looking at 145 reviews, most reviewers were let down by their experience overall. Many customers state that the mobile application constantly crashes, fails to process payments properly, and ultimately results in unexpected parking fines. Reviewers also express great frustration regarding the parking fees and additional service charges, considering them excessively expensive. However, some people mentioned that trying to contact customer support is extremely difficult because the automated chat service provides no real assistance. Users additionally pointed out that the official website suffers from frustrating technical glitches and numerous navigation hurdles when attempting to complete transactions. Consumers feel that these ongoing technical problems make managing parking sessions unnecessarily complicated and stressful.

What people talk about most

Payment

Reviewers highlight negative aspects of payment, noting that the process is frequently disrupted by technical... See more

Application

Users describe negative interactions with app, frequently citing crashes, freezing on startup screens, and... See more

Price

People report negative experiences with price, consistently highlighting excessive charges and unexpected... See more

Website

Reviewers mention negative feedback about website performance, describing the platform as clunky, slow, and... See more

User experience

Customers consistently express deep frustration and negative experiences regarding the user experience.... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

St Peters retail park Mansfield. App not working, no Wi-Fi signal so what’s the point in having it. Several attempts at machine kept cancelling payment then after 4th try said out of order. Tried ri... See more

Company replied

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

ABSOLUTELY ABYSMAL IS THIS DAMN APP. It is slow it is useless it wants passwords even though I only use the useless thing for two areas - it is truly awful, by the time I sit trying to get the damn th... See more

Company replied

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Check out the reviews for the Android paybyphone app on Google play store. Hundreds of reports since August 2025 of people getting fines from parking companies because of an app that doesn't pr... See more

Company replied

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

1-star is too high but sadly no way to give zero stars. Utterly useless application, website and support "bot" that just goes round in circles telling you the same thing. All because I just want to do... See more


Company details

  1. Payment Service
  2. Valet Parking Service

Written by the company

Welcome to PayByPhone, the innovative leader in cashless parking solutions. With our user-friendly app, website, and telephone service, we're revolutionising the way you park. What We Offer: PayByPhone is all about simplifying your parking experience. Our services allow you to pay for parking with just a few taps on your smartphone or a quick call. Whether you're in a rush for a meeting or enjoying a day out, we've got your parking needs covered. We've designed our platform with you in mind. Easy navigation, quick payment processing, and a seamless interface make parking less of a hassle and more of a breeze. Our Commitment: We're dedicated to providing a reliable and convenient service. Our focus is to ensure your parking experience is as stress-free as possible. Please Note: While we're here to assist with your cashless parking needs, there are a few things we don't handle: - We don't own parking machines or car parks. - We don't set parking prices. - We don't deal with parking enforcement. Use the Real PayByPhone: For safe parking, download our app or visit www.paybyphone.co.uk. Be careful with fake sites – we can't help with problems from them. Thank you for choosing PayByPhone. We're excited to make your parking experience better!


Contact info

1.2

Bad

TrustScore 1 out of 5

1K reviews

5-star
4-star
3-star
2-star
1-star

No recent history of asking for reviews

This company hasn't invited customers recently, so reviews may not be representative

At Trustpilot, it's all about human content. This business can also access our AI-assisted response tool which helps them draft replies.

How this company uses Trustpilot

See how their reviews and ratings are sourced, scored, and moderated.

1.2

All reviews

(1,056)

171 reviews in the last 12 months

Write a review
Companies on Trustpilot aren't allowed to offer incentives or pay to hide reviews. Reviews are the opinions of individual users and not of Trustpilot. Read more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

you get fined because this stupid app shows you session countdown even if they cannot execute the payment

I paid the for the parking and saw the session countdown on the app. Cool.. came back two hours later and saw a parking ticket on the window.. surely this can't be right, checked my parking history, surprise surprise, there is no parking history !

June 14, 2025
Unprompted review
PayByPhone logo

Reply from PayByPhone

This sounds completely incorrect, Vedat. Feel free to respond to our private request if we can investigate this case.
UPDATE. We have sent a further email to you reference your query.
PayByPhone Team

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Scammers

In my experience this is a scam site. Do not use it.
I used app to book parking in Shrewsbury ticking box for small van and paid £0.49. When I parked up and used car park site. to pay parking was not possible as vans not allowed.
Scammers

May 31, 2025
Unprompted review
PayByPhone logo

Reply from PayByPhone

Please always refer to signs as the prime source for parking rules.
PayByPhone Team

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

the wrong reg was paid

the wrong reg was paid , so i added a new vehicle , (my fault ) so i paid again , the problem is trying to call these people for a reimbursement they have a virtual system called parker lol is useless !! this firm must have millions of peoples cash it's a scam , anyone who owns a multi million business should at least have a customer service or even and address to write too please reply to me via mail im still having problems with your virtual parker system it won't except the amount in refunds please add to customer care direct mails thanks

June 7, 2025
Unprompted review
PayByPhone logo

Reply from PayByPhone

Please ask our bot to pass you to staff (or similar phrasing), agree when offered, fill out your details for confirmation of an email chain, Mark. Customer Support is available 24 hours a day and happy to answer any email query. If for some reason, you don't wish to do this, please provide your details here and we will initiate contact. Monies are passed to the parking operators whose locations you use. PayByPhone Team

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Would give zero if possible

Would give zero if possible. Came to visit a relative in Central London and had to pay to park using the app.

I’m now £50 lighter as the app chose the wrong registration even though I definitely chose the right one and now I can’t change it. I’ve tried everything to change it to the right one but it sent me around the houses and then basically told me to fk off and pay again.

There’s no help line and no chance of a phone number. The chat bot let me request an email after 45 minutes of my life was wasted but that email will probably tell me to fk off too.

I’ll be complaining to the regulatory body and strongly encourage others to do the same if you’ve had a similar experience.

June 7, 2025
Unprompted review
PayByPhone logo

Reply from PayByPhone

We are sorry to read your review. Please respond to our private request if you wish for us to open any further correspondence.
PayByPhone Team

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Absolutely useless

Absolutely useless. App is crap, website is crap. Make it work or go bust
Terrible Terrible Terrible

June 7, 2025
Unprompted review
PayByPhone logo

Reply from PayByPhone

We are sorry to see your comments, Simon. Feel free to provide your details via our private request, in the event you wish to take the time to expand on your experiences via email.
PayByPhone Team

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Do not trust the MOT reminder!!!!

Parking app okay, but I received an email at the beginning of June from them telling me that my MOT was due the following month (end of July) and giving me a link to 'Book now' while also saying that I'd need to pay a deposit to secure the booking. Problem is my MOT is not due until February next year!!!

June 4, 2025
Unprompted review
PayByPhone logo

Reply from PayByPhone

We are sorry to read of the MOT date error, Chris. Your feedback has been passed to the relevant team. If you wish for us to check on this and haven't already been in correspondence with us, please send your details via private request here.
PayByPhone Team

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Perfect concept

Perfect concept. Poor approach...

Saturday morning. Parking location 809055. Didn't see the charging fee as i parked right next to the meter and stayed in the car. Opened app. Added location. Requested fee...00.20 for 4 hours. Paid and left.

Came back and out of curiosity checked the fees on the meter. Fees apply from Monday to Friday .... that is excluding weekends and Bank holidays.

So i booked something which was free and paid for PayByPhone's fee. Please send my congratulations to whoever thought of this business model.

May 31, 2025
Unprompted review
PayByPhone logo

Reply from PayByPhone

Hello Nikitas, Rates are set up as agreed between parking operator (council authority in this case) and PayByPhone. Please always check signs, price, parking end time and other details on a parking session before confirming the transaction. We would imagine you paid for an SMS confirmation on this occasion. You can review these settings within your account > Account Settings > Parking Notifications.
PayByPhone Team

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Bank oked transaction. PBP bounced it.

Not for first time. Went through payment process (3 times). Each time asked for verification (why)? Said bank declined but contacted bank and they said they had accepted it and it was PBP who bounced it! Tried phone number on noticeboard ... didn't work. No card option.

May 26, 2025
Unprompted review
PayByPhone logo

Reply from PayByPhone

We are sorry to see you have experienced payment problems, Richard. Requests for authentication are dictated by the bank. If you would like us to see what we can find out our side, please email via our chat bot or respond to our private request here.
Update: Thanks for providing your details. We have sent you an email. Please look out for this contact.
PayByPhone Team

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Appallingly poor

Appallingly poor. Tried twice to register on the web. On both occasions an “error occurred” after contacting my bank. My bank then assumed this was fraud. Finally got setup and paid after downloading the app but the payment was declined by my bank (because of the previous transactions requesting a £0 payment. Why on earth is it so hard to pay £6! Now I have to pay a £50 parking fine. Worse than useless and the worst parking app I’ve come across!

May 24, 2025
Unprompted review
PayByPhone logo

Reply from PayByPhone

We are sorry to read you experienced problems registering via the web and received a fine, Paul. Continuing as a guest, so as not to need to sign in, is also an option for parking payments.
PayByPhone Team

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Dreadful

Only one star because I can't give zero. This is a monopoly app - if you want to park in certain areas you have no choice but to use it. As a result those making decisions about what app to use should look elsewhere. I have absolutely nothing positive to say about this app - and to list all the problems would take far too long. Southwark Council - change your supplier PLEASE!

May 21, 2025
Unprompted review
PayByPhone logo

Reply from PayByPhone

We are sorry to read you have clearly experienced some problems, Paul. Feel free to respond to our private request in the event you wish for support and are not already engaged with us on these topics.
Update: Thanks for providing details. We have sent you an email. Please look out for this contact.
PayByPhone Team

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

I parked at Bigbury-on-Sea

I parked at Bigbury-on-Sea, presumably via guest mode, paid £8.90 for a 4hr ticket (which I can see on bank statement) and received no email or text confirmation of my ticket. I just received a fine despite having a ticket (which I cannot now prove) - no number to ring, despite needing this information quickly. Chat bot only gives an email address

- actually the email responses were very quick, updated rating

May 10, 2025
Unprompted review
PayByPhone logo

Reply from PayByPhone

We are sorry to read you received a fine, Chris, and hope the response helped with your appeal. Our phone numbers are on signs and all lead to staff but it's best to contact us via email through our bot and responses are typically very quick.
PayByPhone Team

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Don’t use PayByPhone to book your MOT…

Don’t use PayByPhone to book your MOT and service, yes it is a bit cheaper but what a mess! The garage didn’t receive the money on time so they didn’t want to do it. I’ve waited 8 hours!! Never again this garage - really rude man and never again Paybyphone for this.

May 21, 2025
Unprompted review
PayByPhone logo

Reply from PayByPhone

We are very sorry to learn you had a poor experience with your MOT booking and the garage itself. Please respond to our private request in the event you have not already been in touch to report details to us and wish to do so.
Update: Thanks for providing your email address. Please look out for an email from us.
PayByPhone Team

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Worst customer service ever

Worst customer service ever. How did these clowns get the contract with Denver Airport for parking??? I HATE their stupid chatbot. No way to speak to an actual human being of course, and their email spits back the usual generic response. Bleh.

May 19, 2025
Unprompted review
PayByPhone logo

Reply from PayByPhone

Please ask the bot to pass you to staff (or similar) until offered. Agree, fill in your details, you will see confirmation of being in an email chain, Jason. Our Support Team is on hand 24 hours a day, emailing/speaking to humans. You are welcome to respond to our private request here, if wanting us to initiate contact.
Update: We can see you have been in touch with us already and have received an email response from a person.
PayByPhone Team

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

AVOID

Had exactly the same issue as the last reviewer while trying to support a vulnerable person to an appointment in Hounslow. I couldn't complete payment as their system is utterly useless, it wouldn't allow to go via back button payments then said declined but discovered later I was charged a £1 with my bank, I eventually paid £3.70 for the parking while being late for my wards appt. On returning to my car I got charged with a PCN as it took so long to access their payment system. Since then I have had multiple fraudulent activity on my account where £60 keeps trying to be withdrawn from my account. It's worst than useless its appalling and sites like these should be shut down. AVOID!!!

*UPDATE 20 May 25 - I appreciate you getting back to me. I have no way of sharing my photo of the parking sign that I took. I welcome your response as to whether you agree it has been tampered with. This would be super helpful to other users but also yourselves to improve services. Your website offers no email address to forward a picture just a simple chat bot.

Given the reviews on here are consistently low I will leave it to other reviewers opinion as to whether I was hoodwinked with a tampered paybyphone sign or not.

May 12, 2025
Unprompted review
PayByPhone logo

Reply from PayByPhone

We are sorry to learn of the difficulty, Mrs M. Your review tells us this is not PayByPhone you were accessing. Unfortunately, you have found a site you thought was PayByPhone instead (some scammers are good mimicks). We hope your bank has helped ensure your card is secure and the issuing authority was sympathetic to your appeal. We are very sorry to see you have been scammed. We work every day to bring scam sites down. This is not a review of PayByPhone.
UPDATE: One can ask our bot to be passed to staff and this creates an email. You can then add any photo/attachment. Our responses to emails are quick. Please feel free to respond to our private request here, if you would prefer we initiate contact on this occasion.
PayByPhone Team

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Don’t use they rip you off charging…

Don’t use they rip you off charging more that stated . Took £20 out of my bank what should of been £4

May 1, 2025
Unprompted review
PayByPhone logo

Reply from PayByPhone

Hi Sarah, The price is confirmed on the final screen before clicking to purchase. If there was a discrepancy between value on sign and our charge for a certain period, let us know and we'll check with the parking operator with a view to reimbursing the balance. Please email via our bot or respond to our private request if we can initiate contact this end.
PayByPhone Team

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

15 min parking chrgd for 2 hrs

Parked to collect a prescription so used the text service which I’ve previously used so all set up. Chose to park for 15 minutes - the minimum - confirmation come back with 2 hours £6.74. That is not what I typed. Spent 2 hours attempting to get somewhere with their rubbish chat bot but can’t get referred to customer service. Upset & stressed - will need more pills at this rate. Another faceless company with absolutely no way of contacting them if there is an issue. Your bot apologising to me with a crying face does not help me. What a surprise when I see your ratings. I tried every which way for the bot to refer and no it just says sorry. So disappointed & unimpressed at this dismal attempt to be of service to anyone but yourselves. I have my texts but can’t send them anywhere to prove it.

May 7, 2025
Unprompted review
PayByPhone logo

Reply from PayByPhone

We are sorry to see you have a charge query and struggled with our bot, Breda. Ask to be connected to staff, or similar phrasing, a few times and you will be offered - we are unable to make anything else happen. Sorry for any glitch. Please reply to our private request and we will happily initiate an email on this occasion.
PayByPhone Team

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Unnecessary verifications…

Usually great but wanting verification all the time for £1 payment? Then fails? Total pain.
Never have change so now cantpayfor parking and have to go elsewhere. Waste of time

May 6, 2025
Unprompted review
PayByPhone logo

Reply from PayByPhone

We are sorry to learn authentication is always required for you, Kay. Hopefully, your bank can find out why it is constantly making this request and why payments are failing. If you want our help on the payment failure front, we'll be happy to check our logs, if you respond to our private request here.
PayByPhone Team

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Why can I only pay by the hour

Why can I only pay by the hour? Should be able to do it by minutes. Rip off. Greedy.

May 6, 2025
Unprompted review
PayByPhone logo

Reply from PayByPhone

Hi Nancy, this is up to the parking operator (local council authority or private car park owner). This is not a review of PayByPhone. We do not decide on tariffs and do not deserve your one star review.
PayByPhone Team

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Scammers

Like many other users here I parked and tried to download the app. This lead me to a page that I though was the correct one as it looked like the app toke £1.00 of my bank. A few days later tried to take £59.99 bank stopped it and a few days after tried to take £24.95 that the bank also stopped it.
Apparently it tricks you to get into some subscriptions.

Bank stopped it and I have put a block on the company name but still.

Paybyphone is your responsibility to also protect your customers. You know there are scammers out there ensure you tell people on what us going on and don't just say "sorry", where is your duty of care ???

April 26, 2025
Unprompted review
PayByPhone logo

Reply from PayByPhone

Please visit the following Netcraft article and scroll down to 'Forcing a change in tactics', Mara: https://www.netcraft.com/blog/irl-quishing-scams-target-travelers/
This highlights some of the work PayByPhone does as one of the more proactive of all the companies scammers are giving a bad name to. We work every day to bring scam sites down. We are very sorry to see you have been scammed and pleased to see your bank has taken action. However, this is not the fault of PayByPhone and we deserve in no way to be labelled scammers by anyone.
PayByPhone Team

The Trustpilot Experience

Anyone can write a Trustpilot review. People who write reviews have ownership to edit or delete them at any time, and they’ll be displayed as long as an account is active.

We use dedicated people and clever technology to safeguard our platform. Find out how we combat fake reviews.

Learn about Trustpilot’s review process.

Here are 8 tips for writing great reviews.

Verification can help ensure real people are writing the reviews you read on Trustpilot.

Offering incentives for reviews or asking for them selectively can bias the TrustScore, which goes against our guidelines.

Take a closer look