4 parking apps to help you get the best spot in Philly

Parking in Philly isn’t for the faint of heart. The stakes are high between figuring out the best garage rates, looking for street parking, and avoiding parking tickets — or worse, a courtesy tow.

To save you the stress, the Inquirer compiled four apps to help you figure out your parking situation. Some locate street parking for you, letting you pay and add extra time from your phone. Others, save you a spot at a garage or ensure the lot isn’t overbooked when you arrive.

All options are available in the App Store and Google Play. The download is free, but you still need to sign up with an email address, a license plate number, the state the car was registered in, and a payment method for parking.

MeterUP is the Philadelphia Parking Authority’s official parking app. Instead of inserting coins in meters or paying at kiosks, this app allows you to handle street parking from your phone for a $0.40 convenience fee.

When parking, look for the zone number on the meterUp sign closest to you. Every block and street side has its code that determines the cost and time parking limit.

Your parking limit depends on the zone. Some have a two-hour maximum, and others have four.

When parked in an area that becomes free during your parking time, the meter will stop charging any time after that hour.

If you need to stay longer, as soon as the time is up, extend the parking session on the app. But beware, every extension increases the hourly rate.

Parking in a zone with a four-hour parking limit for $1.50 per hour costs $6. However, if you need extra hours, the new rate would be $3 per hour. Extending a third time will triple the original hourly rate to $4.50 per hour, meaning you could pay $36 for twelve hours of street parking.

You can increase the time limit twice, but no more than that unless you leave the spot for at least 30 minutes.

Expanding your time is necessary to avoid getting a parking ticket. However, according to the PPA website, “mistakes can happen.” If you get a ticket while using meterUP, file an online dispute form.

Parking also isn’t free even if the app is having technical difficulties. You will still need to pay at the closest kiosk or meter to avoid a parking ticket.

This app compares prices and parking amenities in city-wide garages. Use the filters to find the closest lot or the cheapest option and make hourly or monthly reservations.

Most garages associated with ParkWhiz let you in with the app’s mobile pass, but there are exceptions. To avoid needing a printed pass, book through the app. If you need to cancel, do so before the starting hour for a full refund.

You can also add more time, as long as an existing reservation doesn’t need the spot.

Despite paying in app, there might be extra fees to pay onsite if you park before or after your reservation time — or if your vehicle is classified as oversized (anything larger than a sedan), and you didn’t prepay for that category.

Another hourly and monthly option, SpotAngels, has both parking lots and street parking in its system.

Folks can filter options into five categories: free, time-limited, with meter, garage, and garages with deals. Parking permits can also be entered for more specific searches.

For street parking, their system is not synced with the PPA, so there is a chance of getting a parking ticket. While SpotAngels claims no liability for your ticket, they encourage people to contact their customer support to help them improve the service.

Despite the name, SpotHero doesn’t make reservations for any specific spot inside a garage. Instead, they work with their partners on monitoring availability to avoid overbooking.

If the garage happens to be full upon arrival, call their year-round customer service at 844-324-7768 from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. They will direct you to a nearby garage at no cost, but you can also ask for credit or a refund.

For cars taller than 65 inches or longer than 181, make sure to book an oversized spot. Failing to do so can result in paying additional fees on-site.

Other options exist, such as ParkMobile and Best Parking, but the former already operates MeterUp, and ParkWhiz powers the latter.