Pilot project brings carrier billing to the parking lot
The carrier biller Boku and PassportParking, a provider of integrated cloud-based parking solutions, are running a pilot project to let drivers pay for parking via SMS.
Boku said the partnership marks the first time carrier billing has been used to pay for parking in the U.S. and will bring carrier billing to "real world" payments.
Drivers using Boku's text-to-pay option will input the parking zone and spot number into their mobile phones and send an SMS to a phone number displayed at the lot. The payment is authenticated on the phone, Boku said, and the charge appears on the user's mobile statement.
The trial begins Nov. 1 in Chicago; Denver; Charlotte, N.C.; Ocala and Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; and Hudson, Wisc.
Boku said the project represents a major expansion of its carrier billing technology during a year in which the company also expanded into smart TVs and gaming consoles.
Learn more about direct carrier billing.