Drivers in Seattle won't have to search for coins to feed the meter any longer. The city has contracted with PayByPhone to introduce a pay-by-phone payment service across to some 13,000 on-street paid parking spaces throughout Seattle.

PayByPhone, based in Vancouver, provides secure mobile payments for parking in cities around the world, including Miami, San Francisco and London.

With the PayByPhone services, drivers can use their cell phones to pay for parking either through the PayByPhone app or by calling a toll free number. Each parking spot has a unique identifier that a driver enters along with the parking time desired. The parking fee is then charged to a linked credit card. (A video from the company showing how its service works is below.)

Drivers can even choose to be notified by text message when their parking time is expiring, and receive a receipt for their purchase. "PayByPhone is delighted to be chosen by Seattle as its preferred mobile payment provider," said Graham Bird, president of PayByPhone. "We're excited to bring the convenience of PayByPhone parking to the city."

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