Parking-app convenience fees in 312 U.S. cities (median $0.35 per session)

Park Graph released a comprehensive dataset on convenience fees across municipal parking applications in the United States, compiled and verified through November 5, 2026. The benchmark documents transactions across 314 rows covering 312 localities in 43 states and Washington, D.C., establishing that drivers pay a national median fee of $0.35 per parking session above metered rates, according to parkgraph.com's report.

This report analyzes how third-party software operators charge per-session convenience surcharges, breaking down fee distributions across 312 jurisdictions and multiple vendor platforms. It provides engineers, municipal planners, and drivers with concrete baseline figures on transaction overhead, pricing variance across regions, and published platform fees from vendors such as ParkMobile, Passport, Flowbird, IPS Group, and PayByPhone.

01National fee distribution across municipal deployments

The benchmark shows that 108 locations assess a standard convenience fee of $0.35 per session, making it the most common rate nationwide. An additional 56 places charge $0.45 per session, while 30 municipalities set their surcharge at $0.30 per session. Anchorage, Alaska charges the highest flat fee among all surveyed cities at $0.70 per session through ParkMobile, while Nevada City, California reaches $0.75 per session.

A small fraction of jurisdictions eliminate app transaction fees entirely for drivers. Exactly 15 places across the country charge drivers no application fee, including Miami, Florida via PayByPhone and Burbank, Union City, and Mountain Village in California via ParkMobile. Across the entire 314-row dataset, 13 entries maintain unlisted rates where fees are not publicly posted on municipal portals or help centers.

02Platform operator medians and network reach

ParkMobile operates the largest footprint in the dataset, accounting for 289 jurisdictions with published fees that range between $0 and $0.75 per session and yield an overall median fee of $0.35. Passport operates five documented municipal deployments with fees spanning $0.10 to $0.40 and a median of $0.35. Flowbird manages three deployments ranging from $0.20 to $0.35 with an identical median of $0.35 per session.

IPS Group manages two municipal locations with fees between $0.35 and $0.45, producing a higher median surcharge of $0.40 per transaction. PayByPhone covers two listed locations, including Miami, Florida, both operating with a published fee of $0. The table below details the surveyed application vendors, deployment counts, median transaction surcharges, and fee ranges from the source dataset.

03Regional variations from California to Florida

California jurisdictions demonstrate wide pricing variance despite sharing identical platform infrastructure. Surcharges span from $0 in Burbank and Union City to $0.20 in South San Francisco, $0.30 in Oakland, Santa Ana, San Anselmo, and Emeryville, $0.35 in San Francisco, Berkeley, Capitola, and Sacramento, $0.39 in Fresno, $0.40 in San Diego, $0.50 in Suisun City, and $0.75 in Nevada City. In San Diego, Park Smarter charges $0.35 per session while ParkMobile charges $0.40.

Florida exhibits a heavy concentration of deployments with fees that cluster between $0.25 and $0.45. Drivers pay $0.25 in Pensacola, Ocala, and Wakulla County, $0.30 in Boca Raton and Sarasota, and $0.35 in Tampa, Clearwater, Madeira Beach, Hollywood, Lake Worth Beach, Stuart, and West Palm Beach. Surcharges rise to $0.40 in Palm Beach and $0.45 in Orlando, Jacksonville, Lakeland, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, and Fort Myers, peaking at $0.60 in Hallandale Beach.

04East Coast metro rates and transit corridors

Across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast corridors, convenience surcharges consistently lean higher than the national median. Drivers in Washington, D.C. pay $0.45 per session, while Delaware beach communities charge $0.50 in Bethany Beach, Lewes, and Rehoboth Beach alongside a $0.45 rate in Wilmington. Connecticut ranges from $0.30 in Middletown to $0.35 in Stamford, Stratford, and Rowayton, $0.40 in Danbury, $0.43 in New Haven, and $0.45 in Greenwich.

Maryland municipalities show uniform fee structures between $0.35 and $0.50. Baltimore and Charlestown log fees of $0.35, while Montgomery County logs both a $0.35 fee via Passport and a $0.45 fee via ParkMobile.

Brunswick, Cumberland, Emmitsburg, and Hyattsville charge $0.45, while Frederick and Ocean City assess $0.50 per session. In Massachusetts, Holyoke records a $0.13 fee, Boston logs $0.15 on ParkBoston, Northampton charges $0.20, and Somerville reaches $0.50.

05Unpublished rates and dual provider municipal configurations

Several major metropolitan regions operate without publishing standard fee schedules on digital portals. In California, Los Angeles maintains an unlisted fee structure on ladot.lacity.gov, while Denver, Colorado leaves PayByPhone rates unpublished on denvergov.org. Similar lack of fee disclosure appears in Tucson, Arizona for GoTucson Parking, Davenport, Iowa, and Lawrence, Massachusetts.

Certain jurisdictions deploy multiple application vendors concurrently or split enforcement zones across separate contracts. San Diego supports both Park Smarter at $0.35 and ParkMobile at $0.40, while Montgomery County, Maryland maintains Passport at $0.35 alongside ParkMobile at $0.45. Illinois suburban zones around Chicago present fees spanning $0.25 in Glencoe, $0.35 in Chicago and Mokena, $0.37 across eight Metra-adjacent towns, and $0.55 in Aurora and Elburn.