Please note: NFC (Near Field Communication) is only available to PayByPhone users in the San Francisco and Ottawa areas at this time
What is NFC?
In iOS 11, Apple introduced NFC scanning for the iPhone XS and above. NFC scanning is used to scan for and read NFC tags in order to pick up URLs.
Any Android device that allows scanning is usable with the app. There are no NFC related icons displayed within the app.
PayByPhone uses NFC tags to store location specific URLs and allow our app to autofill the location code and skip directly to the duration screen.
Users in San Francisco or Ottawa with iOS 11 installed on an iPhone XS or above will see an NFC icon on the Choose Location page.
How it Works:
Where NFC is available, the NFC icon will be displayed beside the search box.
Android users, simply hover your phone over the decal and the location code will populate.
When tapped the NFC dialog is displayed to prompt you to scan an NFC tag.
You must manually initiate the scanning of NFC tags. Once the tag has been tapped and where the tag contains a recognised PayByPhone URL, the location key is picked up.
The successful NFC scan and lookup then takes the user to the duration page without the need to type in the location number.
NFC scanning must be done within 60 seconds else the NFC system dialog will self-dismiss.
NFC not working? It could be because one of the reasons below:
- The NFC decal may not be configured with a scannable PayByPhone URL
- Your iPhone operating system version is older than iOS11
- Your iPhone model is not a XS or higher
- The parking meter has been decommissioned (San Francisco customers only)
In most cases, you can simply enter the location code to initiate your parking session if NFC scanning isn't available at your location.
If you wish to report an issue with PayByPhone and NFC, please contact our support team by submitting a request from our Help Center. You can also dial 311 to speak to an agent in Ottawa and in San Francisco.