3.1
ParkAppsHub score
Flowbird Parking
Flowbird
Street parking payment · Free
Best for: Drivers in small and mid-size US cities whose meters and kiosks are run by Flowbird, who want to pay, extend, and get expiry alerts without walking back to the pay station
3.8
Google Play · 50K
4.2
App Store
1M+
Downloads
15
Countries
Global
AndroidiOSWeb
Hundreds of towns across 15 countries (Flowbird Group hardware runs in thousands of cities in ~80 countries)
About this app
Flowbird is the pay-by-phone companion to the world's most widely deployed parking meters. Built by the company formerly known as Parkeon (part of EasyPark Group, rebranded Arrive, since January 2025), the app lets drivers start, monitor, and extend metered street and surface-lot sessions in more than 400 cities across roughly 15 countries. In the United States that includes Baltimore, Minneapolis, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Denver, Las Vegas, Beverly Hills, Charleston, Tampa, and Oklahoma City; in Europe it operates in France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Poland, Greece, and the Baltics, with additional coverage in Canada and Australia. UK coverage is being wound down following the EasyPark acquisition. Sessions are tied to a license plate, GPS auto-detects the parking zone, and expiry notifications warn drivers before time runs out, with remote extension where local rules permit. The app itself is free; each city sets a small convenience fee per transaction, typically 20 to 35 cents in the US. Because Flowbird also manufactures the meters and pay stations, its app is often the officially sanctioned mobile option in the cities it serves — though it focuses on paying for parking rather than finding it, with no availability data or garage reservations.
- Pay for on-street and surface-lot parking at Flowbird-equipped meters without touching the machine
- Remote session extension from the app where city rules allow
- Expiry notifications before your paid time runs out
- License-plate-based sessions with multiple vehicles and saved payment cards
- GPS zone detection that finds your parking location automatically
- Web payment portal that mirrors the app for phone-averse users
- Email receipts and parking history for expensing
Pricing & fees
Free · city-set convenience fee per transaction (typically $0.20–$0.35 in the US)
- Free to download and register, with no subscription — you pay per parking session
- You pay the posted meter rate plus a city-set convenience fee, typically $0.20–$0.35 per transaction in US cities; some operators absorb the fee so app payment costs the same as the meter
- In zones with real-time tariffs you pay only for the actual time parked, and remote extensions are charged at the same meter rate
- Off-street garage reservations are available in select cities, priced per facility
- Expiry reminders (push notifications) and emailed receipts are free — no SMS surcharge
Accepted payment methods
VisaMastercardDebit cardsApple PayGoogle PayPayPal (select markets)
Ratings & scores
Editorial score set by the ParkAppsHub team using our five-criteria grid — see how we rate. Store ratings shown for reference.
What users say
▲ Most praised
- Genuinely convenient to start and extend sessions remotely instead of returning to the meter, especially once the initial setup is done
- Expiry notifications reliably warn users before time runs out, helping them avoid fines
- Emailed receipts and session history are appreciated for expense tracking, and the find-my-car feature gets positive mentions
- Useful fallback when the physical kiosk is broken or has a queue — no cash or card needed at the curb
▼ Common complaints
- GPS and zone detection frequently fail — the app can't find nearby parking locations even when users are standing next to Flowbird meters
- Glitches and instability: long load times, 'something went wrong' errors, timeouts during checkout, and sessions charged (sometimes twice via Google Wallet) without actually starting
- Payment management is clumsy — cards and Apple Pay can only be added or edited mid-transaction, and saved payment methods often fail to authorize
- Customer support is described as friendly but unable to actually resolve technical problems, and cities disappearing from the app (e.g., Baltimore) leave users stranded
Summarised from recent user reviews on Google Play, the App Store and consumer platforms. Themes, not verbatim quotes.
Pros & cons
What we like
- Often the officially sanctioned app in cities where Flowbird runs the meters, so zones and tariffs match the hardware exactly
- Convenience fees are modest and transparent — around $0.20–$0.35 per transaction in most US cities
- Extend time remotely instead of walking back to the meter
- Broad footprint for a meter-maker's app: 400+ cities across roughly 15 countries in North America, Europe, and Australia
- Web portal available as a fallback if you don't want to install anything
What could improve
- Recurring payment failures at the curb — many Play reviews cite persistent "can't connect to your bank" errors forcing users back to the pay station
- Multiple reports of duplicate charges, including Worcester (UK) drivers overcharged by hundreds of pounds
- Users report parking tickets issued despite active paid sessions, and slow, unhelpful customer support
- Clumsy defaults: app can pre-select max time or charge the wrong saved vehicle, and repeatedly logs users out
How to use Flowbird Parking
- Install the Flowbird app and create an account with your email or phone number
- Add your license plate and a payment card in the wallet section
- At the curb, let GPS detect your zone or type the zone code shown on the meter or signage
- Choose your parking duration and confirm — the city's convenience fee is shown before you pay
- Track the countdown in the app and extend remotely if local rules allow it
- Find receipts in your parking history or by email for reimbursement
Editor’s tips
- Always match the zone/space number printed on the meter or sign against what the app shows before confirming — a mismatched zone or plate is the most common cause of tickets, and Flowbird's FAQ puts fine appeals on you, not them
- GPS location detection is the app's weakest point: if 'no parking locations found' appears, search manually by the zone number on the meter instead of relying on the map
- The app only lets you add or update a payment card during an actual parking transaction, so budget extra time for your first session — or link Google Pay / Apple Pay to skip card entry at the curb entirely
- Screenshot your session confirmation (plate, zone, times) before walking away; if you're ticketed despite paying, that evidence goes to the parking operator's appeal process, and Flowbird support cannot cancel citations
- Cities can drop off the app without much notice (Baltimore was removed; all of France moved to EasyPark in 2026) — if your city vanishes from the list, check the municipal parking page for the replacement app and print past receipts from my.flowbirdapp.com
Editor’s verdict
Flowbird's app makes the most sense in cities where Flowbird already runs the meters — a surprisingly long list, from Baltimore and Minneapolis to Paris. As the hardware operator's official channel, it is frequently the sanctioned pay-by-phone option, and the fundamentals are sound: plate-based sessions, GPS zone detection, expiry alerts, remote extension, and modest city-set fees of roughly 20 to 35 cents. The problem is execution. At 3.8 stars on Google Play it trails EasyPark and ParkMobile, and the recurring complaints are serious ones: "can't connect to your bank" failures at the curb, duplicate charges (Worcester, UK drivers reported hundreds of pounds in overcharges), tickets issued despite paid sessions, and logins that keep resetting. The EasyPark Group acquisition has already triggered a UK phase-out, leaving the app's long-term footprint uncertain. It is a reasonable primary app in Flowbird-equipped US and European cities — but keep a card handy for the pay station.
— The ParkAppsHub editorial team · 2026-08-06
How it compares
vs ParkMobile
ParkMobile covers far more of the US (hundreds of cities plus event and airport parking), so it's the better default for drivers who roam; choose Flowbird only when your town's meters and zones are Flowbird-run, since that's where enforcement is wired to its system.
vs PayByPhone
PayByPhone dominates large international cities across the UK, France, Canada, and major US metros with a slicker, more reliable app. Flowbird wins only on home turf — the small and mid-size cities that contracted Flowbird for both kiosks and mobile payment.
vs EasyPark
They now share the same owner (EasyPark Group/Arrive), and European Flowbird users are being actively migrated — France switched to EasyPark in 2026. In Europe, start with EasyPark; the Flowbird app remains relevant mainly for its US partner cities.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Flowbird app free to use?
The app is free to download, but each city adds a small convenience fee per parking transaction on top of the posted tariff — for example $0.20 in Beverly Hills and New York deployments and $0.35 in Mount Prospect, Illinois.
Where does the Flowbird app work?
In over 400 cities across roughly 15 countries, including the US (Baltimore, Minneapolis, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Denver, Las Vegas, Beverly Hills, Tampa and more), France, Italy, Spain, the Nordics, Poland, Greece, the Baltics, Canada, and Australia. The in-app map shows eligible zones.
Is Flowbird the same as ParkNYC or MPLS Parking?
Flowbird builds and powers those white-label city apps, but they are separate installs. In cities with a dedicated Flowbird-powered app, the generic Flowbird app may not cover the same zones, so check local signage.
Can I extend my parking session from my phone?
Yes, where the city allows it. Time-extension rules vary by location, and some cities cap sessions at the posted maximum stay, in which case you must wait for expiry and start a new session.
Is Flowbird still available in the UK?
Flowbird has announced the app is being phased out in the UK following the January 2025 EasyPark Group acquisition. UK drivers should check local signage for the replacement payment method, often RingGo or another Arrive-owned app.
I paid in the app but still got a parking ticket — will Flowbird cancel or pay the fine?
No. Flowbird's own FAQ states it is not responsible for parking or penalty charge notices. You must appeal directly to the city or parking operator, supplying your session evidence (license plate, zone code, start/end times). Keep your in-app receipts — sessions are verified digitally by plate, so a typo in your plate or zone number usually voids your defense.
What does the EasyPark takeover mean for my Flowbird account?
EasyPark Group completed its acquisition of Flowbird in January 2025. In Europe the Flowbird app is being retired market by market — French users were moved to EasyPark by spring 2026. The US Flowbird Parking app continues to operate and receive updates, but expect gradual consolidation; your payment history remains accessible via my.flowbirdapp.com.
Does the app work without a data connection?
No. Starting, extending, or checking a session requires an internet connection, and users in dead zones report being unable to pay. Enforcement is cloud-based license-plate lookup, so there is no offline ticket to display — if the app won't connect, use the physical Flowbird kiosk as a fallback and keep the paper receipt.
How do I delete my account and personal data?
There is no self-service deletion in the app — Flowbird's FAQ says you must contact customer support (support@flowbirdapp.com) to close the account. Stored card data is held under PCI-DSS-certified processes, and you can print or export your transaction history from the my.flowbirdapp.com web portal before requesting deletion.
About the developer
Flowbird was created in 2018 by merging France's Parkeon (a Schlumberger spin-off with roots to 2001) and Sweden's Cale, two of the world's largest parking-meter makers. Headquartered in Paris with a major factory in Besançon, the roughly 1,300-employee company supplies pay stations, transport ticketing, and fare-collection systems to thousands of cities in about 80 countries, and powers white-label apps like New York's ParkNYC and Philadelphia's meterUP. In January 2025, EasyPark Group (now branded Arrive) completed its acquisition of Flowbird, and European users are progressively being moved onto the EasyPark app.
Additional information
Developer
Flowbird
Founded
2018 (Flowbird brand, from the Parkeon–Cale merger; Parkeon dates to 2001)
Headquarters
Paris, France
Ownership
EasyPark Group (now operating as Arrive), acquisition completed January 2025
Category
Street parking payment
Price
Free
Coverage
Hundreds of towns across 15 countries (Flowbird Group hardware runs in thousands of cities in ~80 countries)
Downloads
1M+
Languages
English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Dutch
Reviewed
2026-08-06
Where it works
Hundreds of towns across 15 countries (Flowbird Group hardware runs in thousands of cities in ~80 countries) — including Las Vegas, NV, Savannah, GA, Flagstaff, AZ, New London, CT, West Chester, PA, Lyon, France (migrated to EasyPark in 2026), Stockholm region towns (Cale heritage market), Warsaw, Poland.
United States
Canada
France
Italy
Spain
Belgium
Sweden
Norway
Finland
Estonia
Lithuania
Poland
Greece
Australia
United Kingdom
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Independent review. ParkAppsHub is not affiliated with Flowbird. App name, logo and screenshots belong to their owners and are shown for identification and review purposes. Coverage, prices and features change — verify current conditions with the publisher. Last reviewed 2026-08-06.