3.6
ParkAppsHub score
ParkWhiz
ParkWhiz Inc (Flash / Arrive)
Marketplace · Free
Best for: Drivers who want to guarantee and prepay a parking spot in advance for events, airports, or busy downtown areas in the US and Canada
4.2
Google Play · 27K
4.8
App Store
1M+
Downloads
2
Countries
North America
AndroidiOSWeb
Top cities include Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Denver
About this app
ParkWhiz is one of North America's longest-running parking marketplaces, founded in Chicago in 2006 and now owned by Flash (formerly Arrive, which merged with FlashParking in 2021). Rather than metering street parking, it sells prepaid reservations at roughly 4,000 partner garages and lots spanning more than 50 US cities plus Toronto, with the deepest inventory in New York, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Washington DC. Drivers pick a destination and time window, compare all-in prices on a map, and receive a scannable mobile pass; at Flash-equipped facilities, license-plate recognition can open the gate without a scan. The marketplace's distinguishing strength is event parking: ParkWhiz is the official parking provider for dozens of Live Nation venues and feeds inventory to Ticketmaster and other distribution partners, so venue lots can be locked in weeks before a concert or game. Airport and monthly parking round out the catalog. The app itself is free — you pay the quoted parking rate, with taxes and fees folded into the displayed total, which frequently undercuts drive-up pricing by a wide margin. Its weak points are operational: oversold event lots, occasional pass-scanning failures, and refund disputes appear regularly in user reviews, so arrive early with your confirmation handy.
- Prepaid reservations at ~4,000 garages and lots in 50+ US cities plus Toronto
- Scannable mobile pass, with license-plate recognition entry at Flash-equipped garages
- Event parking tied to venue schedules; official partner for dozens of Live Nation venues
- All-in pricing with taxes and fees shown before checkout
- Airport parking with long-stay rates and shuttle-served lots
- Monthly parking contracts in cities like New York and Chicago
- Phone and SMS customer support line (call or text)
Pricing & fees
Free · pay per booking, taxes and fees included in the quoted price
- App is free to download; you pay only per booking, at the quoted price shown before purchase
- Quoted price includes taxes and facility fees, so no surprise charges at the gate
- Prices vary widely by city and garage, often $5-$40+ per day depending on location and event demand
- Advance booking near stadiums or airports can cost 30-60% less than drive-up rates on event days
- Cancellation and refund policies vary by garage; some bookings are non-refundable while others allow free cancellation up to a set time before arrival
Accepted payment methods
Credit/debit cardApple PayGoogle PayPayPal
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
- Guaranteed spot removes the stress of circling for parking near stadiums and airports
- Upfront all-in pricing with no surprise fees at the exit gate
- Simple booking flow with clear directions and QR/barcode entry
▼ Common complaints
- Refund and cancellation policies can be confusing or restrictive when plans change
- Occasional mismatches between listed and actual garage entrance or availability
- Customer support can be slow to resolve disputes over tickets or denied entry
Summarised from recent user reviews on Google Play, the App Store and consumer platforms. Themes, not verbatim quotes.
Pros & cons
What we like
- Booking ahead routinely beats drive-up rates, especially around stadiums and arenas
- Displayed price is the final price — taxes and fees are included
- Best-in-class event inventory via Live Nation and Ticketmaster distribution
- Covers airport and monthly parking as well as hourly bookings
- Real human support reachable by phone or text, not just a contact form
What could improve
- Recurring Trustpilot and PissedConsumer reports of oversold event lots — valid prepaid passes refused at full garages
- Refunds are inconsistent and several users describe support going silent after complaints
- Passes occasionally fail to scan at the gate, forcing drivers to pay again on the spot
- US-and-Toronto only, with no on-street parking payment at all
How to use ParkWhiz
- Install the app (or use parkwhiz.com) and create a free account.
- Enter your destination or venue plus arrival and departure times.
- Compare nearby facilities on the map by all-in price, walking distance, and amenities.
- Book and pay in the app; your mobile parking pass is saved under Bookings.
- At the facility, scan the QR pass at the gate or use plate-recognition entry where supported; keep the confirmation handy in case an attendant asks.
- For concerts and games, book as soon as tickets are announced — the cheapest lots sell out first.
Editor’s tips
- Book earlier for stadium and concert events — prices rise sharply as the event date approaches and cheap spots sell out first
- Check the exact entrance/gate instructions in your confirmation email, since garages can have multiple entrances and the wrong one can cost you extra time
- Look for 'Print at Home' vs mobile barcode entry requirements before you drive, some older garages still require a printed pass
- Compare the same garage on ParkWhiz and SpotHero, since pricing for identical facilities can differ between the two apps
Editor’s verdict
ParkWhiz is at its best when a specific building is the destination: a stadium, arena, airport, or downtown office. Booking a few days ahead routinely beats drive-up rates, the all-in price appears before checkout, and its Live Nation and Ticketmaster ties mean venue lots often surface right alongside event tickets. Since parent company Arrive merged with FlashParking, the app has also gained plate-recognition entry at Flash-equipped garages, which removes the QR-scan ritual entirely. The weaknesses show up at the curb: Trustpilot and PissedConsumer threads describe oversold event lots, passes that fail to scan, and slow or absent refunds when things go wrong — failure modes a prepaid marketplace cannot really afford. Coverage stops at the US and Toronto, and there is no on-street payment, so it complements rather than replaces municipal apps. For planned trips to big-city venues it is a genuine money-saver; for spontaneous everyday parking, SpotHero's larger inventory or a city app may serve better.
— The ParkAppsHub editorial team · 2026-08-06
How it compares
vs SpotHero
SpotHero and ParkWhiz are the two dominant US pre-booked parking marketplaces with heavily overlapping garage inventory; choice often comes down to which app shows a cheaper rate or better location for your specific garage.
vs ParkMobile
ParkMobile is built for pay-by-phone metered street parking you use on arrival, while ParkWhiz is for reserving a guaranteed spot in a garage or lot ahead of time — use ParkMobile for street meters, ParkWhiz for event or airport garages.
vs EasyPark
EasyPark focuses on European and international on-street and garage parking with real-time availability; ParkWhiz is US/Canada-only and specializes in advance reservations rather than pay-as-you-go metering.
Frequently asked questions
Is ParkWhiz free to use?
The app is free. You pay only the quoted parking rate for each booking, with taxes and fees already included in the displayed price. There is no subscription.
Where does ParkWhiz operate?
In the United States — roughly 4,000 facilities across more than 50 major cities, with the deepest coverage in New York, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Washington DC — plus Toronto in Canada. It does not operate outside North America.
Can I cancel a booking and get a refund?
Standard hourly bookings can generally be cancelled before the scheduled start time, but event parking is often final sale. Refund disputes are the most common complaint in user reviews, so read the pass terms before paying.
What happens if the lot is full or my pass won't scan?
Keep your confirmation visible and contact ParkWhiz support by phone or text at 888-472-7594. Users report mixed outcomes: some get quick refunds, others describe unresponsive follow-up, so document everything at the facility.
How is ParkWhiz different from SpotHero?
Both are North American prepaid parking marketplaces. ParkWhiz's edge is event parking — it is the official provider for dozens of Live Nation venues and supplies inventory to Ticketmaster — while SpotHero generally offers broader everyday garage inventory in many cities.
What happens if I get a parking ticket even though I booked through ParkWhiz?
ParkWhiz guarantees the spot you booked; if the facility can't honor it or issues you a ticket in error, contact ParkWhiz support with your confirmation and photos of the citation — they mediate with the operator and can refund or reimburse in many cases, though this isn't automatic.
Does ParkWhiz support EV charging spots?
Some listings, mainly at airport and downtown garages, are tagged with EV charging availability, but coverage is inconsistent and far smaller than dedicated EV-charging apps, so always check the listing details before relying on it.
Can businesses use ParkWhiz for employee or client parking?
ParkWhiz offers a business/fleet program (via Arrive) for bulk reservations and monthly parking management with centralized billing, aimed at companies needing recurring employee or event parking rather than one-off bookings.
About the developer
ParkWhiz Inc., founded in 2006 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, pioneered pre-booked parking reservations in the US. It merged with Arrive (formerly ParkWhiz's own rebrand attempt) and operates alongside Flash Parking within the broader Arrive/Flash mobility-payments ecosystem. ParkWhiz partners with garage and lot operators across major North American cities to let drivers reserve and prepay parking spots online, targeting events, airports, and daily commuters.
Additional information
Developer
ParkWhiz Inc (Flash / Arrive)
Founded
2006
Headquarters
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Ownership
Arrive (affiliated brand; historically ParkWhiz operated independently before aligning with Arrive/Flash)
Category
Marketplace
Price
Free
Coverage
Top cities include Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Denver
Downloads
1M+
Languages
English
Reviewed
2026-08-06
Where it works
Top cities include Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Denver — including Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Denver.
United States
Canada
Similar apps
More in North America →
SpotHero
ParkMobile
PayByPhone
BestParking
Independent review. ParkAppsHub is not affiliated with ParkWhiz Inc (Flash / Arrive). 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.