3.1
ParkAppsHub score
PayStay
Orikan
Street parking payment · Free
Best for: Drivers in Australia and New Zealand who regularly pay for on-street council parking and want SMS or app reminders before time expires
4
Google Play · 10.6K
4.7
App Store
500K+
Downloads
2
Countries
Asia-Pacific
AndroidiOS
100+ councils across Australia and New Zealand
About this app
PayStay is the mobile parking payment platform run by Australian parking-technology company Orikan, and it has been the default way to feed Melbourne's meters from a phone since 2014. Drivers enter the eight-digit zone number printed on green PayStay signage, pick a vehicle and start a session; tapping stop ends billing, so short stays cost less than a meter's fixed increments. Where Melbourne's in-ground sensors supply data, the app also shows real-time bay availability nearby. Coverage centres on Victoria — City of Melbourne, Yarra, Port Phillip and Greater Shepparton — with pockets in New South Wales such as North Sydney and Byron Bay, the ANU campus in Canberra, and a Brisbane rollout that began in March 2026; a small New Zealand footprint exists as well. With more than two million registered users, PayStay funds itself through operator-dependent service fees, optional 34-cent SMS reminders and a prepaid account balance topped up from a linked card. A guest mode lets occasional visitors pay for a single session without creating an account. It is a deep, city-specific tool rather than a national roaming app.
- Start/stop sessions charged to the actual minute, up to the signed maximum
- Real-time bay availability where in-ground sensor data exists (central Melbourne)
- Eight-digit zone entry matching green PayStay street signage
- PayStay Guest mode — pay a session without creating an account
- Prepaid account balance with automatic top-up from a linked card
- Free push-notification expiry reminders (optional SMS reminder at A$0.34)
- Multiple vehicle registrations per account plus a phone fallback line (1300 322 111)
Pricing & fees
Free · parking at council rates; service fees vary by operator, SMS reminders A$0.34
- App is free to download; parking itself is billed at the local council's standard on-street rate with no markup on the meter price
- A per-transaction service fee applies and varies by council/operator, typically a small flat fee around A$0.30-A$0.55 per session
- Optional SMS expiry reminders cost A$0.34 per message
- No subscription or membership fee required to use the app
Accepted payment methods
Credit card (Visa/Mastercard)Debit cardApple PayGoogle PayStored PayStay account balance
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
- Saves the hassle of finding coins or walking back to the meter to top up
- Remote session extension is convenient for unpredictable schedules
- Simple, no-frills interface that's quick to set up
▼ Common complaints
- Per-transaction service fees feel like an unnecessary add-on when meters already accept card payments directly
- SMS reminder cost per message adds up for daily commuters
- Occasional GPS or zone-detection glitches select the wrong parking area or council
Summarised from recent user reviews on Google Play, the App Store and consumer platforms. Themes, not verbatim quotes.
Pros & cons
What we like
- Pay-per-minute billing means stopping early genuinely costs less than a meter
- Sensor-fed real-time bay availability is rare among parking apps
- Guest mode covers one-off visitors with no sign-up
- Strong iOS reputation: 4.7 stars from roughly 60K App Store ratings
- Deep integration as the official City of Melbourne meter app
What could improve
- Prepaid wallet requires a A$5 minimum top-up, and users report refunds and account closure being difficult (1.2/5 on ProductReview.com.au)
- Multiple reports of fines issued despite active paid sessions and of unexplained account debits
- Extra charges add up: A$0.34 per SMS reminder, variable operator service fees, and a A$10 dormant-account deactivation fee
- Coverage is essentially greater Melbourne plus scattered councils — nearly useless across the rest of Australia
How to use PayStay
- Download PayStay, register with your vehicle registration and a credit card (or use PayStay Guest for a one-off session).
- Park in a PayStay area and find the eight-digit zone number on the green PayStay sign.
- Enter the zone number, select your vehicle, and check the calculated maximum fee (tap the info icon to see any operator service fee).
- Tap Start to begin the session; a free push notification warns you before time expires.
- Tap Stop when you drive off — you are charged only for the minutes used, deducted from your prepaid balance.
- Review the charge in your transaction history and keep the receipt in case of a disputed fine.
Editor’s tips
- Turn off SMS reminders and rely on free in-app push notifications instead to avoid the A$0.34 per-message fee
- Save your vehicle plate and default payment method once so future sessions start in two taps
- Extend a session remotely from the app before time runs out rather than walking back to the meter
- Confirm which council zone you're parked in first, since service fees and rate structures differ operator to operator even within the same city
Editor’s verdict
PayStay does one job in one metropolitan area exceptionally well. In central Melbourne it behaves like the meter network's native remote control: sessions are billed to the actual minute, the maximum charge appears before committing, and sensor-fed availability data — something even bigger rivals rarely offer — can point drivers to an open bay. A 4.7-star iOS rating suggests the core loop is dependable for most. But the model shows its age. The prepaid wallet with its five-dollar minimum feels like 2014, SMS reminders cost 34 cents, dormant accounts attract a ten-dollar deactivation fee, and a 1.2-star ProductReview record documents unexplained debits, fines issued despite active sessions, and slow support. Coverage is the other ceiling: outside Melbourne, Shepparton, Byron Bay, North Sydney and the new Brisbane rollout, the app is dead weight. Locals who park in inner Melbourne weekly should keep it installed; interstate travellers and anyone allergic to wallet top-ups will be happier with a roaming alternative.
— The ParkAppsHub editorial team · 2026-08-06
How it compares
vs EasyPark
EasyPark has a broader multi-country footprint across Europe and North America, while PayStay is purpose-built for Australian and New Zealand council parking systems.
vs PayByPhone
PayByPhone covers more global cities and adds transit/EV options in some markets; PayStay stays focused on straightforward council street parking with lower complexity.
vs Flowbird / Cale meters
If your council still relies on physical Cale/Flowbird meters without an app option, PayStay is often the only mobile alternative available for that zone.
Frequently asked questions
Where does PayStay actually work?
Mainly Victoria: City of Melbourne (where it is the official meter app), Yarra, Port Phillip and Greater Shepparton. It also covers North Sydney and Byron Bay in NSW, the ANU campus in Canberra, and Brisbane City Council spaces since March 2026, with a small New Zealand presence.
Does PayStay charge extra on top of the parking fee?
Sometimes. Service fees vary by parking operator (ANU, for example, adds 8.25%), and the exact total is shown before you start a session. SMS reminders cost A$0.34 each, though push-notification reminders are free.
Can I pay without creating an account?
Yes. PayStay Guest lets occasional visitors pay for a single parking session without registering, though the regular app requires an account with a prepaid balance (A$5 minimum top-up).
What happens if I leave earlier than planned?
Tap Stop when you drive off and PayStay bills only the minutes you actually parked, up to the signed maximum — unlike a coin meter, unused time is never charged.
I paid with PayStay but still got a fine. What now?
Dispute the fine with the issuing council and attach the session receipt from your PayStay transaction history. User reports show councils have rescinded fines when the app record confirmed payment, so keep that history intact.
What happens if I get a parking fine while using PayStay?
PayStay only manages payment for the session; if a session lapses or the vehicle is outside the paid zone, the council's own enforcement and fine process applies as it would for any other payment method, and disputes are handled directly with the issuing council, not through the app.
Can PayStay be used for business or fleet accounts?
PayStay primarily targets individual consumer accounts tied to a single vehicle and payment method; larger fleet or business parking management is typically handled through Orikan's separate commercial/enterprise products rather than the consumer app.
What data does PayStay collect and how is it used?
The app collects vehicle registration, location for session/zone detection, and payment details to process transactions; as with most council-linked parking apps, location and payment data are used for billing and session verification and are subject to Orikan's stated privacy policy.
About the developer
PayStay is operated by Orikan Group (formerly Cale Australia/Duncan Solutions), a parking and transportation technology company headquartered in Sydney with a long history supplying meters, permits, and enforcement systems to Australian and New Zealand councils. Orikan positions PayStay as the consumer-facing mobile payment layer on top of its municipal parking infrastructure, letting drivers pay, extend, and get reminders for on-street parking without needing coins or a physical meter interaction.
Additional information
Developer
Orikan
Founded
2001
Headquarters
Sydney, Australia
Ownership
Orikan Group
Category
Street parking payment
Price
Free
Coverage
100+ councils across Australia and New Zealand
Downloads
500K+
Languages
English
Reviewed
2026-08-06
Where it works
100+ councils across Australia and New Zealand — including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Auckland, Wellington.
Australia
New Zealand
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Independent review. ParkAppsHub is not affiliated with Orikan. 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.