Boston extends partnership with TicketZen after successful test run

Parking ticket stress? Boston has extended its partnership with local tech startup TicketZen for one year, following a successful three-month test run that netted over 5,000 users of the mobile-based parking ticket payment app.

Mayor Martin J. Walsh said Monday that users paid more than 7,000 tickets, producing a total of nearly $250,000 in revenue.

TicketZen, a smart phone app available for both Android and Apple devices, utilizes the smart phone camera to scan the barcode on a parking ticket and connect the user’s payment details with the city’s payment network.

City officials said that by prompting users to make timely payments, the app helps avoid late fees that are routinely added to the original fine after 21 days.

The project is a collaboration between the Boston Transportation Department, the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics, and Boston-based TicketZen, Inc. Walsh called it one of many steps being taken by the city to improve customer service delivery for Boston residents.

“The numbers show brisk demand for this service,” said Walsh. “Thanks to a common sense innovative solution, paying a parking ticket is a little bit easier to take care of. I’m thrilled that the city is able to partner with the homegrown talent at TicketZen to get this done.”

The city still accepts parking ticket payments by mail, phone and web, though the app is designed to improve the customer service experience.

More than half of the 5,000 users have used TicketZen more than once, said Ryan Neu, TicketZen Co-Founder.

“Boston has demonstrated a commitment to mobile innovation, benefiting the city and its citizens. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Boston to make paying for parking tickets a stress-less experience,” said Neu.

During the three-month pilot period, more than one quarter of tickets paid through the app were paid in three days or less.

A reference to TicketZen is featured at the bottom of every computer-generated parking ticket issued by the Boston Transportation Department to guide those with parking tickets through this new option for making payments.

The TicketZen service will be provided at no cost to Boston users beyond the standard credit card processing fee associated with the city’s payment portal.

Since the Boston launch of TicketZen, the product has been implemented in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington DC, Cambridge, Somerville, New York, State College, and Nottingham, United Kingdom.