- Google announced two new Google Maps features that should improve navigation experiences for drivers and public transit users.
- Google Maps will let drivers pay for parking directly from the app, with the feature rolling out now in more than 400 cities across the US.
- The app will also support in-app payments for public transportation, as long as the transit agency supports Google Maps payments.
Whether you’re a driver or you use other means of transportation to get around town, Google Maps is one of the apps you should have installed on your handset because it can handle any type of navigation. Google has released several features over the years to improve the navigation experience, allowing users to combine all sorts of transit methods to get to their destinations faster. Google also introduced all sorts of new features that allow users to perform more actions inside the app related to their navigation experience, reducing the need to switch back and forth between multiple apps.
The newest Google Maps features fall into that same category. Google Maps is about to integrate a couple of neat features that should make navigating your surroundings even easier than before. Google will soon let you pay for parking and public transit right inside Google Maps, which could come in handy — especially during the pandemic.
Google has partnered with parking payment services Passport and ParkMobile to allow drivers who use Google Maps to pay for parking directly inside the app. This contactless payment method will eliminate the need to interact with physical parking meters, the kind of common surfaces that many people touch.
To take advantage of the features, users will have to tap on the new “Pay for Parking” option that will appear on the screen as a driver gets closer to a destination. They’ll be prompted to enter the meter number, the amount of time, and tap “Pay.” The app will also let people extend their parking sessions if needed.
The second in-app payment feature that Google integrated into the app concerns Google Maps navigation experiences that don’t involve driving. Google Maps will now let users pay for public transportation directly inside the app. Google Maps will explain how to pay in advance for an upcoming trip and get the fare ready before you arrive at the station. The information will appear when looking for transit directions, including an option to pay with your phone. As expected, Google Pay will process the payments, so you’ll have to have Google Pay set up on your device.
The parking payment feature will be available in more than 400 cities in the US, and it will only work on Android devices. Google says the new feature will be added to the iOS version of Goolge Maps soon. Transit payments will expand to 80 agencies globally in the coming weeks, but this new feature will be limited to Android for the time being.
