Google Assistant Adds Parking Payment by Voice Feature

Google Assistant users can now pay for parking through Google Pay by voice. The new feature connects the voice assistant and payment feature to parking space network ParkMobile, which runs street parking in more than 400 U.S. cities.

Parking AI

ParkMobile’s map assigns each parking zone a number. Once a driver finds an open spot near their destination and parks, they can tell Google Assitant to pay for parking on their smartphone. The voice assistant will check what zone they are in and how much it will cost, then complete the transaction with a connected Google Pay account. Google Assistant will also tell the driver how much time is left for your spot, and extend it if necessary.

“Google Assistant and Google Pay can now help you pay for parking, check your parking status, and extend your parking using just your voice,” Google explained in a blog post. “Just say, “Hey Google, pay for parking” once you’ve parked, and follow Assistant prompts to pay from your phone. No more coins, no more confusion.”

Google isn’t the first to use a car voice assistant to pay for parking. SoundHound and Cerence both work with ParkMobile rival Parkopedia to include parking space search and payment on their respective automotive voice AI platforms. The parking payments option complements the voice command for buying fuel Google Assistant added in September to an initial 32,500 U.S. gas stations. Google Maps added charging stations to its list of landmarks at the same time, along with real-time updates on if there’s a free charger. And while the parking payment can be done outside of the car, it does fit with Google’s consistent upgrades and additions to its automotive voice AI. The new look to Android’s Driving Mode and adding smart replies and voice-enabled music searches to Android Auto may end when you stop driving, but the parking payment by voice means drivers are still tied to Google in their car even on foot.

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