Lyft's app now lets you reserve and pay for a parking spot

Lyft now lets driver’s search, reserve and pay for a parking spot on its app, The San Francisco Chronicle has reported. It has partnered with parking company SpotHero to offer the service, promising “guaranteed parking, quick-find locations and transparent pricing.” 

The company will offer the service in “select locations,” including San Francisco, but Lyft didn’t list any other regions — but SpotHero is available in 300 US and Canadian cities in 47 states/provinces. All Lyft says in its FAQ is that you need to “tap the steering wheel icon in your app to see if parking is available near you.”

To use the feature, you’ll need to add your vehicle license plate and other details. If you tap the parking icon, it shows the locations of various spots on a map, including the closest one. From there you just hit the “Reserve Now” button, and you’ll see the final price before you tap “Reserve and Pay.” It then shows the details, including your car license plate, facility info and more.

It’s an odd tie-up, as using Lyft means you don’t need to worry about parking. Still, a lot of people have Lyft on their phones, so it’s more convenient than downloading yet another app. At the same time, it’s likely a big boost to SpotHero and a new source of revenue for Lyft.