A parking meter payment smartphone app called HotSpot Parking is being tested in downtown Charlottetown.

A user installs the app on their phone, enters their licence plate number and the meter number, and then pays for parking using their phone.

You're leaving downtown now with a parking ticket and you're probably not a happy camper. - Coun. Terry Bernard

Coun. Terry Bernard, chair of the public works committee, says he hopes this will make shopping downtown more enjoyable.

"You go downtown and you park in one of the meter spots. You go into the restaurant, you go in, do your shopping. Things are going really good, you're in a pretty good mood. You come out, you get a ticket on your car. How do you feel? So you're leaving downtown now with a parking ticket and you're probably not a happy camper, said Bernard.

"So if we can offer more conveniences and make it easier, then it should make the experience more pleasurable."

The service is free for municipalities and there's no extra fee for customers, says HotSpot Parking CEO Phillip Curley.

The company earns its money by selling businesses a device that allows them to top-up their customers' parking meter.

"There's these little devices in stores called iBeacons. They work with our app. So if you're parked with our app, then the iBeacons can pick you up, give you free parking, allow you to stay longer," said Curley.

About 800 downtown meters will be smartphone friendly by Oct. 15.

The city will assess the project after a 12-week trial period.

For mobile device users: Would you use a smartphone app to pay for metered parking?