If you used Apple Pay, Google Pay, or another digital wallet to pay for parking and you're not sure whether it worked, this article explains what to look for and what to do.
Why this happens
Digital wallet payments like Apple Pay have two separate steps that customers often confuse:
- Your device authenticates the payment (you feel the haptic vibration or see the checkmark on your phone). This confirms your identity and payment method — but does not yet charge your card.
- You press the orange "Start Rental" button on the AirGarage payment screen. This is the step that actually starts your session and charges your card.
If you felt the Apple Pay vibration and then closed the app or walked away, your payment was likely not completed. The haptic feedback from Apple/Google Pay means your device authenticated the transaction — it does not mean the rental was successfully started.
How to confirm your payment went through
After a successful payment, you should receive all of the following:
- A text message from AirGarage with a link to your active rental
- An email receipt from AirGarage (if you provided an email address for a monthly or daily transaction)
- Your active rental screen shows a running timer and a red "End Rental" button
If you did not receive a text or an email or see the active rental screen, your rental was most likely not started.
You can also check directly: visit pay.airgarage.com/rentals and log in with the phone number you used. If you have an active rental, it will appear here. If no rental is showing, your session did not start.
What to do if you're still at the parking facility
- Visit pay.airgarage.com/rentals to check if your rental is active.
- If it is not active, scan the QR code at the facility again (or text "Pay" to the number on the sign) and complete the payment process from the start.
- Make sure you press the orange "Start Rental" or "Start Parking" button at the end of the checkout flow.
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Wait for the confirmation text message before leaving your vehicle.
What to do if you already left and received a violation
If you left the lot believing you had paid but later received a violation notice, please contact our support team.
- Submit a request from the AirGarage Help Center home page.
- Include: your license plate number, the phone number you used, the date and approximate time you parked, and any screenshots of your Apple/Google Pay confirmation or wallet transaction history.
Note: Apple/Google Pay transactions that were authenticated but not completed may still appear in your wallet's transaction history even though no money was transferred. A screenshot of your wallet history is still helpful — our team can cross-reference it with our system records.
Preventing this in the future
- Always wait for the AirGarage confirmation text message before walking away from your vehicle.
- If no text message arrives within 30 seconds, check your active rental at pay.airgarage.com/rentals before leaving.
- If you're in a low-signal area (like an underground garage), connect to WiFi (if available) or walk out of the garage before attempting payment.