mParking service – Pay for your parking with SMS in Dubai
It’s time to bid farewell to cash payments and switch to mParking – the city’s automated SMS service to pay for parking tickets in Dubai. This Dubai parking SMS system follows a set format and is an easy way to ensure you don’t rack up any parking fines in the city!
What is mParking?
mParking is an e-service offered by the Roads And Transport Authority (RTA) where motorists can pay for paid parking in Dubai using an SMS message from their mobile phone. It is the most convenient way to pay for parking tickets in Dubai.
How to Pay Car Parking by SMS in Dubai
Paying for parking tickets in Dubai by SMS is a simple two-step process using mParking. But before we get into Dubai parking SMS format, please note that there are a few requirements to pay for Dubai parking via SMS:
- Make sure to register for the RTA parking SMS service in Dubai
- You must have a valid Dubai mobile number
- Your account must have a sufficient balance
- Your vehicle plate number must be valid
- You have some knowledge of Dubai Parking Zone Codes
Step One: Create a Message on Your Mobile
The first step to paying by the SMS system is to open a new message on your phone and enter the number 7275 (PARK) in the senders’ address. 7275 is the official Dubai parking SMS number that can be used to pay the parking fees via SMS.
Once that’s done, draft the SMS in the following format if you are a registered user. Getting this correct is important for paying for parking tickets in Dubai.
- <Plate No.><space><Zone No.><space><Duration>
So your SMS should look something like this: A00000 123A 2
Registered users can send the SMS in the format given below:
- < Nickname><space> <Zone No.><space><Duration>
Your message will look something like this Ali1 123A 2.
If your vehicle is not registered in Dubai, i.e. cars with Sharjah or Abu Dhabi number plates, follow the format below:
- Emirate/Country code followed by the plate code <> plate no. <> area no. <> duration in hours
The message for the Abu Dhabi registered car will look like this AUH13 12345 335A 1.
If you happen to be in Parking Zone A and want to put in a half-hour ticket, you can use the format of 1/2 (A12345 317C 1/2). Other formats that can be followed include .5, .50, 0.5, 0.50, 30, 30min, 30mins, 30minute and 30 minutes. Half an hour of parking in Dubai is only applicable in Zone A.
Step Two: Receive a Confirmation Message
After you’ve drafted your message, press the send button! You will then receive a confirmation SMS stating whether the transaction is successful. For the transaction to be successful, you must have sufficient talk-time/SMS balance on your phone.
The Dubai SMS parking service will deduct the parking fees based on the cost per hour of that particular parking zone. The RTA parking charges in Dubai depend on the area in which you want to park your car. In addition to the parking zone fee, an SMS charge of AED 0.30 will be applied to avail of the service for parking in Dubai. For more information on parking fees in Dubai, you can visit the official RTA parking service page.
Pro tip: Motorists who want to avoid the extra AED 0.30 charge can use the inbuilt payment system in RTA’s Smart Application.
Another great thing about Dubai RTA SMS parking is that it sends reminders 10 minutes before the ticket expires to renew the parking ticket. These reminders come with instructions on extending the parking ticket via SMS.
To extend the parking, users must reply with a ‘Y’. This will extend the Dubai parking ticket by the same duration that was placed before. To change the duration, users will have to send a new SMS.
FAQs About Parking in Dubai via SMS
How do I know which parking zone I am in?
You can identify the parking zone of an area by locating the orange Paid Parking boards placed across the walkways. These boards have the Dubai parking codes of the area listed on them. While most of the older areas in Dubai have the A, B, C and D parking zones, those living in rental apartments in JLT are more used to seeing unique parking codes like J, K and more.
What is the SMS format for parking if I a from another emirate?
The SMS format for cars registered outside the emirate should be as follows:
- Abu Dhabi plate: AUH13 12345 335A 1
- Sharjah plate: SHJ2 12345 335A 2
- Saudi plate: KSA 123ABC 335A 4
How can I pay for parking in Dubai through WhatsApp?
You can now pay for parking in Dubai via WhatsApp. Just follow these steps:
- Add the RTA’s chatbot Mahboub to your WhatsApp contact list. The number is +971-58-800-9090.
- Start a chat with Mahboub.
- Format for the message should be: “Plate No.” space “Zone No.” space “Duration“
- You will get a confirmation message from Mahboub.
How can I put parking for a motorcycle in Dubai by SMS?
The format for parking in Dubai for a motorcycle is the same as for cars but with a prefix of the letter B. Example: B AUH14 00000 335A 1.
What are the other ways of paying for parking in Dubai?
If you’re wondering how to pay parking in Dubai, it’s a fairly easy process thanks to the Road and Transport Authority, which offers various convenient options. Apart from Dubai paid parking sms, you can use:
- Coins (only for machines available in the parking lot)
- RTA Dubai app
- NOL card
- Seasonal parking cards
- Apple pay
- Samsung pay (Available for multi-storey car parks)
- Bank cards with RFID
- NFC on smartphones (Available for multi-storey car parks)
If you are visiting Dubai from Ras A Khaimah, here’s how to pay for parking in Dubai with a RAK plate. Alternatively, if you are driving to Sharjah, here is the guide to SMS parking in Sharjah.
Now that you know how to pay parking tickets by SMS in Dubai, it’s a great time to get familiar with the latest list of Dubai traffic fines. If you love visiting malls in Dubai, check out our guide on parking facilities in malls to be prepared beforehand!
That concludes this guide on paying for parking by SMS in Dubai. We hope this article was informative enough to help you understand the SMS parking steps and fees. If you have any other questions regarding mParking in Dubai, contact RTA at 800-9090.
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Thanks a lot for this info. It really helped
Hello Shweta! So happy to know you found this helpful.