Parking in Clearwater is going digital - from downtown to the beach.

Right now, it can be a nightmare trying to find a parking spot along Clearwater Beach, but change is coming just in time for the even busier summer season.

The City of Clearwater is introducing a mobile app to allow visitors to pay for parking with their cell phone.

The program, called Parkmobile, lets users pay for parking, add additional time and get alerts when their parking time is about to run out. Similar programs are in use in Tampa and St. Petersburg.

Meter readers will check license plates on special wireless devices to tell if a visitor's parking time has expired yet.

"Technology is changing all the time," said Charles Eric Wilson, the Clearwater Parking Systems Manager. "And we listened to our constituents and our visitors at the beaches as much as we possibly can."

The app is free but there is a 35 cent fee for every transaction.

But old-school visitors not up to date with technology can still park and pay the old-fashioned way. Parking meters that are coin-operated will remain on site downtown and along the beaches.

The Clearwater City Council approved use of the parking app earlier this month.

City officials said they hope to officially launch Parkmobile in Clearwater in June or July.