Dashboard number or private car message in Canada?
A visible phone number is useful when you want someone beside your car to call without installing anything. Private messaging is useful when you do not want every passerby to receive your number. The choice depends on how easily you need to be reached and what you are willing to display.
For a shared household car, agree who will handle contact. A card with one person’s number is not helpful if that person cannot move the car.
What each route asks of you
The current Google Play app does not support plate contact for US, Canadian or Australian plates.
| Route | Before you park | When somebody needs you |
|---|---|---|
| Phone card | Display a working number | They can try a call; you decide whether to answer. |
| Covered number card | Remember to reveal the number | A closed cover prevents the intended caller from reading it too. |
| Contact QR | Install and activate the correct code | They scan it and follow that service’s contact steps. |
| Replyte | Private app messaging for supported plates | Google Play plate contact is unavailable for US, Canadian or Australian plates. |
A phone card cannot limit who copies the digits. A QR code does not automatically hide a number either: some destinations open a call or an external messenger. Read the destination before choosing a service.
Set up the right car and recipient
For a shared car, choose a number that reaches someone who can move it.
A Canadian plate address needs Canada, the issuing province or territory and the complete plate.
The current Google Play app does not support plate contact for US, Canadian or Australian plates.
For supported plates, Replyte keeps phone numbers out of the conversation and requires the sender to use the app.
A supported, claimed car can have a QR and printable PDF. Scanning leads to opening or installing Replyte, then continuing in the app. For a Canadian sticker with browser contact, compare the driver-contact services.
For supported plates, an unclaimed-plate message waits for a claim for up to 30 days, then expires. Use a working displayed contact route for a Canadian car.
Choose contact separately from your reporting duties
An optional phone card or message does not replace the details you must exchange after a collision. Use the applicable provincial or territorial process, and keep police, insurer and property reports separate from informal contact.
For everyday requests, put convenience first if a public number suits you. Choose private messaging if keeping the number out of view matters more. In either case, leave enough information for the person to understand which car and which entrance they mean.
Get Replyte from Google Play. The iOS app is not available yet.