Industry News

22/11/2011 - Parking at a meter used to mean scrounging through a purse, wallet or car compartment to find spare change, but some cities are now implementing parking meters that work through debit and credit card processing.

The City of Boston recently unveiled a new parking program that provides prepaid, reloadable cards, known as Boston Meter Cards, to be used at the city's 7,000 parking meters that previously only accepted quarters. The meters will now act as self-service point-of-sale terminals, allowing drivers to simply swipe their cards once when they park and again when they leave. This system means that drivers will only be charged for the exact time spent in the specific spot.

"We want to make it as convenient as possible for Boston residents and visitors to patronize our neighborhood business districts," Mayor Thomas Menino said in a statement. "The Boston Meter Card will be a great tool for consumers, and I’m thrilled to be able to launch it in time for the holiday season."

Parking meters involved in the Boston Meter Card program are located in some of the most popular shopping, business and entertainment hubs in the city, meaning this new parking program could potentially help boost sales at Boston businesses during the holidays and beyond.

The meter cards, which are free to activate, can be prepaid using credit cards on the city's website. Kiosks will be located in busy shopping areas to allow motorists get the cards and ask questions. The cards can only be used at single-space parking meters and not at multi-space pay stations or at meters that already accept credit cards.

Boston isn't the only metropolis trying to make parking and, ultimately, collecting parking payments, more convenient. In Dallas, Texas, meters throughout the city now accept credit cards and cash keys. The cash keys, which work like rechargeable debit cards, and plastic payments are welcome services in the city.

There has been some confusion in Dallas, however, because approximately 100 new solar-powered parking meters have been installed as part of a pilot program, but these devices do not accept the cash keys that other city meters do. Donzell Jepson, the official currently in charge of Dallas' parking services, told the news source that most drivers have expressed their preference for credit card payments, while only approximately 100 meter cash keys are in use.

Some city residents told the publication that cash keys are still helpful for some people who may not have a credit card or who don't feel comfortable pulling one out on a city street. Currently, there are 4,238 parking meters installed in Dallas, including the 100 solar-powered models.