Parking

Pay and display machines

In a first for New Zealand, customers of both major telecommunications companies can now pay for their parking by text message. Yes, both Vodafone and Telecom are on board!

You will be able to pay for parking by any of the following payment methods:

mobile phone (Vodafone, Telecom)
credit card (Visa, Mastercard and AMEX)
coin payment

Not only has parking technology moved on significantly in the six years since single-head parking meters were replaced with pay and display machines, but customer feedback is told us there is a demand for alternative payment options as people carry less and less cash, particularly coins.

In response to this, we trialled latest payment technology in the Princes Street pay and display parking area, with 12 Ezipark Global pay and display meters in operation from March 2005. The trial sought customer feedback and operational performance data about the new parking payment technology. The trial was successful, with over 12 per cent of parking fees paid by either text or credit card during the 6-month trial. The functionality of the equipment and associated software also exceeded expectations.

The replacement of the pay and display meters are part of Auckland City's asset renewal programme. The existing meters would normally be replaced as part of this programme, so it was a perfect opportunity to update the technology and service offering at the same time.

How does it work?

Pay and display customers in the CBD will have the choice of paying for their parking by coin, credit card or text.

Both new payment options incur a 50 cent service fee per transaction.

TXT-a-Park payment is available to both Vodafone and Telecom customers a first in New Zealand. The parking fee is charged to your mobile phone account or debited from your Prepay balance.

Press the TXT-a-Park button on the pay and display meter, and it will give you a cost and code for the parking options available.
Txt the code number for your choice of parking time to 7275.
When your txt goes through, the meter will beep, tell you it's all go and ask you to press the OK button (or, if you've changed your mind, press cancel).
The meter will then print your parking receipt, and you'll receive a confirmation txt on your mobile.
Display the parking receipt on your dashboard.

Visa, Mastercard and American Express are all accepted. The parking fee is processed via a GPRS real-time system and charged to the customer's credit card.

Press the TIME SELECT button on the pay and display meter, and insert your Visa, Mastercard or American Express into the credit card slot.
Select from the parking options available by following the on-screen instructions.
Press the OK button once the meter beeps.
The meter will then print your parking receipt for you to display on your dashboard.

Credit card payments are made via secure web-based software. No credit card details are retained in the meter, and the online real-time programme means only valid credit cards can be accepted.

What happens if the pay and display meter doesn't work when I want to use it?

The new meters still accept coins, so try this first or walk to another meter to purchase and display a parking receipt. To notify Auckland City about a faulty meter, please contact us. You will need to quote the meter number, which is located in the top-left information panel on the front of the meter.

Why do I pay an additional 50c transaction fee on TXT-a-Park and credit card payments?

For TXT-a-Park payments, the 50 cent transaction fee is retained by Vodafone and Synergy International, the TXT-a-Park service providers, for processing and providing TXT-a-Park transactions. There is no additional charge for the text messages sent by either Vodafone or the customer.

For credit card payments, the 50 cent transaction fee covers the cost of the online data transfer and the payment software provided by CHS and Direct Payment Solutions (DPS). Auckland City is charged its usual merchant fee by Visa, Mastercard and American Express.

Auckland City continues to collect the parking charges only, and does not retain any of the 50 cent transaction fee.

Why do I have to pay for parking?

Paying for parking is a reality in any big city and means everyone has a chance to park and enjoy Auckland. Can you imagine the impact on Auckland's CBD if people could park where they liked for as long as they wanted?

Auckland City is committed to managing parking turnover, and by using technology, we can find better ways of doing things and make it easier for our customers to pay.

New pay and display technology: fast fact

Auckland City is working with Cash Handling Systems Ltd (CHS) to install 308 CHS-Global meters for the CBD. CHS are currently the only supplier of text message and credit card pay and display technology with the partnerships and systems in place within New Zealand.
Auckland City currently operates 730 pay and display meters around the city. The cost to replace all these meters is approximately $8 million over a two to three year period. The cost for this is being funded via Auckland City's existing asset replacement budget.
The new pay and display meters use real-time credit card transactions via a secure web-based programme. No credit card details are retained in the meter and the online real-time programme means only valid credit cards will be accepted.
The words 'tax invoice' do not appear on TXT-a-Park receipts, however mobile phone customers can use either their phone account or Prepay voucher to claim GST on parking purchases. Parking receipts for credit card and coin payment can be used to claim GST.