Just the very thought of parking conjures up memories of extreme duress for many. Anything at all to help ease the pain parking hassles can instill on its victims is welcomed, and additional payment options just might fall squarely into that category. And whether the experience is associated with a high-capacity sporting event or concert or an over-crowded metro downtown area where you have your next appointment, it basically has always come down to survival of the fittest, while scrambling for loose change to jam into some meter. And although this is the pinnacle of discomfort for many drivers, it’s no piece of cake for those companies who provide parking services either.
“The way it’s always been done” left drivers searching for payment meters or terminals which are often nowhere near their vehicles. And then there’s the coins. In a society going cashless, not many prefer to carry cash to spend on parking, especially a pocketful of heavy change that would only cover a quick shopping trip. Time is wasted looking for the right place to pay, tracking your location number so you don’t inadvertently pay for someone else’s parking while guaranteeing yourself a ticket, searching for the correct currency, waiting in line for someone trying to figure out the payment terminal instructions…it can result in frustrated customers who decide to take it out on parking vendors by simply deciding not to pay.
This – of course – results in issues for the parking company who now must pay employees to chase down these lawbreakers and assist honest customers who just can’t quite figure out how to pay for their parking. Parking hassles and payment issues are like oil and water. And the advent of mobile payments is changing all of it.
Mobile payment technologies and parking companies savvy enough to employ them are changing the way drivers pay to park. Offering convenience and efficiency, the advent of digital wallets and smartphone apps is changing the way people pay to park. And it not only benefits the drivers.
Integrated payment and business management systems allow parking lot owners and garage operators to closely monitor capacities in their lots. The can see how full they are, which spots are taken and how long specific vehicles have been there. This keeps everything moving and efficient – the way garage operators like it.
Parking is one of those businesses that was relatively late to adopt cutting-edge payments technology but was a natural for it from Day One. As the adaptation of mobile payments and digital wallets continues to increase, the days of paying by cash for parking your car will soon disappear. And that is a good thing whether you’re the guy collecting the parking fee or the girl behind the wheel.