New York City evaluates credit card payments in multi-space pay and display meters

During a six month pilot project in Manhattan's theater district, 200 Parkeon mains and solar powered machines - known locally as ‘Muni-Meters’ - will accept major credit cards, in addition to the U.S. coin and NYC Pre-Paid Parking Card payment options currently available. The NYCDOT will gather data from the meters throughout the study period to determine motorists' preferred payment method and to gauge the program's success.

"Parking is one of the biggest challenges in a large, congested city with limited space, and the DOT continues to look for new ways to make parking easier for drivers," said Transportation Commissioner Iris Weinshall. "Under Mayor Bloomberg's leadership, the City is embracing new technologies to improve the quality of life for all New Yorkers."

Each Muni-Meter in the study area has been upgraded with the installation of a wireless data network modem and software that connects the meters to Parkeon’s EPSUM® Payment Server that processes and authorizes credit card payments in real-time. They have also been outfitted with instructional decals and fliers are being distributed to educate the public about the new payment alternative.

New York City’s most recent order for 260 Parkeon pay and display parking meters increased the total number of multi-space terminals on its streets to over 2,000. With approximately 110,000 spaces, the City is the largest operator of on street parking facilities in the U.S. It also pioneered the use of pay and display in the Country, having first installed such machines over 12 years ago.

“Thanks to our extensive manufacturing capacity, we are pleased to fulfil orders of this scale rapidly, enabling our customers to implement new and extended schemes in a short time-frame”, says Michael Kavur, Parkeon’s US Vice President and Business Manager.

In the past 18 months, a number of other major U.S. cities have installed pay and display machines with credit card payment facilities and have seen parking revenues increase by up to 40%, on a like-for-like basis. In some cases, up to 60% of all transactions are being completed with credit cards, as drivers find them particularly convenient and are, therefore, inclined to pay for the maximum
parking period permitted. Card transactions reduce the volumes of cash that have to be collected by the operators, making them a more secure and cost-effective means of payment.

New York City is evaluating credit card payments in 200 Parkeon multi-space, pay-and-display parking meters (known locally as 'Muni-Meters') in Manhattan's theater district.

About Parkeon

In 30 years as part of Schlumberger, we built a world-leading company, offering Pay & Display systems for on-street parking, access control systems for off-street car parks/parking lots and ticket sales equipment for transport.

Parkeon is recognized for its expertise in new technologies and industrial process.

Parkeon proposes central-monitoring of its terminals, as well as value-added services relating to the management of technical and financial data.

Parkeon has a strong reputation for manufacturing quality and the highly efficient auditing processes implemented as part of the ISO 9001 certification awarded in 1994.

All products and options are integrated in a fully computerised production system with a yearly output of over 15,000 Pay & Display machines, and 500 ticketing vending machines.

After systems are manufactured, they are tested with their final configuration.

Parkeon has full control over key components, such as main electronic boards, printers, coin selectors and readers.

As a result, our products are the most reliable in the market, and contractual maintenance commitment is typically 10 years following installation.