Parkeon, Verrus and Sacramento Debut First Integrated Back-Office To Manage Pay-by-Phone Parking

Sacramento officially went live on June 8 with this convenient application that was developed via a partnership between Parkeon and Verrus.

Sacramento has launched Parkeon Pay-by-Space (its new "generation 3" version) multi-space parking meters in two of the city's Sacramento Valley Station lots. Previously, these pay stations gave users the option of paying with coins, bills, or credit cards. Now, customers can use their cell phones to pay for parking by calling a number supplied by Verrus, entering their lot and space number, selecting the amount of time they wish to purchase, and boom, they are done.

This application is extra helpful for commuter parking lots like these - now patrons can run from their cars directly to the train and pay for their parking while on the train. No more standing in line at super-rush hours or during rain storms. Or, if patrons pay at the meter in the morning but find themselves delayed in returning, they can use the cell phone to extend their parking stay and avoid citations.

The Sacramento Parking Department also enjoys the ability to manage rates and policies as well as collect payment data at a single interface. That's because Verrus and Parkeon connected their back-office software systems to communicate during the pay-by-phone transaction process. Unlike other pay-by-phone solutions that require the client city to maintain two separate systems (the cell payment provider's and their meter management software), the Parkeon-Verrus solution is completely seamless in its connectivity. One-stop control for everything.

"We are very excited to offer this pay-by-phone system to our commuters", says Howard Chan, Sacramento's Parking Services Manager. "These lots are very busy, especially in the morning, so offering an additional form of payment should make parking compliance easier. And the ability to control both systems from a single control panel cuts out a lot of duplicate effort."

Because all transaction data from pay stations and cell phones are stored in the one central database (Parkeon's Parkfolio back-office management system), parking enforcement is much simpler, too. Since all paid and unpaid spaces, whether paid at the meter or by cell, are in one central place, Parking Enforcement Officers (PEOs) only need to query one database, not two, for this information. And the data is communicated wirelessly, with real-time payment updates pushed to the PEO's handheld during the enforcement period.

About 1.3 million passengers a year stop at the historic depot as they travel via Amtrak, Capitol Corridor and San Joaquin trains, as well as via Regional Transit. So the impact of this new payment alternative will be significant.

And, as any good pay-by-phone system should do, the Parkeon-Verrus system sends a text message to patrons to alert them before their time expires, allowing easy time extension transactions from their cell phones.

About Parkeon

Parkeon is a key player in global parking and transport management solutions. 3000+ cities worldwide, including 200 client sites in the US alone, have chosen Parkeon solutions to help them management their parking needs. With nearly 40 years of experience and 195 patents in the sector, the company remains at the forefront of innovation,

Parkeon's portfolio of products and systems are designed to ease congested streets and facilitate traffic flow. As a leader in payment and ticketing solutions for parking and mass transit, Parkeon has played a significant role in the development of multi-space parking technology worldwide.

About Verrus

Vancouver-based Verrus Mobile Technologies, Inc. is a pioneer in mobile payments. Verrus delivers frictionless solutions that allow consumers and merchants to enjoy the convenience and power of mobile payment. With two million subscribers, vertical services for parking, taxis and events and operations in over 100 cities and towns throughout North America, Europe and Australia, Verrus brings real world mobile payment to more consumers than any other organization worldwide. For more information, please visit verrus.com.

Parkeon Press Contact

David Palmer
Director of Marketing
40 Twosome Dr, Suite 7
Moorestown, NJ 08057
(856) 234-8000
dpalmer@parkeon.com