Three Southern California Colleges Add Pay-by-Phone to Parking Options

Starting next week, Riverside City, Moreno Valley, and Norco colleges will begin offering ParkNOW! pay-by-phone, app or web along with their usual metered payment for parking. This payment option allows customers to pay to park from within their cars or while walking to class. Plus, they can add time without returning to the car.

Riverside, CA

Anyone parking at a Riverside Community College District campus can soon skip running to a meter with coins or cash. Instead, they can use their cell phone to pay for parking. Starting next week, all of the metered parking at Riverside City, Moreno Valley, and Norco colleges will begin offering an optional payment method that can speed up the process and help students and visitors avoid citations. With the ParkNOW! system, meters are still available, but for those who would rather use a cell phone, it’s now possible to pay by phone, app or web – with any cell phone or Internet-ready device. Customers can pay in under 30 seconds – even while walking to class or sitting in the library.

All parking lots offering pay by cell are marked with new signage. The process is straightforward. Customers must perform a one-time registration. They can do that most easily by simply visiting http://www.ParkNOW.US in advance of parking. Registration is fast and secure. It requires providing a name, cell phone number, credit or debit card and the license plate number of the car that will be parked. For those who haven’t registered, they can do so in the parking lot by downloading the free app by iPhone, Android or iPad, or they can register by telephone with a customer service agent.

Once registered, parking is simple. To pay by phone, simply call the local phone number, 951-848-3947. The registered cell phone number will be recognized by the system. From there, simply follow the prompts to park. To park using the ParkNOW! app, customers can open the app and either scan a posted QR code from a sign or manually enter the posted location number and then enter the duration they wish to park. Finally, parking by web is straightforward and can be done by logging in at http://www.ParkNOW.US.

Once a customer has parked with ParkNOW!, the system automatically updates the parking enforcement officers’ handheld enforcement devices, so officers can see that the car with the registered license plate number has paid to park. Customers receive confirmation text messages or emails, and can also request reminders when their parking is close to expiration. Parking time can be added by calling back the same phone number or opening the app or website and adding minutes or hours. The credit or debit card registered to the account (or prepaid account for those who have a ParkNOW! account in other locations) will be charged for the amount of time requested, along with a convenience fee of $.30. Parking rates are the same whether paid by meter or phone: $1.00 for one hour, $2.00 for between 61 minutes and 4 hours, and $5.00 for anything over 4 hours. The $.30 convenience fee is the same for every parking session and session extension.

For those who fail to pre-register, a simple call to the posted number allows immediate registration through an automated system or with a customer service agent. Jim Miyashiro, Chief of College Parking recommends using the app. “Students use their cell phones for so many things, it’s completely natural to use an app to park – and scanning QR codes is also more and more common.” The patent-pending scanning solution lets customers scan the QR code using the ParkNOW! app on Android or iPhone (and soon on Blackberry too). The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. (see images).

“We constantly thrive to give the customer the most convenient tools possible to take the pain away from parking. The apps make parking fast and simple.” adds Krista Altok Tassa, President of Mobile NOW LLC.

Get Reminders, Add Time from The Library or Student Union!

Along with giving customers a fast, non-cash payment option, ParkNOW! has several other features that make life easier for campus drivers. When setting up an account, customers can choose personal options including reminder text messages to alert them that time is about to run out and needs to be extended. Since parking can be extended by using the same method used to pay the first time, customers can add time from a class, the library, or while sitting and studying, instead of running back to feed the meter.

On-Line Account Management Gives Customer Full Information

Once registered, customers are provided an on-line account that they can access through the Internet or mobile Web. The account stores all information about parking sessions, charges made, parking extensions, reminder choices and more. It also can provide statements and account information for download and printing should a customer require printed receipts or evidence of payment if a citation is given by accident.

ParkNOW! or Meters

Customers choosing to use the service pay a small convenience fee of $.30 to park or extend their parking and $.10 for reminder text messages (plus applicable text rates charged by cell phone plan provider). For those who pay meters there is no additional convenience fee. Both means of payment are available, so those who would like to avoid the additional $.30 can simply pay at meters. By adding the service, the College hopes to add customer convenience and make it simpler for drivers to avoid unwanted citations.

ParkNOW! Pocket Cards

Over the coming weeks, promotional wallet-size cards will be provided to educate drivers in using the ParkNOW! service. The cards will be available at various locations on campus, and along with providing instructions on use of the system also have a space to record the correct ParkNOW! customer PIN number and the license plate number of the registered car.

About Mobile NOW, LLC.

MobileNOW! is a world pioneer and leading provider of cell phone and other cashless payment methods for the parking industry in North America, operating on three continents under the service name ParkNOW!™ . In addition to enabling virtual payment and collection options, the ParkNOW!™ parking system offers full enforcement, management and reporting capabilities. MobileNOW! ‘s corporate office is in Garden City, NY with regional offices in several other States. For more information, visit the ParkNOW! website at http://www.goparknow.com, or at http://www.ParkNOW.US.