Time savers
Published: 16 June, 2008
Payment machines on the market are getting far more sophisticated, giving shoppers greater choice of payment method and saving them from spending more time than necessary in the car park.
Parkeon launched two new payment terminals at Parkex 2008. The first was its new compact version of the Varioflex, which only accepts card payments. It has been introduced as more people are choosing to pay using a credit or debit card rather than cash at particular locations.
Parkeon UK geomarket director Bob Barnes says: "Shopping centre space is a premium, and it's half the size of a normal machine. Most people use credit cards so it's easier for shoppers to pay. It is also easier to manage and quite a lot cheaper as you don't need to worry about supplying change or validating bank notes. £5 notes never go back to the bank to be replaced so the quality deteriorates and they don't get accepted for different reasons.
"It's the first time we have introduced a machine that is credit card-only. It's an alternative, not a replacement. Instead of having to wait for people to feed coins and bank notes into the machine you can go to the machine next door. Therefore you can get more machines into less space and reduce queuing times."
CEO Yves Chambeau adds: "It depends on the amount of time you are parked because above £5 and people will use a debit or credit card and below that you use coins."
Parkeon is saving its customers further queuing time with the introduction of its Ultimate terminal, which issues tickets for parking, transport, entertainment and leisure activities - making it a one-stop shop for a whole day's needs.
Based on its pay-and-display Strada machines, it features a larger graphics screen and enhanced software that enables users to select and pay for a range of services and activities, such as cinema or concert tickets, simultaneously at the same terminal.
"We have seen a lot of movement towards pre-pay before you get on a bus and for park and ride," explains Barnes. "A lot of shopping centres have a cinema complex or tenpin bowling so customers can pre-pay and pre-book."
Chambeau adds: "We have seen in other countries the need for a high-end product where you can not only buy your parking rate but something else. That could be the cinema or bowling. You have to pay for parking so while you are there, instead of queuing two times, you can book your whole day in advance and not rush about. It's perfect for school holidays when you don't want to be queuing.
"It is something that people see a use for. Your footprint becomes more valuable as there are more functions in the same place. It could conceivably be an information centre as well. It becomes a part of the shopping centre map."
Parkeon is also expanding its range of parking management solutions with the introduction of a 'pay-by-space' version of its Strada payment terminal. The new model requires parking spaces to be individually numbered, then drivers enter the relevant bay number of the terminal's LCD screen, select and pay for the parking period required.
They do not have to return to their vehicles to display a ticket, as is the case with pay-and-display, instead a GPRS wireless network link enables the customer to 'top up' the parking time paid for on any other machine on the same system in order to avoid incurring a penalty charge notice.
Operators have the choice as to whether or not the machines issue receipts, providing the opportunity to cut the cost of consumables.
A pay-by-space scheme can also be afforded more efficiently than pay-and-display. Instead of checking that every vehicle is displaying a valid ticket, attendants confirm which bays contain legally parked vehicles via hand-held terminals. This leaves them free to check if remaining spaces are empty or if the paid-for period has expired so a fee is to be charged.
Zeag has launched a version of its Orion payment machine called Orion XR. The new terminal has six change hoppers and 45 per cent more capacity than the old machine.
"It should go for years at a time," says Zeag's Peter Johnston. "It's also valuable for airports and shopping centres that take euros as well."
He points out that it is geared up for whatever trend car park payment may be in the future. "It can take a variety of note units," he explains, "and it can give notes as change. It is designed for the long term; it has a proximity card reader and can also read Oyster cards. We can already cater for pay-by-mobile phone and for gift cards as well. The board has been designed with all the options we can envisage at this stage. With other machines you would have to put in a new motor board, but with the Orion XR we don't. It is modular in its design."
This year's Parkex was a huge success for Zeag. "Interest was very good," adds Johnston. "Everybody who has seen the machine liked it. We have moved a huge step forward and it's now the machine to beat."
