Smart card-based parking payments live in California
15 March, 2005
category: Biometrics, Education, Financial, Transit
A smart card-based pay-to-park system in operating in San Jose, CA and will go live shortly in New Haven, CT thanks to sytem developer Parcxmart and e-purse provider SmartCentric. Of note is that the systems include both individual parking meters as well as multi-space controllers.
E-Purse Technology Goes Live in US via Parcxmart Payment Platform for Parking and Merchant Multi-function Smart Cards
Paying for car parking using smart cards went live this week in San Jose, California thanks to a unique partnership between Dublin based SmartCentric Technologies International Ltd (SmartCentric). and New Hampshire based ParcXmart Technologies Inc (ParcXmart)
The SmartCentric and Parcxmart teams began to integrate SmartCentric’s e-Purse technology with Parcxmart Cards in 2004. The resulting solution is the first turnkey smart card payment platform linked to Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) networks, retail merchants, and merchant banks on behalf of municipalities and the commuting public and is being launched in the city of San Jose, California with New Haven Connecticut following soon thereafter.
Full citywide deployments are planned by end of 2005 with further expansion anticipated later this spring in four other cities in the US. Parcxmart plans to issue 50,000 cards by year end and will ramp up to 500,000 Parcxmart Cards™ end of 2006.
This is the first time in the U.S. that competing parking meter OEMs of both single space and multi-space meters will be integrated into one e-Purse with Parcxmart Cards™. This will make payment for on and offstreet parking and in the participating merchant network simple and convenient. It provides the participating cities with both hardware and software options under one smart card payment standard, developed by SmartCentric and Parcxmart Technologies Inc.
Kieran Timmins, CEO of SmartCentric said “We are delighted that Parcxmart choose to license our core technology over a year ago with the intention to build the most comprehensive smart card payments firm in the world in terms of market penetration capability. This is a strong vote of confidence in our technology and people.” The solution offers customers a convenient alternative to coins and cash in on-street parking locations as well as usage for merchant purchases in their participating merchant network on a citywide basis. This is clearly the most convenient smart card payment program ever launched in the US. We look forward to their expansion in Ireland and the UK.”
John Regan, President and CEO of Parcxmart Technologies said, “This technology offers a turnkey payment system for municipal parking operators and their parking public who want an alternative to coins and cash. Our partners in the merchant banking industry facilitate rapid citywide deployment capabilities the United States today and in Ireland and the UK next year. We look forward to proving high consumer uptake of the Parcxmart Card™ as it is truly a convenient choice for the consumer; there are no consumer transaction fees for our products making for easy and convenient consumer acceptance. Corporations also enjoy its convenience and our highly customized online transaction detail reporting for audit and control purposes”.
“By removing coins from the collection process, cities have greater control over revenue growth. We will continue our rapid expansion into other markets as we integrate into single and multi-space parking meters, and other garage payment systems. Presently we are liaising with the leaders in the parking meter business in both Europe and North America to expedite the Parcxmart Card™ standard throughout Ireland, the UK, and the United States. Full integration into Pay and Display will be completed in 2005 and we will be operating in 8 major cities by year-end. We anticipate roll-out in Ireland and the UK in early 2006”, he added.
Contact Points
ParcXmart Peter Littell +1 413-665-3519 [email protected]
SmartCentric Kieran J Timmins +353 87 2401268 [email protected]
About Parcxmart Technologies Inc
Parcxmart Technologies Inc is an electronic payments company specialising in smart card payment solutions, delivering value to Municipal parking operations, participating merchant communities, and the parking public.
About SmartCentric Technologies International Limited
SmartCentric Technologies International Ltd is a specialist technology company focused on secure payments and transactions and multi-application smart card systems. SmartCentric’s flagship product, SmartCity®, was originally developed by the team in the early 1990’s. SmartCity® is a Multi-Application Smart Card based system which has many wide-ranging uses, such as stored value, loyalty, gift cards, logical access, physical access, biometrics, car parking and ticketing. SmartCity® is based on international standards and works with top industry partners to ensure unique, top class solutions.
SmartCity® has been used in over 90 sites worldwide with over 5 million cards issued in sites as diverse as colleges, government offices, military establishments, banks, towns, shopping areas and stadiums.