Parking Payment Systems: Flat-Rate Gated
Parking Payment Systems: Flat-Rate vs. Full- Featured
Parking payment systems with parking lot gates
allow you to collect payment when a transient parker is entering or leaving your parking lot. At any given time, there is only one fee that is charged (i.e. $5 or $10) regardless of the time parked in the lot (i.e. 15 minutes or 5 hours). In comparison, the Full-Featured Smart Parking System
allows the transient parker to be charged based on time parked in the lot (i.e. $2 per hour with a 15 minute grace period) rather than a flat-rate.
- The big advantage
of the Flat-Rate System is lower purchase price because only one
parking kiosk is required in one
lane way. In the Full-Featured System, there is a minimum of one parking kiosk in the Entry lane and one on the Exit Lane. A Flat Rate parking payment system is a great way for many lot owners to start charging for parking.
- The major downside of this system is that there is no Entry BOXX (ticket machine) and no option to charge by the hour.
Flat-Rate payment kiosks may be placed in the Entry lane (pay-on-entry) or Exit lane (pay-on-exit). Typically we see "pay-on-entry" because Parkers pay before entering (meaning they have the funds to pay) and then the exit gate is a "free out" (meaning that once a vehicle is detected in the Exit lane, the gate arm will open). For this configuration, many customers also frequently ask about Parking Lot Full Signs.
With our Flat-Rate parking payment system, you may set different parking rates for different times and days. For example, your standard parking rate is $5 but if there is a concert or sporting event, you may change the rate to $20 for that evening.
Learn more about our Flat-Rate Parking Payment System.
Contact us or Request a Quote today!
Flat-Rate Parking Payment System
For many smaller parking lots & garages, this flat rate fee structure is sufficient. Or at least sufficient to start … particularly for new parking systems, when owners aren’t yet sure of the revenue that will be generated from the system. One great feature about the Flat-Rate System is that it may be upgraded to a Full-Featured System at any time. If the cost-benefit analysis of charging for parking based on “time in the lot”, rather than a “flat-fee” makes sense, then the initial investment in a Flat-Rate system won’t be lost.
How Flat-Rate Parking Payment System Works:- If payment at entry, the exit lane will have a free out gate.
- If the payment is at exit, then the entry lane will have a free in gate.
Because there is less hardware involved in this automated parking system, the Flat-Rate Parking System price is lower than a Full-Featured Smart Parking System.
To learn more about how an automated parking system makes sense for your parking lot or parking garage, contact Parking BOXX to speak with one of our knowledgeable experts! The Flat-Rate Parking Payment System
allows for payment by credit/debit, bills, coins, coupons, or tokens. Access control for employees, monthly pass holders or tenants may be added to this system. Also wireless (modem), intercoms, and remote web monitoring may be added. It should be noted that FLAT-RATE
systems generally don’t give change, although this is possible if needed. Because a FLAT-RATE
is charged, these systems do not allow time-based parking, such as $2.00 for the first hour and $1.00 for each additional hour. A Full-Featured Gated Parking Lot System is required to accommodate such a fee structure.
Gated parking systems ensure that all parkers pay but don’t require monitoring the lot and issuing parking citations. If you prefer gated parking but aren’t quite ready for our Full-Featured Gated Parking Lot System, you may wish to consider Parking BOXX’s Flat-Rate Parking Lot System. Such a system starts with an Entry BOXX or Exit BOXX + 2 Barrier Gates and may be easily expanded to control multiple entrances and exits.
Sample Entry FLAT-RATE Rate Structure
- "Early Bird Rate" (M-F before 8 AM): $7.00
- "Day Rate" (M-F from 8 AM to 5 PM): $10.00
- "Evening Rate" (M-F after 5 PM): $3.00
- "Weekend Day Rate" (Sat/Sun): $5.00
Compare to Full-Featured Gated Parking System:
Flat-Rate Parking Lot System is recommended when:
- Parking Lot Volume is Low to Medium
- Change Does NOT Need to Be Given (Change is possible, but not recommended. Ask us for details.)
- Access Control Options May Be Added
- Lower Capital Expenditure is Desired
- No Rush of Inflow/Outflow Vehicles (a significant number of vehicles neither enters nor exits at one time)
- Entry or Exit Speed is NOT a High Priority
Upgradable to Full-Featured Gated Parking Lot System
Compare to Multi-Space Parking Lot System (Pay & Display/Pay By License/Pay By Space):
Flat-Rate Parking Lot System is recommended when:
- Vehicle Access to the Lot Can
Be Secured By Barrier Gates
- Desire to Ensure that All Parkers Pay
- Monitoring Lot for Parking Violations Is Not Desired
- Citation Issuance Is Not Desired
- Citation Collection Is Not Desired
