Consumers want payment options, and in today’s marketplace contactless is front of mind, because it helps create peace of mind. Contactless payments include NFC-equipped credit cards, mobile wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay, and mobile payment apps for smartphones. These payment options are quickly becoming commonplace and expected by consumers, as they are quick, easy, and safe.
Continue reading for four reasons why parking operations should adapt to meet the needs of their customers and accept contactless payment options.
Contactless is On the Rise
Contactless and mobile payment options have become more and more prevalent over the last several years, and the COVID-19 pandemic only accelerated that trend. As adoption of contactless payments has increased, people are beginning to expect these options when they pay for parking, whether that be an NFC reader that accepts mobile wallets or a mobile payment app. Thankfully, contactless and mobile payments benefit both the parking patron and the operator, as they enable quicker and more convenient transactions and eliminate the need to keep and handle cash.
Consumers Want Payment Options
As payment technology has advanced across all industries, consumers have come to expect more ways to pay. And as mobile parking payments have become more prevalent, parkers have started to ask for more options. According to research from ParkMobile, “62 percent of our users say having multiple contactless options is ‘important.’”1 While offering multiple mobile payment platforms is just starting to gain traction in North America, this practice has been commonplace – and successful – across Europe for years.
Lower Maintenance and Collection Costs
Implementing mobile payments and/or adding contactless readers to existing hardware will reduce the number of cash and coin transactions, significantly lowering collection costs. Additionally, the hardware will endure much less wear and tear, reducing maintenance costs and extending the life of the units. Plus, your staff will be able to focus on more important tasks, increasing productivity.
Create a More Frictionless Experience
Gone are the days of digging for coins to feed a parking meter or paying cash to a garage attendant – customers want a frictionless and seamless parking experience that saves them time and frustration. Compared to cash and coins, contactless payment options are:
- Faster: An NFC tap to pay transaction takes just seconds, compared to the minutes it may take to find exact change.
- Readily available: Almost everybody has their phone with them at all times, whereas many people don’t carry cash or coins.
- More convenient: Most people would much rather extend their parking time from their phone, as opposed to walking back to a meter or kiosk.
All of these benefits contribute to a more frictionless parking experience, and therefore happier customers.
Interested in adding contactless payment options to your parking operation? T2 offers NFC tap to pay functionality on our Pay Stations and PARCS hardware, as well as T2 MobilePay, the simplest mobile parking payment solution available. For more information, contact us today.
1: https://parkmobile.io/articles/meeting-consumers-where-they-are/
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