CONVENIENCE FEE TO BE REMOVED FROM CAR PARK MOBILE PAYMENTS
Drivers using Wokingham Borough Council car parks will no longer have to pay the 20p charge when using RingGo to pay for parking.
The council is removing the convenience fee applied to mobile device payments through the system at all of its car parks from 26 August. The change will be rolled out across all borough council car parks, including Dinton Pastures and California Country Park. This will apply to payments using both the phone number and the smartphone app.
The move follows a major upgrade of all council operated car park payment machines this summer, with more than 50 new machines installed, offering more flexible ways to pay. As well as mobile payments, standard coin and card payments are still available, alongside an innovative check in-check out system, which allows drivers to pay for the parking they’ve used instead of paying in advance.
The retention of the RingGo payment option but without the convenience fee means even more choice for drivers at lower cost. Smartphone users can also extend their stay while they are out through the RingGo app, as well as having the chance to set up text reminders when their ticket is due to expire. They are also able to see how busy a car park is when they are planning their journey ahead, by using the app’s features.
“Removing the convenience fee charge for mobile payments gives our residents more flexibility when parking in our car parks,” said Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, executive member for highways and transport.
“Now the charge is the same for everyone using our parking facilities, no matter whether they choose to check in-check out, pay by coin or by mobile using RingGo. Removing this charge means anyone using the car park can quickly pay over the phone or through a few taps on their smartphone, without having to worry about having to pay extra for it.”
“The adoption, and preference, for mobile payments is growing rapidly across the country. Wokingham Borough Council’s decision to remove the convenience fee for RingGo shows an understanding of this trend and a wish to offer those parking in the area their preferred method of payment – without extra cost,” said Peter O’Driscoll, UK Country Manager, RingGo.
“By putting use of RingGo on par with cash and card payments, the Council is providing drivers with the flexibility to locate spaces, pay for parking without visiting machines and extend their stay wherever they are via their phones – a capability that lines up with the fast paced world we live in today.”
RingGo is a separately operated private company. To register for a RingGo account, visitwww.myringgo.co.uk/register