TORONTO-Motorists can use their cell phones to pay for parking at nearly 5,000 meters in Coral Gables, Fla., through a new m-commerce application powered by Canadian electronic payment provider Mint Inc.
The offering, called PayMint, allows drivers who have registered with the service to dial a phone number posted on meters to purchase parking time. Parking enforcement officers carry handheld devices to verify payments, and motorists are sent text-automated messages on their phones indicating how much time is left on the meter.
The Coral Gables launch marks the first U.S. deployment for Mint, which offers similar services in Canadian cities including Toronto, Vancouver and Victoria. Other cell-phone-based parking payment services have been deployed in Europe.
“We are excited to be the first city in the United States to offer wireless parking and are confident that it will be quickly adopted,” said David L. Brown, Coral Gables’ city manager.
