14 February 2006

Telecom joins park now, pay later service

Telecom has joined Vodafone in offering Auckland city parkers text message payment at new pay and display machines being rolled out across the city.

With both New Zealand's mobile communications companies on board, Aucklanders have even more choice in how they pay for parking: by text message, credit card or traditional coin payment.

Auckland City's parking services manager, Chris Geerlings, says paying for parking is more convenient than it has ever been.

"We initially trialled new technology payment options in March last year, and the reception was fantastic. Aucklanders know that paying for parking is a reality, but they want it to be easier and more in tune with modern ways to pay.

"With Telecom on board, the text message payment option is available to more people. We're delighted Telecom customers can now make use of the service - whether they're Aucklanders or any one of their 1.8 million mobile users nationwide who might visit the city," says Mr Geerlings.

Telecom's head of mobile marketing, Kevin Bowler, says the new txt-capable sophisticated pay and display machines take the hassle out of parking.

"These days you're much more likely to have your mobile phone in your pocket than coins, so providing text payment for parking makes a lot of sense.

"We're really pleased to be able to offer this service to our customers, as it's another great example of mobile technology making day-to-day life easier," says Mr Bowler.

In an Australasian first, the txt-a-park service is available to customers on either mobile phone network. Generally, overseas customers must register with one mobile communications provider to pay for parking by text message.

"From the customer's point of view, they just want to use their mobile phone when they turn up at the machine to pay, not worry about which mobile phone provider is accepted," says Hamish Soper, Vodafone New Zealand's sector manager of machine to machine communications.

"While Vodafone, in partnership with Synergy and Cash Handling Systems, developed and provides the txt-a-park service from a technical point of view - for mobile commerce to be successful, it has to be part of every day life for a majority of people.

"In New Zealand, having both mobile communications companies on board gets rid of any inconvenience or confusion when people are at the machine, and that's what we're after," says Mr Soper.

ENDS

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