An important service the parking system interface allows to implement is the on-line reservation of offered services made from any electronic device with the internet connection available.
After the booking has been made, an identifier in the form of a barcode is generated. It is used as a substitute of a standard parking ticket. The code can be delivered to the customer either by e-mail or it can be displayed directly on the mobile device. The related parking fee can be paid immediately in the application environment or, later, in the automatic pay station or manual pay station.
A more user-friendly option of entry to a reserved car park is the use of a PIN code. After the reservation has been made, the PIN code is sent to the customer’s mobile phone or e-mail address. The customer enters the code via a numeric keypad installed on the entry terminal at the car park entry. Subsequently, the terminal prints a parking card featuring the parameters entered during the reservation.
A chip using the NFC contactless technology can become an alternative identifier. Nowadays, many devices that are permanently carried by people are equipped with the NFC chips – credit cards, city cards, mobile phones or wearable electronic devices. During the ordering process, the device can be matched with the reservation that has been made. Thanks to this, the customer can use it as an adequate equivalent of a parking ticket upon the car park entry. Via the device, also other services can be used. The payment for these services can be made together with the payment of a parking fee within a single payment.
If the parking system is also equipped with a camera system designed for the licence plate recognition, customers can be offered a highly comfortable way of using a reserved parking space. After entering the licence plate number during the reservation process, drivers are provided with fully automated entry and exit just on the basis of their licence plate number recognition without the necessity to place the parking card to the reader or to enter a PIN code.
