Pay Station FAQ's

Yes. Departmental, Delivery, Service, Vendor, and Disability permits are valid in pay station lots with no payment required. However, time restrictions apply as described in the parking regulations. Departmental permits are valid for 2.5 hours; Delivery permits are valid for 1 hour; Service permits are valid for 2 hours; Vendor permits are valid for 2 hours; Disability permits do not have a time restriction in pay station lots.

One of PTS's long-term goals is to eliminate individual parking meters and replace with either pay stations, or convert the spaces to a specific type in order to meet a different need. At this time, we do not have plans to purchase additional pay stations.

No. The location that payment was made will be printed on the receipt; this means that it is only to be used to validate parking at the location where payment was made.

Payment is required at different times, based on the location, as follows:

Lot 108 - Student Recreation Center (SRC), west lot
Payment is required Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Lot 29 - Bookstore, north lot
Payment is required Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Lot 91 - Upper Rayburn Street, on-street parking
Payment is required Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The pay stations on campus utilize the more reliable and more secure cellular network, not Wi-Fi, and transmit the encrypted information over a secure connection. This is regulated by the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standards Council. The pay station system is fully Payment Application Data Security Standard (PA-DSS) compliant.

The pay stations are very user-friendly and have instructions posted on each machine. You have the option of paying with either coins or credit/debit card. To pay with coins, simply insert coins to add the desired time, then press print receipt, take the receipt and place it on the drivers side window. To pay with debit/credit card insert the card and remove quickly, press the add time button until the desired time is shown (you may also press the Max time button if you want to pay to park for the remainder of the day), then print receipt and display it on the drivers side window.

Total cost of purchase of four pay stations, including extra parts and installation was $64,080.

Hourly rates for pay station lots vary based on the time of day and the location, as follows:

Lot 108 - Student Recreation Center (SRC), west lot

6 a.m. to 9 a.m. - SRC use only, no payment required
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. - 60 cents per hour
After 4 p.m. - SRC use only, no payment required
No Parking 2 a.m. to 6 a.m.

Lot 29 - Bookstore, north lot

6 a.m. to 8 a.m. - 50 cents per hour
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. - 75 cents per hour
5 p.m. to 9 p.m. - 50 cents per hour
After 9 p.m. - no payment required
No Parking 2 a.m. to 6 a.m.

Lot 91 - Upper Rayburn Street, on-street parking

6 a.m. to 8 a.m. - 75 cents per hour
8 a.m. to 4 p.m. - $1.50 per hour
4 p.m. to 9 p.m. - 75 cents per hour
After 9 p.m. - no payment required
No Parking 2 a.m. to 6 a.m.

• Pay station units communicate with the server and merchant for credit card processing in real-time (with a modem), this allows credit card transactions to finalize within 12 seconds
• Pay stations are solar powered, operating with a 5-watt solar panel which will charge the battery every day in each unit
• The stations are multi-lingual
• PTS can run web reports to collect utilization data, as well as make rate and policy changes from the office, in just a few minutes

If you receive a citation because your receipt fell off of the window and was not visible to the parking attendant, you have the option of appealing the citation within 15 days from the date it was issued. Proof that payment was made during the time that the citation was issued must be provided. After 15 days from the date the citation was issued the remaining option is to pay the fine.

If the pay station is malfunctioning when you attempt to make payment, the first thing to do, if possible, is call (208) 885-6424. We will correct the error as soon as possible.

If one form of payment is currently out of order, users will be expected to pay for parking via the alternative payment method.

If the machine is reading out of order, users in lot 91 should use the second pay station located in this area. Users in lot 18 or 108 will need to find an alternative location to park; the pay station lot will automatically convert to a "No Parking" area, until payment can be accepted again.

The pay stations accept Visa, Mastercard, or Discover credit/debit cards, as well as United States quarters, nickels, dimes, and dollar coins.

There are three parking areas on campus where pay station units are located:

• Parking lot 108, west of the Student Recreation Center
• Parking lot 29, north of the Bookstore
• On-street parking area 91, upper Rayburn Street

View a map of pay station locations on campus.

The pay stations are available for use by all faculty, staff, students and visitors to the University of Idaho.

Pay stations at the University of Idaho provide better service and convenience to users of the parking system. In addition, pay stations allow for efficient management and operation, including a reduction in resources spent enforcing, managing, and gathering user data. The following outlines why we have chosen to install pay stations on campus and work towards eliminating individual parking meters:

1. Less limitations; users may pay for any amount of time necessary, including payment for an entire day, without ever returing to the vehicle
2. Flexible rates; variable time parking allows PTS to offer longer-term parking at reduced hourly rates
3. More payment options; pay stations accept payment via credit/debit cards and coins, recent trends show that credit/debit cards are more readily available than coins; the credit/debit system is secure and compliant with the Payment Card Industry (PCI)
4. User friendly; pay station units are more reliable, users will experience few malfunctions in comparison to individual parking meters
5. Provide alternative parking option; pay station lots provide an alternative parking option for a visitor to campus or infrequent automobile commuter; instead of going to the Parking Office to purchase a Visitor permit or daily permit, the individual can go straight to the parking lot and pay to park all day