| Need for Pre-Paid Accounts Eliminated, Paving the Way for Expanded Mobile Commerce |
“Pay-as-you-go is a major achievement as our industry works to make wireless transaction services as easy and direct as possible for motorists”
TransCore, a global leader in wireless automated transaction systems for parking and toll applications, launches wireless, pay-as-you-go capability for the parking industry, increasing convenience and removing the obstacle that has kept wireless systems from expanding within the parking market.
Originally, wireless parking systems were based on a toll-centric business model for funding and maintaining patron accounts, which specifically required prepaid accounts. Parking patrons wanted the convenience of not having to stop or worry about finding cash, yet only wanted to pay the immediate amount. With the enhanced product offering, customer desires are met while parking authority support is expanded, increasing operating efficiencies, tightening collection procedures as well as increasing patron approval.
In order to participate in the wireless automatic vehicle identification (AVI) program, motorists and ground transportation vendors can have their credit cards or bank accounts debited directly for exact amounts as they make use of a facility. Facility operators can extend this value-added service to already established electronic toll collection customer bases that include hundreds of thousands of patrons. TransCore's pay-as-you-go system accommodates a wide assortment of AVI transponders as well as those used by local toll authorities, such as in Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas where TransCore's technology is used statewide. "Pay-as-you-go is a major achievement as our industry works to make wireless transaction services as easy and direct as possible for motorists," said John Foote, TransCore's executive vice president, transaction processing and mobile commerce.
Through the clearinghouse and customer service center operations, TransCore's pay-as-you-go program offers a complete, cost-effective transaction processing and patron support solution. TransCore handles opening and servicing patron accounts, distributing transponders, primary collection procedures for rejected transactions, and providing the facility operator with fully reconciled reporting and secure deposits of funds. In addition to eliminating pre-paid balances, the program will also appeal to patrons because no membership fee is required.
TransCore has AVI installations including airport parking facilities, access control & revenue collection, as well as automatic taxi dispatch at 56 of the world's busiest airports. The company's AVI parking and access control solutions are also in use worldwide by hundreds of private and public parking garage operators, corporate and university campuses, private clubs and resorts, transit agencies, gated communities, military bases and other facilities.
Pay-As-You-Go Parking System
TransCore will clear all AVI transactions sent to the clearinghouse by the facilities' parking contractor, as calculated by the resident parking revenue control system. In order to be processed by the clearinghouse, transaction records must include a date, time and location of exit, an active AVI tag or proximity card ID, or a credit card number, and the associated dollar amount of the parking fee. The facilities' parking contractor will assume responsibility for the validity of the parking fees transmitted to TransCore. TransCore will download to the facility, on a scheduled basis, current files of the active tag and proximity card database registered in the clearinghouse. This will ensure frequent updates of authorized patrons who are enrolled in the program.
Processing, funding, and reporting of transactions by the clearinghouse, when received from the facility on a pre-arranged schedule, will align with each facility's pre-determined business day parameters. At the end of the day, these transactions will be processed by the clearinghouse and the associated funds, minus the clearinghouse processing fees, will be forwarded to the facility's designated bank accounts via ACH funds transfer.
The fees will be a total of the current clearinghouse credit card charges and the clearinghouse processing fee. This total fee will cover not only the credit card processing charges, but also the customer service center support, including registering new patrons, providing them transponders or proximity cards when requested, and supporting them with personal service. Also, as part of the fee, TransCore will process all uncollected transactions through the customer service center's primary 30-day collection procedures. The facilities will assume the financial responsibility for only those parking transactions that remain uncollected after the customer service center's procedures are exhausted. The processing fee also includes the facilities' and the patrons' use of the clearinghouse Web site and interactive voice response (IVR) system for service and account information available at all times.
About TransCore
TransCore is a privately held transportation services company with 1,700 employees and more than 80 locations throughout the world. With installations in 39 countries, 80-plus patents and a world-class manufacturing facility, TransCore's expertise in providing system-based applications that improve transportation efficiency is unparalleled. For more information, visit www.transcore.com.
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