What is a parking card?
A credit card-sized card which is electronically credited with money and works much the same as a phone card. Each time the card is used, the cost of the ticket purchased is deducted from the value on the card. The main advantage of a parking card is the convenience of not having to find cash for the machines. Also, in many of our car parks, it enables you to park at a reduced charge for all day parking, or to park all day in a short stay car park.
Where do I get one from?
Parking cards may be purchased from the Civic Offices in London Road between 8.30am and 4pm, Monday to Friday. Each card costs £85.00 (this includes a £5 refundable deposit and £80.00 worth of parking credit).
How can I get the card ‘topped up’?
The parking card can be ‘topped up’ to a maximum value of £250.00 and a minimum of £50.00. To have the card topped up, bring it with your payment to the Civic Offices payments hall, open from 8.30am-4pm, Monday to Friday.
Where can I use a parking card?
The card can be used in most of our pay and display car parks which have ticket machines.
PLEASE NOTE:
The Alencon Link multi-storey car park is a "pay on foot" car park with entry and exit barriers. It does not accommodate Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council parking cards. To use a parking card in Alencon Link car park, you will need to buy The Malls decremental parking card. This card can also be purchased from the Civic Offices at an initial cost of £5.00.
The Malls card will open the car park barrier on first use and you then need to top up the card using one of the payment machines located in The Malls shopping centre lift lobbies. Your newly topped-up card will then open the exit barrier and deduct the relevant parking charge from your card on exit. An all day ticket bought with The Malls parking card costs £4.40 – giving a discount of 80p on the all day rate for those paying by cash. NOTE: The decremental card is debited each time they are used to open the exit barrier - multiple use of the card on the same day will result in a £4.40 charge being applied on each exit.
Long Stay Car Parks (excluding The Malls, Vyne Meadow, and Eastlands)
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The parking card can be used to buy an all-day ticket at a reduced fee in Basingstoke and Deane long stay pay and display car parks from Monday to Saturday. See
map for location of car parks.
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An all day ticket valid until 6.00 pm bought with cash in these car parks currently costs between £4.90 and £5.20, whereas an all day ticket bought with the Parking Card will cost between £4.20 and £4.40, giving a discount of 70p to 80p. NOTE: the Parking Card may be used to buy a ticket for shorter periods other than all day, but there will be no discount.
Short Stay Car Parks
- The card can also be used to buy a ticket in Feathers Yard and Joices Yard (see map) up to the maximum period allowed in the car park, but at no discount. When buying a ticket in these car parks, the card will allow the option of specifying the required length of stay.
- The card can also be used in Jacobs Yard and Albert Yard which are short stay car parks for those paying by cash. Use of the card in these car parks offers you the opportunity to park all day instead of being limited to a maximum of three hours if you were paying by cash. Using a parking card to park all day in these car parks will cost £5.20 (which is the daily rate for cash users in most of our long stay car parks).
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Whilst use of the parking card in these car parks does not offer parking at a discount, it offers the convenience of buying a ticket without having to find suitable change, and being able to park all day instead of up to three hours.
Please note:
- a discounted ticket purchased with a parking card in a long stay car park, cannot be used in another car park where a non-discounted charge is applicable.
How to use your parking card
There are two types of ticket machines. One is blue and the other is black. Although both machines have a card slot, not all machines will accept a parking card. Check the details below for information on where you can use your card.
Insert card in the slot
at the top right of this machine
Insert card in the slot
at the middle right of this
machine
In the long stay car parks
To buy a daily ticket, place the card into the slot provided for the parking card. The machine will check the card, then display the card balance and the message ‘Use Push buttons’. If using a blue machine, press the black button, and if using a black machine, press the yellow button. Check that the display on the machine shows the daily fee and the current time, then press the green button for your ticket. Wait a few seconds for the ticket to drop into the tray, then place it inside your vehicle so that the date and expiry time can be clearly seen. Don’t forget to take your card from the machine!
In the short stay car parks in Castons Yard, Feathers Yard and Joices Yard
To buy a ticket in these car parks, insert the card into the card slot in the machine. When the card has been checked, press the black button to work up through the fees for each time period available in the car park (as shown on the notice on the front of the machine). Press the green button for your ticket once the correct fee for the period you require is displayed.
In the short stay car parks in Jacobs Yard and Albert Yard - for all day parking
To buy an all day ticket in these car parks, the process is the same as for a long stay car park. Place the card into the slot provided for the parking card. The machine will check the card, then display the card balance and the message ‘Use Push buttons’. Press the black button, check that the display on the machine shows the daily fee of £5.20 and the current time, then press the green button for your ticket. Wait a few seconds for the ticket to drop into the tray, then place it inside your vehicle so that the date and expiry time can be clearly seen.
