What is a Parking Card?
A Parking Card is 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 advantage of a Parking Card is the convenience of not having to find cash for the machines, and not having to pay for periods when you are not using it, eg weekends and holidays. And in some cases, being able to park at a reduction 80p for all day parking, or being able to park all day in a short stay car park
Where do I get one from?
Parking Cards may be purchased from the Basingstoke and Deane Civic Offices in London Road. Initially, each parking card will be sold pre-loaded with a value of £85.00 (including £5 refundable deposit).
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 9am - 4pm, Monday to Friday.
Where can I use a Parking Card?
The Parking Card can be used in most of our car parks which have ticket machines. (Please note that Festival Place multi-storey car park is NOT a Basingstoke & Deane car park).
Long Stay Car Parks
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The Parking Card can be used to obtain an all day parking ticket at a reduced fee in all Basingstoke and Deane Long Stay Pay and Display car parks from Monday to Saturday (except Vyne Meadow and Eastlands car parks
). See
map for location of car parks.
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An all day ticket bought with cash in these car parks currently costs £4, whereas an all day ticket bought with the Parking Card will cost £3.20 – giving a discount of 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 Castons Yard, 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 Parking Card will allow the option of specifying the required length of stay.
- NOTE
The Parking 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 Parking 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 £4 (which is the daily rate for cash users in a long stay car park).
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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.
- Sunday parking and evening parking after 7pm is free in all car parks except for Alencon Link (also known as the Anvil car park) and Churchill Way and Churchill Way East (both opposite the Anvil), where you will have to pay during the evenings from 7pm to 11pm.
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 Parking Card.
Insert Parking Card in the slot
at the top right of this machine
Insert Parking 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 £3.20 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 Parking 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, again 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 £4 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.