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Option to feed meters by phone starts Monday [Telegraph-Herald (Dubuque, IA)](Telegraph-Herald (Dubuque, IA) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Beginning Monday, July 29, Dubuque parking meter customers will be able to use their mobile phones to pay for parking at all of the city of Dubuque's parking meters. The city recently contracted with PassportParking, a provider of integrated cloud-based parking solutions, to offer three mobile phone-based payment options. "We hope meter customers will like the convenience of not having to scramble to find change for meters or rush back to their vehicles if they are running out of time," said Tim Horsfield, parking division manager for the city. The city is adding informational decals to all meters to provide basic instructions on how to utilize the service. Customers first must create an account by registering for the PassportParking Mobile Pay application (iPhone or Android operating system) or voice system. Once registered, motorists have three phone-based options to pay for parking: using the mobile payment app, calling a phone number or texting their zone and space information. The decals on the meters indicate the meter number and zone and include the phone number to call as well as a QR code which, when scanned by a smartphone, enables the customer to download the app. There is no registration fee. Users are charged a 25-cent convenience fee each time they use the system. Interested customers can create an account online at cityofdubuque.org/parking or passportparking.com/ parkers, or by calling PassportParking at 608-678-3848. Users also have the option to receive text message alerts and reminders 15 minutes prior to the expiration of their parking session and can also add up to 15 minutes beyond the time limit of the meter. Additionally, Facebook users will be able to log in using their Facebook account to find nearby businesses that offer parking validation or other discounts. In addition to the PassportParking service, meter customers may still pay for metered parking by coin or by using the city's parking meter cash card. For more information, contact the city of Dubuque Parking Department at 563-589-4267. (c) 2013 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved. |