San Francisco Parking Meter Cards Program

As we all know, looking for parking in the streets of San Francisco can be an intensive nightmare. If a wonder occurs, getting a parking spot is a bonus, but finding loose coins for the parking meter can also be a troublesome hassle.

The city established a program, where can buy a card, which is similar to a gift-card at retailers, and use the prepaid card to pay for your metered parking throughout the Bay-Area without the hassle of carrying dirty loose change. We've been victims of finding parking, but don't have the change.

Every now and then, as a victim, we would go to the corner-store and make an attempt to ask for change for a single-dollar to feed the parking-meter and the clerk might rudely say,

"If you want change, you must buy something! Now leave my store or I'll call the police!"

Well thanks to the SFMTA card, the "using the coins in parking-meters" are slowly becoming obsolete process.

The procedure starts when your expired meter:

-insert your card in the selective digital parking-meter

-the minutes will increase for every minute(s) the quarters offer (seems like $.25 for 2 minutes for parking-hungry San Francisco)

-when the meters maxed out to the hour(s) of the meter, it'll show the balance of your card.

These cards can be purchase at retailers where you buy your Fast-Trak, MUNI fast-pass and token. Now if they have places, where you can buy a prepaid card for your laundry, Matt will be one happy-man!

I've been using the parking meter card program since they first implemented it a few years ago, works great. But not a fan of the new "SFpark" metering system being installed in downtown starting this Monday 8/23.

Glad that the new meters can accept credit card payments and include a sensor that sends a signal when the spot is empty. Don't know if the system can call a meter maid when the time expires (hope not).

But these new meters also have the ability to change pricing with demand (http://sfpark.org/how-it-works/demand-responsive-pricing/), so if a parking space is used often, the next month it'll charge 50 cents more per hour (up to the current max. allowed). The reverse happens for unused spaces, charges 50 cents less the next month - not likely to happen, since there's a lack of enough parking spaces in the city.

As part of this upgrade plan, later the max. metered rate allowed will increase to $6 per hour, and add a min. rate of 25 cents per hour. Currently most parking meters charge $3.50 per hour (as low as $2 per hour in certain areas). Compare that to San Mateo residents that only pay 25-50 cents per hour.

SFMTA's excuse is that SF parking rates haven't changed in years, but fails to mention that metered parking at major cities around the country has been around 75 cents to $1.50 per hour. Raised to $2 per hour in a few cities just this year. We have been paying the highest parking rates in the country and now they're going to be doubled.

If that wasn't bad enough, during sport events the metered rates will increase up to $18 per hour, even for those not attending the game. How crazy is that?

Scrounge for coins no more. Since Dec. 2005, most parking meters in San Francisco have accepted pre-paid smart cards that can be bought online from the MTA website.

You insert the card (available in $20 or $50) and the chip on the card tells the meter how much money remains. You then wait until the meter deducts 25-cent increments until the desired time shows up in the display.

If I could only use these cards for the laundromat and newspaper stands...

Yelp decided to break the system by not letting me update the URL for this "business."

If you need to purchase it online, it's available at https://gate.link2gov.com/sftransitcards/default.aspx

If you need to purchase it locally, see http://www.sfmta.com/cms/asystem/parkcardvend.php There's an option to sort by zip code.

4-stars because it's not foolproof

- needs to be refillable

- needs to let me pay for other things, e.g., MUNI

This is one of the best kept secrets in San Francisco!! Let's face it - parking in the city is NOT cheap! At $3.00 (or more) an hour, who in their right mind would have enough change in their wallet/car to feed the meter? Solution? SF Parking Meter Cards!!

I always keep one in my car. You can buy these at the MTA office, their online website (free shipping) or at Whole Foods. They come is $20 or $50 denominations. You insert the card into the meter and $0.25 increments will be deducted from the card. Simply remove card when you've happy w/ the amount of time you have on the meter. This couldn't be easier!!

I'd give it 5 stars if there is a way to refill them, but this still beats carrying quarters!

It's a must have addition to your wallet...most convenient way of feeding the meters without having to dig for change. The MTA website offers the fastest way to order the cards, once the balance is zero. $20 & $50 options are available. I seem to do well with the $20 meter card, as it lasts me a long time. If you purchase these cards at City Hall, be sure to have cash. Every metropolitan city should implement parking meter cards...they're awesome! After use, don't just throw them away, recycle them. I'm sure the city is working on a way to refill balances onto these cards, so that we keep the same one forever.

Just got my San Francisco Parking Meter Debit Cards in the mail. It was easy as click.click.click on their user-friendly website. I also conveniently added the amount to my "Pay Me Back Parking" on my WageWorks account for additional savings. Sweet!

I can't wait to drive home to try out my new card!
Yeah...something's definitely wrong with this picture.

AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME.

It makes me feel like I am paying less since I don't have a pocket of quarters ripping through suit pants. How can this be a bad thing?

Surcharges: $2.50 (S&H) to buy one online.

Surcharge: $3 fee to buy it at the SFMTA office.

So, I went to buy one, armed with the list of retail outlets, where there's no surcharge. I went to 4 of the outlets close to the SFMTA office. NONE of them actually had cards for sale.

http://www.sfmta.com/cms/asystem/parkcardzip.php says they updated the list last month, but it still lists Whole Foods, and when I went there, a couple months ago, they said they no longer sell the cards. Cashier even checked with a manager. :-(