There are now more ways to pay for parking when you come to uptown Saint John.

Saint John Parking is offering a QR code payment option at 25 different sites uptown.

It follows a trial run that took place at several spaces on King Street earlier this year.

“We’re pleased to see that the program was received well by the community and has been a success with positive uptake,” Jillian Good, Operations Manager of Saint John Parking, said in a news release.

In March, the city’s parking department trialed the use of HotSpot’s tap sign at the top of King Street.

The tap sign provides parkers with the option to use the HotSpot app and use the number on the sign or a QR code as a payment option.

The QR code option directs users to make secure payments for parking via their webpage, with no app required.

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Public Works and Transportation Commissioner Michael Hugenholtz told council in July that this payment alternative will help reduce the costs of upgrading the pay-by-plate machines for new protocols.

In May, the city received notice from its parking meter vendor that all meters with credit card readers must be upgraded to accept only contact and contactless cards by Oct. 1.

The elimination of credit card payments made using the magnetic stripe is designed to increase security for the city and the cardholder, according to the staff report.

“In the event that the City is unable to have parking meters fully EMV Contactless enabled by October 1st, 2022, there will be a charge of US$0.15 for all VISA transactions,” said the report, which noted the city processes an average of 8,000 credit card transactions monthly.

Upgrading the 50 on-street parking machines that currently offer a credit card payment option would cost the city about $61,500 plus HST.

The QR code signage, which would cost $3,125 plus tax, would allow staff to eliminate about 20 pay-by-plate machines and is expected to save $24,000 in upgrade costs.

City staff said the new QR code signs will be found near the standard paid parking meters so you will still have multiple payment options available.

You can find details about the new payment method by clicking here. A map of the locations can be found here.