Cashless parking meters for Yarra

Parking meters in the city of Yarra will only accept payments by credit card and the Pay Stay app from November – coins will no longer be accepted.

“We will begin replacing and upgrading our parking meters from Wednesday 2 November. It is expected to take about one month for all parking meters in Yarra to be changed over. The number of parking meters will remain the same,” Yarra City Council said in a statement today.

In some areas the parking meters will be replaced with new ‘smart meters’. In other areas, the existing parking meters will be modified to no longer accept coins, the Council said. 

The Council says going cashless “makes sense”.

“Paying for goods and services by card has become the norm, and many people choose not to carry cash at all. This trend was accelerated by the pandemic and is expected to continue,” it said.

Over the past three years, the number of people paying cash for parking in Yarra has decreased, from about 17% in 2019 to less than 7% in 2022. 

Parking meter technology has also evolved significantly in recent years, with smart technology making it quick and easy to pay by card or the PayStay app, Council says.

“Removing coin payments will also reduce parking meter faults, as most faults happen as the result of the internal coin mechanism. Less parking meter faults will create a better experience for drivers and significantly reduce maintenance costs and the amount of time faulty meters are down.”

Council says there are also benefits to paying for your parking by card.

“Paying by card (debit or credit card, must be Visa or Mastercard) or the Pay Stay app is quick and easy.”

“If you pay by using the Pay Stay app, you can receive updates to your phone when your parking time is nearly expired and you have the option of extending your parking time via your phone, so there is no need to return to your car,” it said.

What if I don’t have access to a credit card or smart phone?

Council says all drivers have the option to park in non-metered parking pays within the municipality.

“All our shopping strips have parking options in nearby streets which are not metered (though may be time restricted).”

“There is also the option of purchasing a pre-paid debit card (Visa or Mastercard) from Australia Post (or other retailers such as supermarkets) to pay for parking in metered spaces.”

How many meters will be affected?

All parking meters across City of Yarra will transition to cashless, with the overall number of parking meters remaining the same. In some areas, the existing machines will be replaced with new smart meters, while in some areas the existing meters will be modified to no longer accept coins. 

What if I have an Accessible Parking Permit?

People with an Accessible Parking Permit are exempt from paying for parking in metered parking spaces in Yarra, the Council said.