Anyone who has ever been to a shopping centre knows the frustration of hunting for a parking pay station and then trying to find the right change. And with the far greater focus on social distancing and strict hygiene practices today, many people do not want to handle cash or use public touchscreens to pay for their parking.
The good news is that Nedbank's new scan-to-park technology is addressing all these concerns. A first in South Africa, scan to park was developed, tested and commissioned by SKIDATA, a leading global digital access developer and the first parking technology partner to integrate its development expertise with Nedbank. Scan-to-park allows anyone with a Masterpass-enabled QR code scanning banking app or digital wallet to scan their parking ticket and make instant payment – without ever having to handle cash or physically touch a parking pay station.
According to Josephine Baliah, Head of Acceptance Business Solutions for Nedbank, scan to park is another South African digital innovation conceptualised by Nedbank as part of its commitment to deliver value-adding payment solutions that go beyond banking. "Scan-to-park is a great example of how we are keeping our promise to harness the power of digital innovation to make payments easier and more convenient for all South Africans," Baliah says. "As a purpose-driven team, we used our payments and design expertise to deliver this simple solution that offers benefits and value to our merchant businesses, our strategic partners and our clients."
According to Bradley Lovell, Managing Director of SKIDATA, the scan-to-park payment solution was designed with speed, simplicity and security in mind. "We recognised that for scan-to-park to add value to people's lives, it had to remove their fears and frustrations, not add to them," Lovell explains, "which is why the secure technology allows payment transactions to take place in a matter of seconds, without the need to engage with public-facing payment technology or equipment. And because the scan-to-park tickets are printed by our own machines, the QR codes are clear and easily readable, and the tickets are even printed on 100% recyclable paper."
Taking advantage of the convenient scan-to-park technology is as simple as using the Nedbank Money App, Nedbank Masterpass or any other Masterpass-enabled app and any QR code app on your smartphone and scanning the QR code printed on a scan-to-park ticket. The payment transaction is instantly completed and confirmed, and you can then exit the parking lot by inserting or scanning your ticket at the exit point.
Scan to park leverages Masterpass, Mastercard’s scan-to-pay service, which enables consumers to transact with any bank card through a secure app on their mobile phones. Each Masterpass transaction is protected by multiple layers of security, ensuring the user’s personal and payment details are protected.
"Paying for parking is a pet hate for most consumers," says Suzanne Morel, country manager, Mastercard South Africa. "We aim to make their experience easier, quicker and more secure for consumers with something that is already in their pockets – their smartphones."
Scan-to-park ticket vending machines are already in use at a number of leading shopping malls in Gauteng, including Melrose Arch, Sandton City and Nelson Mandela Square, and are currently being rolled out to Eastgate and Liberty Midlands Mall. A total of 99 shopping centres across the country have been earmarked for installation of the technology in the coming months. Parking lots where visitors to the malls can scan their ticket for instant payment are clearly marked with SKIDATA signage.
For more information, visit nedbank.co.za/scantopay or download the Nedbank Money app from your Apple or Android app store.
