City Expands SmartCard

CHARLESTON, SC – June 27, 2010 – In January of 2009, the City of Charleston introduced the new innovative SmartCard Parking program as a convenient and economical way to use on-street parking meters. The SmartCard Parking program allows patrons the option to park at a meter without carrying loose change and refunds unused time at the parking meter back onto the card. In 2007, the City began the program by upgrading half of the City’s meters with mechanisms to include the SmartCard inserts.  As of June 2010, all 1,840 parking meters in the City have been upgraded to accept the SmartCard in addition to accepting coins. 

Beginning Wednesday, June 23, 2010, at 1:00 PM, the Charleston Visitor Center Gift Shop, 375 Meeting Street, will become a second location where residents and visitors can purchase and recharge the SmartCard. The first SmartCard parking system station is located at the Department of Traffic and Transportation, 180 Lockwood Blvd.

To kick-off the sale and recharging of SmartCards at the Charleston Visitor Center, the first 100 customers will receive a SmartCard for free with the minimum purchase of at least $5.00 worth of minutes. As a bonus, an additional 240 minutes (a $3.00 value) will be added to the card at no cost.  This promotion offer is limited to 1 per customer and only at the Charleston Visitor Center.  Additional cards may be purchased at the regular price of $5.00 per card. Money can be uploaded onto the card in increments of $1.00 using cash, Visa, MasterCard, or debit cards and each card can hold up to $300.

Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr. said, “Residents and visitors alike will enjoy the benefits of the pre-paid parking card system that can be purchased and recharged at the centrally located Charleston Visitor Center gift shop. Users find the SmartCard System a great solution to a pocketful of change. Additionally, any unused time is given back to the card user.”