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If you’re a business owner, then you know that parking is always at a premium. And, if your customers have to pay to park, then you need parking access and a revenue control system (PARCS). But what are PARCS, and what do they do? In this blog post, we at APS – access Professionals will answer all of your questions about PARCS so that you can make the best decisions for your business.

What Is PARCS and How Do They Work?

Parking Access and Revenue Control Systems (PARCS) are real-time self-service parking systems for transient and credentialed customers. PARCS automate the entry, exit, and payment of all customers accessing a parking facility.

Types of PARCS

There are multiple forms and levels of security and utility offered by such systems in order for lot owners and technicians to control access and collect revenue. Some of the most common types are:

• Parking Lot Entry and Exit Control System Ticket Stations

As the name implies, these ticket stations are automated kiosks dispensing ticket stubs to manage the entry and exit barrier gate(s) to the adjacent lot or garage. Tickets typically note what time the vehicle entered the gate and/or authorize visitors to re-enter and exit multiple times. The kiosks can facilitate the payment of associated parking privileges and thus also the verification of payment through the dispensed ticket receipt.

• Pay Stations

This type can be more comprehensive in its functionalities. Pay stations are able to handle expired exiting tickets, receive entry tickets, add up fee amounts, print receipts, and of course manage payments. They are generally in two forms:

• Pay on Foot (POF) – Step up to the kiosk to take care of any payments for parking before heading to your vehicle. This type of process helps keep the flow of exit efficient.
• Pay in Lane (PIL) – This version of the station allows the driver to stay in their vehicle and simply pay while in the respective directional lane.

• Fee Computers 

Great for instantly calculating complex configurations of fees for multiple machinery, these computers work well for multiple sub-system ticketing types.

• Barrier Gate 

A barrier gate is a beam that controls access to the parking lot or garage, run by a ticketing system. When the necessary criteria are met – payment is processed, the ticket is dispensed, or both – the beam is raised to permit respective entry or exit for the vehicle.

• License Plate Recognition (LPR) and License Plate Inventory (LPI)

The LPR system puts the power of cameras and cataloging together by capturing images of license plates and cross-referencing them with a secondary record of registered license plates. It’s useful for automatically identifying the license plate of any vehicle to manage inventory and revenue control, monitoring security, and access control automation. LPI serves similar purposes but simply is a system of handheld devices and manual cataloging instead. LPR and LPI both can operate independently or in conjunction with PARCS, Parking Guidance Systems or PGS, and Gate Automation solutions.

The Perks of PARCS

When sized up against a more traditional parking management method, PARCS are known for being far safer and easier for both drivers and pedestrians by installing flashing lights and audible alarms as vehicles exit facilities. Fraud can also be reduced thanks to license plate recognition tech. PARC systems support collecting real-time data to inform pricing scheduling for the lot owners and improve efficiencies, too!

With a PARC System like TIBA, for example, you know you’ll get

• Fastest Transaction Processing times
• Advanced Modern Software Tools
• Low Maintenance Costs
• Three Tier Redundant System Architecture
• Ease of Integration to Third Party Systems

How to Choose the Right PARCS for Your Business

Like with any company, the more experience they have in their industry, the more likely they’ll have better products, technology, customer service, value, and overall knowledge of what will best suit your needs. With over 40 years in access control, APS is happy to consult whatever your situation may be to figure out the right system type for your business.

At Access Professional Systems, we prefer and are the exclusive distributor in the Southern California and Phoenix, AZ areas of TIBA Parking Systems. TIBA offers the most complete range of hardware, software, and cloud-based products for parking operators and owners in the industry. Known for their reliability and durability, TIBA products are easy to install, commission, and maintain, and provide the best return on investment in the industry.

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Get started with TIBA PARCS for your revenued parking access control by getting a free estimate here from Access Professionals today!

We here at Access Professional Systems are happy to help! Give us a call at 853-223-9982 (CA) or 602-737-2081 (AZ) anytime.

We look forward to hearing from you!