Frequently Asked Questions

In New Zealand, SmartPark can be used in Wellington City, Hutt City, and Hamilton City, with further cities to follow in the near future.

You can use it in all on-street areas where you would normally pay for parking - e.g Parking Meter areas, Pay & Display Areas, and Coupon Parking Zones.

In Wellington and Hutt City, Parking Meters display a sign with the Area number, for example 'W01' or 'HC01'. You can also park in Wellington's Coupon Parking Zone by using ZONE 13

In Hamilton, zone numbers are indicated on a special ZONE CARD supplied with your SmartPark Meter. To obtain a ZONE CARD for Hamilton please contact us on 0800 727 532.

You can use SmartPark in Wellington's Coupon Parking Zone just as you would use it anywhere else - just select ZONE 13 on your SmartPark

It is the equivalent of not putting coins into a parking meter or not displaying a “Pay & Display" ticket, and could result in your being issued an infringement notice.

You don’t need to worry about returning to your car if a meeting lasts longer than you expected, as the SmartPark keeps counting time parked automatically. However you may not exceed the maximum Parking Period allowed for the Area you are in.

No, the SmartPark Meter will not charge you for time parked over the maximum allowed time. (For example if you stay 130 minutes in a  P120 area). However, you may be liable for an infringement notice.

You should receive your SmartPark within 3 working days - if you have not received it within this period please contact us on 0800 727 532

SmartPark is designed to operate for at least nine months of normal daily operations. When the batteries begin to get low, a warning will show on the SmartPark's screen.

Spare batteries should be kept on hand and are available from IPS:

2 x Batteries = $9.95 per pair including GST and Delivery

Call 0800 PARK EASY or email sales@smartpark.co.nz

The SmartPark meter has an inbuilt calendar & clock, and it is the user's responsibility to make sure it is always set at the correct date & time.

When you receive a new SmartPark meter, the clock will already be set correctly. However you may need to adjust it, for example when changing batteries or adjusting for daylight savings.

Instructions for adjusting the clock are in the SmartPark manual dispatched with your meter, or can be downloaded here.

The SmartPark meter can be used in different cities; however different cards are required for use in other cities operating SmartPark.

If you have been using SmartPark in a particular city, you will need to clear the meter with that city's card, before inserting another city's card.

For example, if you drive from Wellington to Hutt, you will need to insert your Wellington Card to clear any parking sessions from the meter, before activating it with the Hutt Card.

The SmartPark is very clever - you can activate it before 8.00am and it will only start charging from 8.00am onwards. The SmartPark meter will only deduct fees during the hours of the day where parking is chargeable.

SmartPark always debits your Smart Card in arrears. This means that the first time you slot in a new card, any outstanding amounts from your previous parking session may be immediately deducted from the card - therefore a new card may 'appear' to have a lower balance than it's face value.

Because you do not need to guess in advance how long you will be, you can still activate your SmartPark with $1 credit. The next time you use your SmartPark, the total parking fee will be deducted from whichever card you insert into the meter.

When you insert your card you may get one of the following Error Messages:

'BATT'  - Batteries are low

'BANK'   - No credit remaining on card / card empty

'E 14'   - Card not activated - needs activation by Council office/point of sale

If you get any other Error Message please contact SmartPark on 0800 727 532

The LCD screen will show the Zone/Area you have selected, and the remaining time you are allowed to park, for inspection purposes.

Yes - you can take your Smart Card to Council outlets and obtain a print-out of all your parking activity, which shows exactly when and how long you have used your SmartPark - this can be used to verify/contest parking infringement notices.

Yes, but only in another SmartPark unit. The card is like cash and should always be kept secure. There are no refunds on lost, unused or partially used cards.

As the SmartPark Meter is rented, it remains the property of IPS Ltd. Insurance of the SmartPark Meter is the responsibility of the hirer/user. The replacement charge for a lost or stolen SmartPark is $250.00 incl. GST.

It is therefore advisable to keep your SmartPark in your vehicle's glove compartment while not in use. Should your SmartPark become lost or stolen you will need to complete a police report.

If you have lost your SmartPark Meter please contact IPS immediately on 0800 727 532

No. The card is like cash and should always be held by the motorist. When you park your car, you slot the card into the SmartPark to commence the parking session. You then withdraw your card and take it with you when you leave the vehicle, so that only the SmartPark Meter is in the car while it is parked.

There is no risk of accidentally leaving the card in the Meter, as the SmartPark will not let you activate the parking session until the card is withdrawn.