Paying for Parking | Calgary Parking

Paying for parking

We make paid parking sessions easy. Learn about the multiple ways to pay with a ParkPlus account or as a guest.

With a ParkPlus account

  • MyParking

    Mobile app

    Use the mobile app to easily locate parking and get the best deals.

  • ParkPlus for web

    Pay via web browser

    Manage account funds and create custom parking sessions through a web browser.

  • Text to Park

    77587

    Text "start" or "end" plus the 4 digit zone number to 77587.

    Standard carrier message rates may apply.

  • Call to Park

    403-537-PARK

    Call and follow easy prompts to start or end a parking session.

Benefits of a ParkPlus account

ParkPlus makes paying for a parking session easy and offers many benefits to both web and mobile users. These are the benefits available to account holders:

Only pay for the time you park

Easily start and stop your parking sessions instead of pre-paying for a full time period that you might not need.

Credits for unused time

Any unused time (outside of minimum purchase conditions) will be credited to your account. The minimum purchase in a surface lot or parkade is 30 minutes. 

Fast activation

Pay from your device and easily start or end parking sessions without needing to go to a physical pay machine and potentially wait in line. ParkPlus account holders can activate parking sessions via mobile app, ParkPlus for web, or calling or texting with easy to follow prompts.

Flexible payment options

With a ParkPlus account, you can switch between ways to pay. Start your parking session on the app and end the session on the web platform. Or call to start the session and text to end it.

Park friends or family

No need to select your licence plate. Multiple licence plates and cell phones can use the same account, making it easier for families to share an account. A cell phone or license plate can only be attached to one account at a time.

To pay on behalf of a vehicle not registered to a ParkPlus account, use the Park a Friend feature on the MyParking App or ParkPlus for web. The licence plate must be registered on ParkPlus but can be attached to another account.  

Courtesy notifications

Account holders can set up a phone or text alert for when a parking session is about to expire. You can set reminders or specify a timeframe when you don't want to receive messages (this must be set up on the ParkPlus web platform).

"Low balance notifications” can be enabled to send alerts when an account balance is low. Select a threshold of $10, $20, $50 or $100. Add funds via debit or credit card online or with a Customer Service Representative at our Impound Lot. You can also set an auto top-up in the MyParking app.

Manage your account balance

You must have enough funds in your account to cover your entire parking session.  Funds added after the activation of a parking session will not extend the session. To manage your account balance, simply log in to ParkPlus for web or the MyParking app. You can:

  • Check your account balance
  • Set up low-balance notifications
  • Add funds (minimum $25)
  • Set up auto-top up (app only)

Detailed reports

You can export detailed reports of your monthly parking transactions for the previous six months. The reports can be emailed to print or save as a .pdf or .xlsx file. Easily separate reports by phone number. If you need reports for tax purposes, we recommend they be downloaded bi-yearly. 

If you need a report for more than six months, send an email request to parkplus@calgary.ca with the account information and timeframe and we'll be happy to send one to you.

For users without a ParkPlus account

You can pay for parking by:

  • ParkPlus pay machine

    Conveniently located on-street, in parkades and at surface lots.

  • Virtual Pay Machine

    Pay securely without a ParkPlus account.

The ParkPlus system

Calgary Parking developed the ParkPlus System in-house when no viable option existed in the marketplace. It manages parking using the licence plate as a single identifier. The City of Calgary was the first to introduce this technology. 

ParkPlus account management

Request a receipt

Request a receipt by emailing parkplus@calgary.ca with the following information:

  • Date of transaction
  • Licence plate number
  • Amount of transaction
  • How you paid: by app, ParkPlus account deposit, VPM, or Pay Machine (please include machine ID found a top right of pay machine)
  • Payment type (i.e. coin or the first and last 4 digits of the payment card used)
  • Contact information

We will need at least two hours from the transaction time to process the request, as we do not have real time access to payments. Our Customer Service Representatives will verify the transaction and provide a receipt within 48 hours.

Receipts cannot be provided for individual parking sessions made through a ParkPlus account via ParkPlus web, app, text or call to park. Review the account history in your ParkPlus web account for individual parking sessions.

You can export detailed reports of your monthly parking transactions for the previous six months. The reports can be emailed to print or save as a .pdf or .xlsx file. Easily separate reports by phone number. If you need reports for tax purposes, we recommend they be downloaded bi-yearly. 

If you need a report for more than six months, send an email request to parkplus@calgary.ca with the account information and timeframe and we'll be happy to send one to you.

Request a refund

You can request a refund via an email. We will need the following details:

  • Date and time of transaction
  • How you paid: by app, ParkPlus account, VPM, or Pay Machine
  • Pay machine ID or Zone number, or approximate location
  • Licence plate number
  • Contact name
  • Contact phone number
  • Amount of transaction (please attach a receipt, if possible)
  • Payment type
  • First and last 4 digits of card used
  • Reason for the refund

You can also fill out a Customer Refund form and email it to parkplus@calgary.ca.

We can only process refunds on requests we receive within one month of the ParkPlus transaction date. We provide refunds of less than $5 as a ParkPlus account credit. We will return refunds of more than $5 via a credit card refund or ParkPlus account credit. We are unable to issue cheques for parking payment refunds.

We will not process refunds for the following situations:

  • Forgetting to end a parking session
  • Starting a parking session in error or starting multiple overlapping sessions

Account balances

You must have enough funds in your account to cover your entire parking session. Sessions will end automatically when funds are exhausted. Funds added after the activation of a parking session will not extend the session. To manage your account balance, simply log in to check your account balance. You can set up low-balance notifications, add funds (minimum $25), and set up auto-top up (MyParking app only). 

Account closures

Customers who wish to close an existing ParkPlus cell phone account may submit a request by emailing parkplus@calgary.ca. Once the request has been received, a ParkPlus administrator will contact you.

There must be a minimum balance of $1 to transfer funds between accounts or refund a balance on an existing account. When possible, the refund will be applied to the credit card used to add the funds. Alternatively, we will issue a cheque for refunds more than $10. 

The ParkPlus system is also the technology behind our Residential Parking Permits (RPP)monthly parking contractsflex passes, and membership parking such as Calgary Zoo, Telus Spark, The Confluence Historic Site and Parkland, and Heritage Park. Login credentials for ParkPlus will provide access to use these parking services.

Contact us

Are you having technical issues?

If you're having trouble paying for parking— find solutions to common problems below

Q: Why is my payment being declined when I try to pay for parking?

A: There are several reasons why your payment might be declined. One common reason is that the postal code you entered does not match the postal code associated with your credit card.

To enhance the security of our payment platform, we implemented the Address Verification Service for all transactions. This means that the postal code you input during the payment process must match the postal code associated with your credit card. If the postal codes do not match, the payment will be declined.

Other potential reasons for a declined payment include:

  • expired card
  • incorrect card details
  • restrictions placed by your card issuer

Please ensure all entered information is accurate and contact your card issuer if the problem persists.

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