Motorists visiting Haverhill and Bury St Edmunds can now pay for parking in St Edmundsbury Borough Council off-street car parks using their mobile phone and a debit or credit card. The service, run by RingGo, offers the peace of mind of not having to visit the ticket machine or having the correct change, and the convenience of being able to extend your stay without interrupting your enjoyment of the towns.
The service costs a flat rate of 20p in addition to the car park charge. The cost of an optional text alert when your parking is due to expire for 10p. No tickets are issued as parking attendants check that vehicles have paid using special mobile phones linked to the central data system.
The service is available in these of-street car parks run by St Edmundsbury Borough Council:
How to register and pay
The instructions below will help you to use your phone or computer to register with the service. The initial registration takes a couple of minutes, after which the system will recognise you, and calls will be shorter.
Registration
You can pre-register or register at the same time you want to park.
Pre-registration:
- On the internet www.myringgo.co.uk/register
- By using RingGo apps for your iPhone or android handset, downloadable from the Apple store or android marketplace.
You will be asked to provide The number plate, colour and make of your vehicle Payment card details Registering at the same time that you park
- By using the RingGo apps mentioned above
- By calling RingGo 0203 046 0010
Paying to park
- By phone call
- By text message
- By app By internet from your mobile or pc
- Details on each are provided below.
Once registered, RingGo recognises your mobile phone number and retrieves information you have previously given. This means that when you pay you only have to provide:
- The location code where you are parked. Each area offering RingGo has its own individual location number (click for details of locations in your area). Local signs provide this information. In the example shown, the location code is 0000.
- The length of time you want to park, and
- Your payment card 3 digit security code.
iPhone users
iPhone users can download a RingGo iPhone application (free of charge), through their handset, by scanning the QR code below, or from the Apple iTunes store. The app allows you to register for the service, locates your nearest RingGo zone, lets you manage your account and allows you to pay to park directly through the app.
Android phone users RingGo offers a similar application for Android users, with all the same functionality as the iPhone app (register, locate zone, manage account, pay for and extend parking). Download this for free at the Android market https://market.android.com (search for RingGo) or scan the image below.
Automated phone service To use the automated phone service, you simply call the telephone number on the signs when you want to park. RingGo will remember you (by recognising your mobile phone number) and ask you to:
- Confirm the vehicle you want to park
- Confirm the location where you want to park
- Say how long you want to stay, and
- Provide the security code from your credit card
Text to park
You can also use the quick and easy RingGo "text to park" option instead. So for instance, sending a message with 4479 3h 867 to 81025 will park your nominated vehicle for 3 hours in the Cattle Market, Bury St Edmunds.
For details on how to set up the service for your particular location please see the myRingGo website – www.myRingGo.co.uk/texttopark
Internet options
If you have a phone with mobile internet access, you can use the myRingGo site to pay for your parking. Simply login at www.myRingGo.co.uk/park and complete the details. Alternatively you can use the same link from a standard pc or other internet connected device.
For more information on all of these options, please see www.myRingGo.co.uk.
How much does RingGo cost?
There is no charge for registering with RingGo and no charge for the PIN confirmation text when you set up your account.
When you park your vehicle with RingGo, you generally pay a 20p convenience charge on top of the normal parking tariff charges which apply. This parking charge will be shown on your monthly credit/debit card statement.
The RingGo iPhone and Android applications are free to download and use. You just pay the parking fee and the RingGo convenience charge, plus any browsing time.
If you call RingGo, the number used is a geographic one, so you are charged the standard rate agreed with your mobile phone operator. However, such calls are often included free within mobile phone packages, so if you receive a free "bundle of minutes", your call is likely to be included free within this.
If you use the RingGo "text to park" option, you will pay for the text message at your agreed operator rate. You will also pay a 10p charge for the summary text message (which you automatically receive), providing confirmation of your parking session details.
Parking session confirmation messages and reminder texts (alerting you when your session is about to run out), cost 10p per message.
Benefits of RingGo - extending your parking session
Unlike normal parking sessions, you can remotely top up your parking fee when you use RingGo. If you want to extend your stay, simply contact RingGo again and the service will ask you:
- How long you want to extend
- What your card security code is
The RingGo system automatically recognises that you have a parking session currently operating.
Can I get a VAT receipt?
If you need a VAT receipt for your RingGo parking session, you can view and print it online by logging in at www.myRingGo.co.uk. If you provide us with your email address, you can opt to receive a receipt automatically every time you park. Just login and add your email address into the Settings menu.
Please visit www.myRingGo.co.uk/whereitworks to see all the location numbers in your area and across the UK.
More information on Ring Go
For general information about RingGo please visit www.myRingGo.co.uk. If you have a specific question about how RingGo operates, please see www.myRingGo.co.uk/help which contains a lot of common queries.
Cobalt Telephone Technologies is a British-based company that has developed the RingGo service. We have been operating since 1997 and have been developing and managing innovative automated telephone and web-based solutions since this time. For more information please visit www.ctt.co.uk.
