The vendor is required to provide a complete pay-by-phone and pay-by-text mobile parking payment (MPP) system for all city operated paid parking spaces.
- The city for an MPP system aggregator to collect, manage and present the transactional and revenue data from the MPP systems.
a. Revenue
• The contractor’s MPP system shall be certified to the most recent payment card industry data security standard (PCI DSS) version.
• The city prefers that all payments be processed via the city’s merchant processor.
• All transactions shall be processed in real time.
• Revenues shall be deposited directly to the city’s bank account and the city prefers to be the merchant-of-record on all transactions.
• If the proposer recommends that merchant of record status remain with the proposer, provide the approximate credit card processing fees as a percentage of the total value of the transaction and if the credit card fees will be paid out of the transaction fees and/or meter revenue.
• The proposer shall describe in detail the step-by-step process of the vendor’s credit card acceptance procedure from the time a patron inputs their card information to the time the money is deposited in the city’s bank account.
• the proposer shall provide a detailed monthly statement listing all per-transaction charges.
• The city must approve the transaction fee, or any other fee assessed to customers using any mobile platform for city on-street paid parking prior to it being assessed for transactions.
• Transaction fees will be paid to the city, and the city will remit monthly payments to selected vendor(s).
• Proposers may submit revenue share models for consideration.
a. Customer support:
• Proposer shall be available to assist MPP system users through multiple methods of communication should users have questions or issues using the mobile app.
• Customer service support should be available via phone, email, or web.
• The following customer service and support functions are expected to be available from the MPP system:
o Users should be able to make payments by mobile device.
o A customer service hotline should be available to users 24 hours a day, 7 days per week.
o Using virtual chat or an interactive voice response (“IVR”) system is acceptable, but the option to speak with a live representative should be available 7:00 am – 6:00 pm (CST), 7 days per week.
o Agents should be available to assist in both english and Spanish.
o Provide the ability to assist in other languages as needed.
o Provide email customer service communication
o Provide texting or live chat communication.
o Provide customer assistance with registration and use of system information.
o Address and correct errors with parking transactions and issue refunds.
o The MPP shall log all customer interactions and provide the city with immediate access to reports and detailed logs associated with customer correspondence and exchanges.
o Notify customers of any convenience/user fees to be charged regardless of payment type/option utilized.
c. City support
• A single point of contact for the city is required during normal business hours; m-f 7:00 am – 6:00 pm, CST.
• The contractor will coordinate, in advance, scheduled time off and identify an alternate point of contact during these designated times.
• Timely, same day responses are required.
• The proposer shall describe the escalation matrix based on time of day and the support and response commitment throughout the term of this agreement.
d. Training
• Contractor shall cover all travel costs, if applicable.
• The contractor shall supply and keep current hard and digital copies of all operating, training, repair, and user’s manuals, which include detailed instructions for system usage.
• All manuals are to be kept up to date throughout the duration of the contract.
• Provide technical bulletins that identify product notifications, technology updates, and information regarding system errors or issues.
• The proposer shall include a proposed training outline with a detailed description of implementation and equipment training for the various city functions (e.g., configuration, management, reporting) and the number of personnel allowed to participate.
e. Implementation plan
• Provide an implementation work plan detailing the actions necessary to implement the proposed MPP system.
• The plan should ensure that the MPP system functions quickly and is implemented in accordance with the project timeline.
• Provide a proposed implementation plan that includes the following:
o A detailed testing plan - the developed system must undergo rigorous unit, system, integration, and interface testing.
o All components shall be tested as required.
o All data integrations shall also be tested to ensure that the system interacts with other systems as expected.
o A training and support plan - during the implementation phase through the end of the contract.
o Timeline - proposer must provide timeline on project implementation including testing, training, roll-out, and signage delivery.
f. Configuration capabilities
• The MPP system shall support different rate structures that are configurable by time of day, length of stay, and day of the week.
• These may include dynamic and progressive rate structures for peak occupancy periods.
• The city shall have the ability to program rules and rates independent of contractor support with no additional costs associated with these changes.
• The MPP system shall support the configuration of city parking rules such as city holidays, temporary regulation changes, special events, application push notifications, and alert rules.
• The MPP system shall support prepayment timeframes.
• The MPP system shall support automatic changes due to daylight savings time and support any state/federal changes to daylight savings time.
• The MPP system should be able to provide a validation program that could include special events and merchant participation throughout the city or in specific zones, should the city choose to enable this service.
• The MPP system should be able to provide fleet management so that the customer could manage their vehicles and users.
• The MPP system shall allow rates and schedules to be programmed and reprogrammed in a flexible manner, in real time and without any system downtime.
• The MPP system shall allow rates and schedules to be programmed prior to the effective date and time, to go into effect automatically at that date and time.
• The MPP system shall conform to a zone and/or space numbering sequence as defined by the city.
• Provide integration with existing and future paid parking management, license plate readers, and enforcement systems at no additional cost.
g. Customer capabilities
• The customer shall be able to create/edit/update an account with the MPP system, but it shall not be required to use the MPP system.
• An account shall have the ability to support more than one license plate for the same user.
• Allows payment through multiple options, including but not limited to, voice, website (mobile responsive design), mobile SMS texting, and smartphone application compatible with iOS and android operating systems.
• Provides customer options to be informed via text, email, or application notification prior to the expiration of their parking session.
• Capable of providing a “lockout” period, restricting the customer from beginning another parking session in the same space or zone until after a specified period of time has passed.
• The MPP system provider should explain how this functionality will work.
• The system must have a mobile responsive website that works on most devices and that can be accessed by computer.
• Provide customers with text, email, and/or in-app receipts of all parking transactions.
• Allows users to email or text a copy of a receipt for parking session initiated through the MPP system.
• MPP system should integrate with the major mobile payment providers (apple pay, google pay, etc.) as a method of payment for parking sessions.
• Customers shall have the ability to look back into parking session history and see relevant information about previous parking sessions such as:
o Parking session start time
o Parking session expiration time
o Method of payment
o Payment amount
o Zone
o Vehicle information
h. Technical requirements and system integration
• Integrate with the city’s current parking citation processing system (t2 flex and t2 enforcement app) and accommodate any future potential changes to the system.
• Integrate automated license plate readers and accommodate any future potential changes to parking enforcement equipment.
• Integrate with t2 systems iris system and CivicSmart and pom single-head meters.
• Integrate with the Smarking platform to display parking availability data in the MPP app and webpage.
• Integrate with any other parking data, payment, and management systems and platforms the city may acquire during the operation.
• Integrate payment zones with the city’s selected number typology.
• Utilize and display city-created block id numbers containing up to eight (8) alphanumeric characters for payment zones.
• Enable city staff to add, remove, or alter meters or spaces within the pay-by-app and phone system inventory.
• MPP systems shall also have a two-way integration with the MPP system aggregator.
• The MPP system partners should have the ability to accept changes made by MPP system aggregator.
- Contract Period/Term: 1 year
- Pre-Proposal Conference: Date: May 06, 2025
- Questions/Inquires Deadline: May 09, 2025