A major change has been made to the visitor parking program at the University of Houston.

Parking meters have long been the way visitors paid to park in the visitor sections of campus parking lots. Customer would park their vehicle, then go to the nearby pay machine. They purchased a certain amount of time based on how long they thought they would need to park. They also entered their license plate number and inserted a credit or debit card.

This process could sometimes be slowed down by someone unfamiliar with how to use the meters, or if someone is fumbling through their purse or wallet looking for their card. During the busier times of the week, a line could form. If it was pouring down rain and you were trying to hold an umbrella at the same time, you knew how much trouble that could be.

No more physical meters

Just recently, though, we implemented a text to pay virtual meter system that is replacing the actual physical meters.

The new system allows you to use your smart phone to pay by credit or debit card without having to leave your vehicle. No more waiting in lines at a pay station.

Look for the orange spaces

These virtual meter spaces are easily identifiable, as they are marked with orange striping. If you see a space that is orange, you know it is a text to pay virtual meter location. A valid UH parking permit cannot be used to park in these spaces. Anyone who parks in an orange space is responsible for paying the fee, regardless of whether they have a permit.

How does it work?

There is signage at each of the locations explaining how to pay. You just need to text the key word assigned to the lot you are in to 25023. Each visitor lot/area has its own key word. In most cases (not all), it is the lot name preceded by a zero. Just make sure that you text the key word that is written on the signage at the lot you are in.

After you send the text, you will get a text back with a link. Click on the link and follow the prompts to pay. You will need to input your payment card number the first time, but it will be saved so that you do not need to re-enter it for any future parking payments.

Once the time you purchased gets close to expiring, you will receive a text asking if you want to extend the time. You can pay to add more time if you so choose.

It's important to remember that, just like with the old meter payment machines, you need to pay once you park and NOT when you leave.

Have questions?

Anyone who has any questions about the text to pay/virtual meter system can email parking@uh.edu or call 832-842-1097. You can also leave your questions in the comment section below.