Parking Meter Cards
About
Pre-paid Parking Meter Debit Cards allow you to pay to park at any meter in the City of San Diego. Meter cards come pre-loaded at $10 or $45, and all cards can be refilled at a refill location.
For information regarding City of San Diego holidays (when you do not need to pay the meter) please visit the Parking 101 page.
For notices of modified hours or office closures please visit our blog.
PURCHASE
You can purchase or refill cards at the following locations, or use our convenient and secure online ordering.
Uptown Partnership - $10, $45, Refill | Online Ordering
11 AM - 4 PM Mon - Thu | 9 AM - 12:30 PM Fri
3108 Fifth Avenue, Ste B
San Diego, CA 92103
619.298.2541
Hillcrest ACE Hardware - $10, $45
8 AM - 8 PM Mon-Fri | 8 AM - 7 PM Sat | 9 AM - 6 PM Sun
1007 University Avenue (corner of 10th and University)
San Diego, CA 92103
619.291.5988
City Parking Administration - $10, $45, Refill
8:30 AM - 5 PM Mon-Thur
Closed Fridays!
1255 Fifth Avenue
San Diego, CA 92101
866.470.1308
Instructions
Adding Time to a Meter
Insert the card into the diagonal card slot near the coin slot on the parking meter. Insert the card in the direction shown by the arrow on the card. The dollar balance (credit available) on the card will flash 4 times. The card will add time to the meter in 10-cent increments. When the meter displays the desired time remove the parking card.
Retrieving Unused Meter Time
Reinsert the card in the parking meter. The balance on the card will flash four times. The parking meter will zero out and then display a higher balance on your card, showing that your card has been credited. Remove your card after the meter shows your new balance. Please note that Pay-and-Display meters do not credit back time due to the receipt function.
Troubleshooting
If you are experiencing problems with your Parking Meter Card please review the steps below:
The meter continues to deduct money from my card when I try to obtain a refund. Parking meters give refunds only after 1 minute’s time has elapsed from inserting the card and seeing the balance flash 4 times. If the meter does not credit your meter card, you may wait for the time in the credit display to elapse by 1 minute and try again. If this attempt does not work, please contact the Meter Shop at (800) 808-5998 because the meter may need to be inspected.
My card reads “ERR” or makes the meter go out of order.
A security mechanism on the chip of the card may have activated in the course of using the card in a meter. Your funds remain on the card, but the card will not work until it is reprogrammed. You may reprogram your card at City Parking Administration Division.
My card has money, but the meter indicates that I have none.
If the credit display reads “.0” rather than “.00” your funds likely are still on the card. However, a security mechanism on the chip of the card may have been activated, preventing its use in other meters. You may reprogram your card at City Parking Administration Division. Reprogramming your card requires adding $1 to the card.
My card doesn’t have enough funds for the time I need.
Parking meter cards may be used in combination with coins. Meters use time from coins before using time from meter cards.
