Paycards, what are they and how do you use them?

What are they? Paycards are the current method used for paying for parking in Jersey’s public car parks. They are available in 3 denominations, 1 Unit, 2 Unit and 4 Unit. Each Paycard may only be used once.

Where can I buy a Paycard? They are available from over 200 outlets throughout the Island, each will have a “Paycard Sold Here sign” displayed. These include Garages, Newsagents, Corner Shops, Supermarkets, Post Offices as well as other outlets.

How much do they cost? Currently the cost of 1 unit is 56 pence inclusive of GST. Paycards are available either in a book of 10 or individually.

When are they valid? A Paycard must be displayed when you park in one of the chargeable Public Car Parks between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday, Bank Holidays and Sundays are free. Paycards must also be displayed in the 20 minute and 1 hour zones on street in St Helier between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday, again Bank Holidays and Sundays are free.

How do I use a Paycard? To use a Paycard you have to scratch the silver coating off in each of the five sections to indicate the day, date, month and arrival time in hours and minutes. For example, if you arrive at 10:15 on Tuesday 3 February you would scratch the silver off the [TUE] in the day section, the [FEB] in the month section, the [3] in the date section, the [10] on the outer ring of the clock and the [15] on the inner ring of the clock. This will then show you have arrived at 10:15 on Tuesday 3 February. If you are using more than 1 Paycard you should indicate the same details on each Paycard used. Once you have scratched the details off your Paycard(s) they should be placed on the dashboard of your vehicle, making sure that all the details of each Paycard used can be clearly seen from outside the vehicle. If part of one of your Paycards is hidden, it will be not be taken as valid and you may be issued with an Excess Charge Notice.

The following picture shows how the paycard above will look:




What rate is Paycard parking charged at? Paycard parking is charged at 1 unit per hour or part thereof. This means that you must put a correctly completed Paycard up even if you are stopping for a few minutes in a public car park. A number of the car parks situated outside the St Helier Ring Road are charged at half the normal rate, this means that 1 unit will be valid for up to 2 hours parking.

Which Car Parks can I use a Paycard in? You may use a Paycard in any of the chargeable States of Jersey public car parks. Some are limited to a maximum of 3 hour stay, others are all day parking. Click here for a list of car parks.

Can I move from 1 car park to another and still use the same Paycard? When you use a public car park you must indicate the arrival time in that car park on your Paycards. This means that you cannot park in one car park at 8 a.m. in the morning, place two 4 Unit Paycards which both indicate an arrival time of 8 a.m. and then move your car to another car park later in the day without risking being issued with an Excess Charge Notice – even though the two 4 Unit Paycards may not have expired. If moving from 1 all day car park to another this will not be a problem, however, if moving from an all day car park to a short stay one you would have to place new Paycards with the actual arrival time in that car park.

What happens if I make a mistake when scratching my Paycard? If you make a mistake when scratching your Paycard you must use another which will have the correct details indicated. If you make a mistake on your Paycard and then scratch out more than 1 entry in any of the sections, your Paycard will not be valid and you will be issued with an Excess Charge Notice.

What do I do if I have a Paycard which will not scratch properly? If you have some Paycards which do not scratch as they are intended, first make an effort to scratch off the silver coating and if you are not able to do so, either mark the intended details very clearly by blocking them over with a biro or make a hole with your vehicle key. DO NOT CIRCLE OR LIGHTLY MARK THE INTENDED DETAILS.

What happens if I leave my Paycards on the dashboard of my car and they fall off when I shut the door? If your Paycards are not clearly displayed on your vehicle when a Parking Control Officer checks it, you will be issued with an Excess Charge Notice. To avoid this happening you should always ensure that your Paycards are clearly displayed once you have locked your vehicle.

Page Last Updated: 06/05/2008