San Diego State University is enhancing its parking operations with a modernized, comprehensive payment solution designed to improve efficiency and user experience. By implementing a platform that streamlines revenue collection for guest parking, service vendors, and events, SDSU is creating a more seamless and adaptable system.

To modernize, the university required a platform capable of streamlining revenue collection for guest parking, service vendors, and events while also providing flexibility to handle diverse parking scenarios. The new solution integrates with enforcement tools, such as license plate recognition (LPR) systems, supports data-driven decision-making, and ensures a user-friendly experience for guests and staff. This initiative reflects the university’s commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and providing a more convenient parking experience for the campus community, and eliminating the reliance on outdated practices.

It was crucial for the solution to integrate seamlessly with enforcement tools like license plate recognition (LPR) systems, support data-driven decision-making, and deliver a user-friendly experience for both guests and staff. Addressing these needs became a top priority as SDSU sought to enhance efficiency and maximize revenue.

Chris Sumner

San Diego State University
Associate Director of Parking & Transportation Services

"We streamlined our payment process. Guests, vendors, and event attendees could pay for parking online, directly through the platform. This eliminated the need for in-person payment kiosks and allowed departments to collect revenue seamlessly."

Challenges

Revenue loss

Lax adoption of paper permits

The use of paper permits introduced a range of problems. Departments would often purchase these permits in bulk, storing them for future use. However, a lack of tracking and accountability created significant challenges. In some cases, permits purchased over a decade earlier resurfaced, forcing SDSU to issue refunds despite no staff being able to verify the original transaction.

No-citation practices

Departments could arrange no-citation agreements, where specific parking areas were designated as enforcement-free zones for event attendees. While intended to simplify parking for guests, no-citations had several drawbacks:

The fee for no-citations was often lower than the cost of purchasing individual permits, undercutting revenue.
Unauthorized vehicles frequently exploited these areas, displacing legitimate attendees and creating a frustrating experience for event organizers.

This challenge further reduced the department's ability to collect citation revenue, as enforcement was deliberately paused in these zones.

Administrative burden

Manual processes

Paper permits required extensive handling, from production to distribution. Each permit needed to be physically stamped to authenticate it, a task that demanded hours of staff time daily. This process became especially cumbersome for high-volume requests, such as when a department ordered hundreds of permits for a single event. These large orders often required a week or more of preparation time, limiting the department's ability to respond to last-minute requests effectively.

Limited flexibility

The rigidity of the paper-based system made it difficult to accommodate unique department needs or unforeseen circumstances. Departments hosting events frequently requested tailored parking arrangements, but the manual system left little room for customization. Similarly, last-minute requests for permits often created bottlenecks, as physical permits had to be processed, stamped, and delivered—a process incompatible with same-day needs.

Cumbersome payment collection

Collecting payments for permits or event parking through traditional methods, such as checks, was another area of inefficiency. Vendors and external clients often delayed payments, creating cash flow issues for SDSU. The inability to process credit card payments directly compounded this challenge, forcing the department to follow up repeatedly for overdue payments.

Solution

Streamlined payments

Integrated stripe for effortless payment processing.
Enabled users to pay directly online via simple links.
Eliminated manual payment handling, reducing friction.

Phased rollout

Conducted pilot programs to compare Offstreet
with competitor systems.
Offstreet stood out for flexibility, user-friendly
design, and customization capabilities.
Selected as the primary platform due to its superior performance and adaptability.

Enhanced reporting

Delivered comprehensive registration and usage reports.
Allowed tracking of parking utilization for events and daily operations.
Enabled accurate forecasting and planning through robust data insights.

SDSU introduces modern, more efficient approach with Offstreet's digital payment solution