Credit card readers on Monterey's parking meters will go dark Thursday, Oct. 1, after the city's meter vendor shuts down.

The City of Monterey announced through the Old Monterey Business Improvement District on Friday, Sept. 25, that its parking meter vendor, POM, will cease operations on Oct. 1. The shutdown means credit card payments at city meters will be temporarily unavailable.

Two options remain: coins and the ParkMobile app.

The city said it is working to restore credit card capability but gave no specific timeline. It encouraged drivers to download ParkMobile and set up an account before the change takes effect.

What drivers need to know

ParkMobile is a free app available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Drivers who prefer not to download the app can pay through a mobile browser at parkmobile.io or call 877-727-5718 to start a session by phone.

Each ParkMobile transaction carries a $0.30 fee on top of the regular meter rate. The app accepts Visa, Mastercard and Discover, according to ParkMobile's Monterey information page.

ParkMobile payments do not show on the meter display. Enforcement officers verify payment using a handheld device that checks license plate numbers and zone numbers. Zone numbers in Monterey range from 21001 to 21018 and are posted on green stickers on each meter.

The city lists approximately 1,200 ParkMobile-enabled parking spots across Monterey, according to its public works parking page.

A nationwide vendor shutdown

Monterey is not alone. Fox 6 Milwaukee reported that Milwaukee faces the same Oct. 1 disruption after Park-O-Meter, the company behind the POM brand, announced it would cease operations. Milwaukee's Department of Public Works described the closure as "unexpected" and said it came with "limited advance notice."

The Monterey announcement did not say whether the city received similar short notice.

What comes next

The city has not named a replacement vendor or set a target date for restoring credit card payments at meters. Drivers heading downtown Thursday or after should bring quarters or have ParkMobile ready on their phones.