Question 1

What does Automotus do?

Accepted Answer

Automotus partners with cities and fleet operators to make the parking and (un)loading experience more efficient for commercial drivers. Using computer vision technology, Automotus helps manage smart loading zones in high-congestion areas that offer fully automated payment by the minute for drivers. This means you no longer have to waste time messing with mobile payment apps or meters and only have to pay for the time you use. Simply pull into any smart loading zone, get your job done, leave, and automatically pay only for the time you use.

Question 2

What is the smart loading zone pilot program?

Accepted Answer

Automotus is partnering with Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure and the Pittsburgh Parking Authority to create 20 smart loading zones throughout the city to help make parking and (un)loading at the curb more efficient for commercial drivers. The goal of this pilot is to inform longer term curb policies, regulations, and payment operations that improve the parking experience for commercial drivers, including allocating more curb space for (un)loading and fully automating payment.

Question 3

Where are smart loading zones located?

Accepted Answer

Smart loading zones are located in high-congestion commercial districts throughout Pittsburgh, including Downtown, Lawrenceville, Bloomfield, and Oakland, and are clearly marked by designated “Smart Loading Zone” signs.

Question 4

How will I benefit?

Accepted Answer

Smart loading zones are created specifically to make the parking and (un)loading experience more efficient for commercial drivers by decreasing time spent circling for parking, reducing illegal parking and costly tickets, and minimizing unnecessary time spent messing with mobile payment apps and/or meters.

Question 5

How do I register to use a smart loading zone?

Accepted Answer

We keep the sign up process simple and you only have to do it once. Click here to access our sign-up portal and follow the prompts. The process should take no more than a few minutes and does not require creating a username or password - simply sign up using your phone number and the verification code we text you.

Question 6

How do I sign in?

Accepted Answer

We keep the sign in process as simple as possible by only requiring your phone number to verify your identity and access your account - no username or password necessary. Simply sign in using your phone number and the verification code we text you.

Question 7

How do I change my payment method?

Accepted Answer

You can change your payment method at any time in your account settings or by contacting support.

Question 8

What’s the difference between my digital wallet and remaining wallet balance?

Accepted Answer

Your digital wallet is the amount you’ve funded your account with, including any automatic refills. Your remaining wallet balance reflects any transactions you’ve incurred that have not yet been withdrawn from your digital wallet. For example, if you set your digital wallet to $20 and have had $5 in transactions, but Automotus has not yet withdrawn from your account, your digital wallet would still show $20 and your remaining wallet balance would show $15.

Question 9

Why does my digital wallet automatically refill?

Accepted Answer

For now, all digital wallet refills are automated for ease of use and to ensure sufficient balance at all times. You can change your auto refill amount at any time by contacting customer support.

Question 10

How do I view my transactions?

Accepted Answer

You can view all your transactions at any time in your account. We also email you a monthly transaction log with all your transactions from the previous month.

Question 11

How do I request a full refund?

Accepted Answer

Please reach out to our support team by completing the request form found below. Please select the "Requesting a refund" topic and include a detailed description on why you are requesting the refund. We will reach out with any additional questions and let you know when we are processing your request.

Question 12

How do I dispute a transaction?

Accepted Answer

Open your transaction log by signing in to your account and click on the transaction you’d like to dispute. Select the “Dispute” button and indicate if you are disputing the entire transaction or part of the transaction, as well as any additional information you’d like us to consider when reviewing your dispute.

Question 13

How long will my dispute take to review?

Accepted Answer

Once you submit your dispute, you will receive an email confirmation and a member of our team will review your request within 24 hours. If your dispute is accepted, then the appropriate amount will be refunded to your digital wallet. If your dispute is denied, we will share with you the reason for our decision and your transaction will remain unchanged.

Question 14

Where does my refund go?

Accepted Answer

Refunded disputes will be refunded to your digital wallet and will be available for use on your next park.

Question 15

Can my denied dispute be appealed?

Accepted Answer

If you think an error has occurred, please reach out to our support team where we can further investigate or provide insight into your disputed transaction.

Question 16

How much am I charged for parking in a smart loading zone?

Accepted Answer

Tailored to fit the short-term parking needs of commercial vehicle drivers and incentivize shorter stops, drivers who use the zones are charged based on the following rate structure.  0 - 5 mins = $0.07 per minute 5 -15 mins = $0.14 per minute 15 - 30 mins = $0.20 per minute 30 mins - 1 hr = $0.27 per minute  For example, if you only use the zone for 4 minutes, you will be charged $0.28.

Question 17

Why am I being billed when someone else is driving my vehicle?

Accepted Answer

Currently vehicles can only be registered to one user, so if your vehicle is registered to your account you will automatically be billed whenever your registered vehicle parks in a smart loading zone.

Question 18

What if I am parked longer than what’s permitted?

Accepted Answer

Parking your vehicle in a smart loading zone for longer than permitted is a violation of the zone rules and may result in a citation.

Question 19

What if I park in a smart loading zone, but am not registered?

Accepted Answer

If you are not registered, parking your vehicle in a smart loading zone may result in a citation.

Question 20

Can I reserve a space?

Accepted Answer

No. We do not currently offer reservations.

Question 21

How can I ensure my privacy is protected?

Accepted Answer

Our team takes your privacy very, very seriously. Unlike a traditional camera recording system, our technology only captures vehicle license plate information for the purpose of processing automatic payment. Live video feeds are not remotely accessible to anyone at any time and by design our technology cannot be used as a resource for public safety authorities for any reason beyond enforcing parking regulations. Additionally, any images we capture go through a de-identification process that blurs all faces.

Question 22

Do you sell any data or information you collect?

Accepted Answer

No. We’ll never sell any data we collect from you to any third party.

Question 23

What is your privacy policy?

Accepted Answer

You can review our entire policy here.

need support?

our team is here to help.

FAQs

submit a help request