By now you have probably heard about the highly publicized credit card scam that hit Auckland’s Downtown parking lot, covered in the June 2010 issue of Parking World. Impacting more than 100,000 credit cards, the incident was a sobering reminder that parking facilities should adhere to PCI DSS, the PCI Security Standards Council’s rules for protecting cardholder data.
The latest development in this story is actually good news. On July 16, Auckland City Council’s Parking Group issued an RFP with the unassuming title “Replacement of Car Park Operating Equipment and Software” and a primary goal of PCI DSS compliance.
I had always assumed that Auckland’s previous parking system was not PCI DSS compliant but I never got a definitive response from the Auckland City Council on that one point. The RFP finally proves my theory was correct, as it states, “Following a recent incident of credit card fraud, it was discovered that the credit card processing software at the Automatic Payment Machines (APMs) in the car parks does not comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS), which is a required standard for any payment system that incorporates a credit card payment option.”
The Council’s goals stated in the RFP include ensuring that “all car park buildings are PCI DSS compliant by procuring the latest equipment and implementing appropriate management procedures” and they are looking for “state-of-the-art technology for payment and operation of the car park buildings that is PCI-DSS compliant and is capable of maintaining compliance throughout the equipment and software’s lifespan.”
Since the previous equipment was also outdated, Auckland is also looking for a number of other features including a range of payment options, CCTV security, real-time management reporting and enhanced performance analysis. This is an entire overhaul of the city’s parking system.
The Parking Group of Auckland City Council is responsible for the payment and operating equipment in the four CBD car park buildings at Downtown, Civic, Victoria St. and Karangahape Rd.
For the vendors out there, RFP number 30341 can be found on the Government Electronic Tender Service: www.gets.govt.nz
The RFP closing date is August 16, and contract commencement is expected by the end of September.
Pete Goldin
