Cowes Harbour Commission (CHC) has implemented a new digital payment system for those arriving in Cowes by boat, which it claims is the first marina smartphone payment system of its kind in the UK.

Both Trinity Landing and Town Quay now have a smartphone payment system for all short-stay visitor moorings of RIBs and small craft. The system has been designed specifically for CHC by parking and payments specialist Avalon, with the remit of making short-term berthing for CHC customers and visitors easier, quicker, and available 24/7.

“Cowes Harbour had identified that visitor mooring payments were not user-friendly; Avalon’s system has brought them into the digital age,” says Tim Watkins, director at Avalon. “The previous process was totally manual and not at all convenient for users, who had to walk to the office, and relied on the availability of a member of staff.”

Skippers arriving at the marina now simply need to use their mobile device to scan the QR code, enter a few key details, upload a picture of the boat, and pay for their mooring, with no need to create an account or download anything to their device. The harbour master can view pictures of all the boats on their iPad and see who has paid. Cowes Harbour says the cost of berthing remains the same.

“Our intuitive system makes it fast and easy for skippers to pay for mooring using their smartphone,” Watkins continues. “The harbour patrols have instant knowledge of which boats have paid, with any non-payers quickly identified and provided with a QR code to make payment.

“The simplicity of the system results in a smoother experience for skippers and increased payment rates for the harbour. The system is also a great solution for slipway payments, and we look forward to rolling out Avalon Pay to more harbours and marinas in the coming months.”

CEO of Cowes Harbour Commission, Gary Hall, adds: “After successful trials at Town Quay we have rolled out this process to Trinity Landing and have received very encouraging feedback from visitors that this saves time when berthing and is very simple to use.”

The news comes after the launch of new Aqua superPower electric boat charging points in Cowes Harbour earlier this summer.

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