Single space parking meter and removable single space parking meter mechanism

A single space parking meter comprising:

• a lower housing having a three-sided rectangular cutout;
• a removable parking meter mechanism at least partially received within the lower housing comprising:
• a plurality of mechanical buttons for interacting with the single space parking meter;
• a card payment component;
• an external covering attached to and removable with the removable parking meter mechanism comprising a slot through which a payment card can be inserted into the card payment component and openings through which the mechanical buttons protrude;
• and
• a coin slot arranged on a protruding surface separate from the external covering and sized to be received within the three-sided rectangular cutout;
• an external back housing hingedly attached to the lower housing;
• an external housing, comprising the external back housing, the external covering of the removable parking meter mechanism and the lower housing, the external housing providing protection from an external environment to at least a portion of the removable parking meter mechanism, the external housing comprising:
• a first opening on a first side of the external housing;
• and
• a second opening on a second side of the external housing opposite the first side;
• and
• a wireless antenna located within a space enclosed by the external housing when the removable parking meter mechanism is secured to the lower housing and arranged to receive radio frequency signals through both the first opening of the external housing and the second opening of the external housing.