Audio/video automated payment facility

An automated payment system for a plurality of parking facilities comprising:

• a central monitoring facility,
• a plurality of exit facilities remote from the central monitoring facility, each of the plurality of exit facilities controlling egress from a corresponding one of the plurality of parking facilities, and
• a payment terminal remote from the central monitoring facility and each of the plurality of exit facilities,
• wherein the payment terminal includes means for assessing and receiving payment and means for establishing live video and audio interaction between a customer at the payment terminal and an attendant at the central monitoring facility.

An automated payment system for a parking facility, comprising:

• an gate apparatus operable to control egress from the parking facility, and
• a payment terminal remote from the gate apparatus, the payment terminal including:
• a microprocessor programmed to determine a required payment amount based on a parking ticket,
• a payment acceptor that receives the required payment amount, and
• a two-way video and audio communication system linking the automated payment system with a monitoring facility remote from the payment terminal including a video camera, a video display, a speaker, and a microphone at the payment terminal and including a video camera, a video display, a speaker, and a microphone at the monitoring facility for live audio and video communication.