At a glance
- Payment
- Cash or Visa and Mastercard cards, or the EasyPark app; cash is not accepted at every meter
- Card only
- Some meters at Goodwin Terrace (Burleigh Heads), Broadwater Parklands car park and Evandale Park (HOTA)
- Receipt
- No printed receipt; the machine offers an email receipt via my-receipt.com
- Faulty meter
- Call 07 5667 5989; try another meter, another payment method, or move your vehicle
- Public holidays
- Charges apply in Burleigh Heads, Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach
- Official page
- City of Gold Coast, Metered parking
City of Gold Coast parking meters take cash or Visa and Mastercard cards, and you can also pay with the EasyPark app. Cash is not accepted at every meter, and the City does not accept American Express. Your parking time starts when your car stops in the space, because most metered areas use in-ground sensors, and you do not need to display a receipt.
The City’s metered parking page covers metered areas in Bundall, Burleigh Heads, Broadbeach, Surfers Paradise and Southport. This guide sums up the page as checked on 15 October 2026.
How do I pay at a meter?
The City’s metered parking page says to follow the instructions on the machine. You will need to:
- enter your vehicle registration details
- choose cash or card with the left or right arrows
- for cash, insert enough coins to cover your stay
- for card, choose your length of stay with the arrows, press OK, then tap or insert your card
Meters accept payment only up to the maximum time allowed in the space.
Which meters take card only?
The City says some meters at three locations accept card only: Goodwin Terrace in Burleigh Heads, the Broadwater Parklands car park in Southport, and Evandale Park (HOTA) in Surfers Paradise. If you need to pay in cash, the City says to try a nearby meter, because selected meters at each location do accept cash.
How does the EasyPark app work?
The EasyPark app is free to download from the Apple Store or Google Play. After you register, you can pay with a credit or debit card straight away. In the app you log in, spin the wheel to choose a parking time, and stop or extend your time as needed. The City lists these features:
- you can choose any time up to the maximum allowed in the space
- the app sends a reminder 15 minutes before your parking is due to end
- you can extend up to the maximum allowed in the space
- you are charged when you stop the app and leave the space
An account is linked to a mobile phone number and can hold several vehicles. Without a smartphone, you can start and stop parking by calling EasyPark on 1300 734 070. The City notes that EasyPark is a separate service with its own terms and conditions, including any applicable parking transaction fees.
Do I get a receipt?
You do not need to display a receipt in your car, and the meters do not print one. When you finish paying, the machine offers to email you a receipt. Press Yes, note the 4-digit code, then scan the QR code on the meter’s display panel or go to my-receipt.com and enter the code, your registration and your email address. After you register, you receive a receipt each time you pay for metered parking.
Can I pay again to stay longer?
Not where the space has a time limit. The City says you must not park longer than the time on the sign, and a 2P space means moving your vehicle within 2 hours. A metered area is a timed area, so you cannot move to another spot within it and keep parking. You must not make an additional payment to stay beyond the sign time, and doing so could get you a fine. You must move out of the timed area entirely.
What if a meter is faulty?
To report a fault, call the City on 07 5667 5989 or visit a customer service centre. To avoid a fine for non-payment, the City says to try another meter with the same tariff, try another payment method (cash, card or EasyPark), and move your vehicle if you cannot complete payment.
What about nights and public holidays?
The City says parking in most places is free at night and on public holidays. In Burleigh Heads, Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach, normal parking charges and time-limit measures apply on public holidays. Signs at each location show the hours that apply, and where no days are listed the times apply every day.
For car parks, check each car park’s own page. For example, our guide to Southport’s council car parks covers three car parks that are paid from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday.
What are the fines?
You may be fined if you park in a metered space and do not pay, pay the wrong amount, or stay longer than the displayed maximum. The City’s fine codes are:
| Code | Offence |
|---|---|
| 007 | Not paying parking fees as stated on the sign (for example, 2P METER) |
| 009 | Staying longer than the allowed time in a paid area |
| 059 | Staying longer than the allowed time in a non-paid area |
What are Traffic Areas?
The City’s Traffic areas page says a Traffic Area is a geographic area with time-limited parking, and the limits apply on every street inside it, including streets without signs. The City has 11 Traffic Areas, covering popular beach suburbs such as Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach, Mermaid Beach, Burleigh Heads and Bilinga, hospital precincts, commercial areas such as Southport and Bundall, and stadium and event areas. The stadium and event areas, including Main Beach, have time limits on event days only.
Disability parking permit holders should see the City’s accessible parking page, which says permit holders park free in metered spaces across the Gold Coast.
More guides: Gold Coast parking guide
Sources
- City of Gold Coast — Metered parking (checked 15 October 2026)
- City of Gold Coast — Traffic areas
- City of Gold Coast — Accessible parking
Featured image: a pay parking machine, photographed in Canberra rather than on the Gold Coast (photo: Nick-D / CC BY-SA 3.0) (text added)
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with the City of Gold Coast or EasyPark. Parking rules and rates can change; check the signs at the meter before you park.