Transperth Station Parking: $2 on Weekdays, Free on Saturdays, and How to Avoid the $50 Fine (Perth, WA)

Parking at a Transperth train station costs $2 on weekdays and is free on weekends and public holidays, with one exception: a car left overnight on a Sunday or public holiday needs a $2 payment, because it will still be there on a weekday. The fee applies per 24 hours or part of that period, and the car parks are for Transperth customers only.

Transperth patrols the car parks daily and issues a $50 fine to a car that has not been paid for, so the way you pay matters as much as the amount. This guide sets out the rules on Transperth’s parking page, checked on Friday 23 October 2026: when you pay, the two ways to pay, which stations are exceptions, and the short-term bays.

When do I need to pay?

Day	What Transperth says
Monday to Friday	The $2 fee applies
Saturday	No charge, and you do not need to tag on to parking machines
Sunday or public holiday	No charge unless the vehicle is parked overnight; you do not need to tag on to parking machines unless you are parking overnight

Transperth’s parking page says the charge applies to all vehicles except authorised parking permit holders, and that accessible parking bays are exempt from the fee. Its conditions of use describe the flat fee as applying to all vehicles, including motorbikes and motorised scooters, parked between 5am and 9pm Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.

How long is my ticket valid?

A ticket is valid for 24 hours from the time of purchase, and Transperth says you may receive a fine if the car stays after that. Its examples:

• If you pay at 10.30am on a weekday, you can leave the car until 10.30am on the following weekday.
• If you park at 4.00pm on a Sunday and leave the car overnight, you need to pay, because the car will be there on a weekday. You can leave it until 4.00pm on Monday, after which you need to tag on to SmartParker again or buy a new ticket.

For the Sunday case, the 24-hour period starts when you tag on.

How does SmartParker work?

SmartParker lets you pay with your SmartRider by linking your vehicle to the card. Transperth describes it as the easiest and quickest way to pay.

1. Create a My Account on the Transperth website and link your SmartRider to it.
2. Log in, choose Register for SmartParker, and follow the prompts to link your number plate to your SmartRider.
3. Park, go to the SmartParker machine near the station entrance, and press the green button until the screen says “Please present your card”.
4. Hold your SmartRider to the processor and wait for the beep and for the screen to show “Payment OK $2”.
5. Head to the station and tag on and off Transperth services as normal. You do not need to tag off SmartParker when you return to the car.

If your personalised number plate includes a symbol, Transperth says to enter only the numbers and letters visible on the plate, because the symbol will not be scanned and you risk a fine. You can link up to three vehicles to one SmartRider, but only one can be active at a time. To park a different vehicle, make it active through My Account or call 13 62 13 before you tag on to SmartParker. The $2 is deducted from your SmartRider, and the charge appears in My Account after about 24 hours. SmartRider discounts and concessions do not apply to parking.

How does Pay by Plate work?

Pay by Plate is available at most stations. You enter your licence plate number at a machine near the station entrance and choose how to pay.

1. Park, note your licence plate number, and go to the Pay by Plate machine.
2. Press the Pay by Plate button, enter your plate number and press the green tick.
3. Press 1 for coins, 2 for SmartRider or 3 for contactless payment.
4. For SmartRider or contactless, hold the card on the contactless symbol until the beep and the screen reads “Approved”. For coins, insert $2; no change is given if you insert more.
5. Collect the receipt. It is for your records and does not need to go in the car.

• The machines accept only Visa or Mastercard cards and digital wallets.
• They have no note facilities, and only coins of 10c and up can be used.
• SmartRiders do not need to be registered for Pay by Plate.
• Transperth says coins or contactless with Pay by Plate is the best option when travelling to an event on a weekday with Transperth travel included.

Which stations are exceptions?

Stations	Rule
Claremont, Seaforth and Swanbourne	SmartParker only; you cannot use Pay by Plate
Cockburn Central, East Perth, Fremantle and Murdoch	SmartRider only; you cannot pay with coins or contactless payment

Transperth says to use the Stations and Maps page to filter by your station and see what parking is available, and to download a station access map if you are unsure where to park.

What is the rule about tagging on after paying with a SmartRider?

When you pay for parking with a SmartRider, you must tag on to a bus or train from that station on the same day that you parked. Transperth says that if you fail to tag on after paying for parking on two consecutive occasions, your card is blocked from the parking facilities.

• To unblock the card, make a Transperth journey with your SmartRider either to or from the station where you last paid for parking.
• After that, it can take up to three days for your SmartRider to work on the parking machines again.

What are the short-term bays?

Some stations have short-term bays close to the entrance, designed for drop-off and pick-up at peak times. Transperth lists these times, and says to check the signs at the station:

Time	Rule
5.00am to 9.00am	15 minutes only, no charge
3.30pm to 6.30pm	15 minutes only, no charge
9.00am to 3.30pm	Park for $2
After 6.30pm and before 5.00am	Park for $2
Saturday and Sunday, any time	No charge

What happens if I do not pay?

Parking attendants patrol the car parks daily and issue a $50 fine if a car’s licence plate number has not been entered into a Pay by Plate machine, or the $2 has not been deducted from a linked SmartRider. For SmartParker, attendants use licence plate recognition software to check whether parking has been paid. Transperth says the car parks are strictly for Transperth passengers, so that as many bays as possible are available to them.

How does this relate to free Sunday travel?

Parking on a Sunday is free unless the car stays overnight, even though Sunday travel is also free. If you leave the car overnight on Sunday, the $2 applies. Our guide to free Sunday travel on Transperth covers the fare side, and our Transperth fares guide has the fares and the SmartRider card cost.

Sources

• Transperth — Parking (checked 23 October 2026)

Featured image: High Wycombe Station multi-storey car park (photo: Steelkamp / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added)

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Transperth or the Public Transport Authority. Parking rules and fees can change; check the signs at the station and the official page above.