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Permit Sales Window Management

Permit Sales Windows define the specific timeframes during which parking permits can be purchased and when they are valid. Its primary purpose is to help administrators create, configure, and activate sales windows so permits align accurately with organizational academic terms or operational periods. This article is intended for OPS-COM administrators.

Setup and Configuration

Administrators use the Manage Permit Sales Window page to create, configure, and define the dates for sales windows.

Admin Side:

  1. Hover over Parking Management and click Sales Windows.

  2. Click the +Add Sale Window button.

  3. Enter a descriptive name for your sales window in the Name field.

  4. Choose your allocation timeframe from the Allocation Type drop-down menu:

    • Monthly: Used for permits valid on a month-to-month basis.

    • Yearly: Used for full-year or annual permit cycles.

    • Semester: Tailored for academic terms (e.g., Fall, Winter, Spring/Summer).

    • Other / Alternate A / Alternate B: Options for unique or non-standard timeframes that do not fit standard categories.

  5. Enter your Sale Start Date, Permit Start Date, and End Date.

  6. Choose a color for your sales window.

  7. Click the Save Changes button. The newly created sales window will now appear in the list on the Manage Permit Sales Window page.

Defining Key Dates

When creating a new sales window, you must accurately define the following key dates to dictate availability:

  • Sale Start Date: The first day that permits associated with this sales window will be available for purchase by users.

  • Permit Start Date: The first day the purchased permit becomes officially valid and usable (e.g., scannable, recognized by LPR). This allows for pre-selling permits before their validity period begins.

  • End Date: The official last day permits can be sold within this sales window, and also the date on which the permits expire and become invalid.

Example Scenario: If a sales window is configured with a Sale Start Date of December 29, 2025, a Permit Start Date of January 1, 2026, and an End Date of December 31, 2026, permits can be purchased anytime between December 29, 2025, and December 31, 2026. However, these permits will strictly be valid for parking from January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2026.

User Side: End-users do not configure sales windows. They simply purchase permits during the active windows configured by administrators.

Using this Feature

Once a sales window has been successfully configured, it needs to be made active for permits to be publicly sold.

Activating the Sales Window

  1. Locate the sales window you wish to activate on the Manage Permit Sales Window screen.

  2. Click the drop-down menu in the Active column for that specific sales window.

  3. Choose Active.

If you manually activate a yearly sales window, other existing yearly sales windows will automatically switch to Inactive to prevent system conflicts.

Best Practices and Considerations

  • Prevent overlapping dates: Carefully manage sales window dates to avoid unintended overlaps that could confuse users or create accounting and enforcement issues.

  • Plan ahead: Create sales windows well in advance of the sale start date to allow ample time for configuration, testing, and marketing of new permits to your user base.

  • Manage expired windows: Regularly review the End Date of your sales windows. Past sales windows will be relocated under Past Permit Sales Window and cannot be reactivated; a completely new sales window must be created if similar dates are needed in the future.

  • Use clear naming conventions: Use clear and descriptive names for your sales windows (e.g., "Fall 2025-2026 Annual Permit Sales," "Spring Semester 2026") so they are easily identifiable in reporting and management screens.

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