Six-month-old ezgov.com (pronounced 'easy-gov'), a private Internet company, contacted the University last month saying it could offer several online services to students, spokeswoman Molly Battin said.
If all goes well, students will be able to access their Parking Services accounts on the Internet at (www.parking.uga.edu) and pay tickets 24 hours a day, said Jennifer Tougas, Parking Services office manager.
'We're providing an option for those people who are comfortable with the Web,' Tougas said. 'This will be another way for students to pay their tickets, hopefully making it more convenient.'
While paying parking tickets online may be more convenient, there are a few drawbacks, Tougas said.
For one, an additional fee of $1-$5 will go to ezgov.com for its services. The amount, which hasn't been finalized, will be added to existing parking fines.
Also, Web payments won't be credited immediately, meaning students trying to clear OASIS flags after hours will be out of luck.
'They'll still have to wait until the next business day for us to process the payment,' Tougas said, because the online payment system won't be directly linked to Parking Services' database.
Since its launch last summer, ezgov.com has worked out deals to provide various services with DeKalb County and other municipalities in Texas and California, Battin said.
'The point is to make action with your government more pleasant,' Battin said. 'We're trying to take the headaches and frustration out of waiting in line.'
The company operates by charging a small fee for each transaction, she said.
University officials met this week to finalize the deal, said Mike Sproston, assistant manager of Parking Services.
Organizers said they are aiming for a launch date of Feb. 3. If the system works well, the University may look for other ways ezgov.com can offer its services to students, Tougas said.