Parking management

1. A parking management method implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code tangibly embodied on a computer readable storage medium having programming instructions operable to:

associate a payment source with a vehicle identifier;

receive a message indicating initiation of a parking event at a parking location, wherein the message includes an identification of at least one of the payment source and the vehicle identifier;

update a parking database to indicate that a vehicle having the vehicle identifier is parked at the parking location;

further comprising:

determining, by a sensor at the parking location, the vehicle has left the parking location;

updating the parking database to reflect that the vehicle is no longer parked at the parking location;

determining when the vehicle left the parking location;

comparing an actual time parked at the parking location to a paid-for parking time, based on when the vehicle left the parking location; and

performing one of: refunding the payment source when the paid-for parking time exceeds the actual parking time, and charging the payment source when the actual parking time exceeds the paid for parking time

wherein the vehicle identifier comprises a license plate number or vehicle identification number (VIN) of the vehicle;

the payment source comprises one of: a credit card, a debit card, and a prepaid funds card; and

the receiving the message comprises receiving the message from a parking location computing device,

further comprising the parking location computing device obtaining information associated with one of the payment source and the vehicle identifier during the initiation of the parking event, wherein the obtaining the information comprises one of: reading a magnetic strip of a payment card; reading a radio frequency identification tag; and reading a bar code.