WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, N.C. — Visitors to Wrightsville Beach now have a new way to pay for parking in the beach town.

The new method eliminates change or other on-the-spot payments and allows motorists to pay for parking in lots with a cell phone.

The systems works like this: Motorists sign up at a Web site for an annual membership of about $6. They then print a temporary ID card and place it on the car's dashboard. A permanent hanger for the motorist's rear-view mirror will be mailed to them. Each time they go to park, they just call a toll free number and enter the lot or meter number.

Officials say that drivers in Wrightsville are already taking advantage of the new technology, which was rolled out on July 7.

An added convenience of the service is that members can remotely add more time to a parking meter that is about to expire by calling the toll-free number or accessing the Web site. When paying by cell phone, members are instantly recognized by caller ID, eliminating the need to enter a membership number -- customers need only enter a PIN and meter number.

For more information, motorists can visit

www.Park-By-Phone.com

.