NYC has mostly moved to a digital system where you can pay with a credit/debit card and get a paper receipt to put on your windshield. In many smaller cities,

NYC has mostly moved to a digital system where you can pay with a credit/debit card and get a paper receipt to put on your windshield. In many smaller cities, however, they still have old meters that take coins and have a timer. There is really no incentive for small towns to upgrade their infrastructure, as requiring coins probably means they will be able to write more tickets, as people increasingly carry less cash.