An “NH J Garage” charge on your credit card is almost always a legitimate payment to a New Hampshire municipal parking garage. The label looks cryptic because the city’s payment processor generates the merchant descriptor, and those descriptors often bear little resemblance to the garage or city name. If you parked in a downtown area in New Hampshire within the last billing cycle, the charge is likely yours.
Why the Descriptor Looks Nothing Like a Parking Garage
New Hampshire cities each run their own garages with their own payment vendors, and the merchant name that lands on your statement depends on how that vendor is configured. The City of Dover has publicly acknowledged that some credit card processors label its parking meter payments as “DOVER PRODUCTION” rather than “City of Dover,” and that parking citation payments sometimes show up as “Budget Hosts Inns.” Dover’s Parking Bureau has confirmed these are processing quirks and that the money is applied to the right account.1City of Dover, NH. Parking Bureau
Mobile payment apps add another layer. ParkMobile, used in Dover, Portsmouth, and at the University of New Hampshire, posts under descriptors including “PARKMOBILE,” “PARKMOBILE APP,” “EP PARKMOBILE APP,” and “PARKMOBILE CITY OF DURHAM,” among others.2Brex. ParkMobile LLC Charge Finder PayByPhone, which Concord uses, generates its own descriptor as well.3City of Concord, NH. Parking FAQ A single garage visit can produce any of several descriptors depending on how you paid.
Match the Amount to a City
The quickest way to confirm the charge is to compare the dollar amount and date against the rates of New Hampshire garages in cities you may have passed through. The amounts are small and the rates vary meaningfully:
- Concord: $0.50 per hour, 10-hour metered limit. Credit card payments at garage kiosks have a two-hour minimum, so the smallest possible credit transaction is $1.00.4City of Concord, NH. Parking Rates and Hours
- Portsmouth: $2.00 per hour at the High-Hanover Garage and $1.00 per hour at Foundry Place Garage, with a $40.00 daily maximum at Hanover.5City of Portsmouth, NH. Parking Rules and Regulations
- Dover: $1.25 per hour at the Orchard Street Garage, open 24/7.6City of Dover, NH. Pay by Plate – Parking Bureau
- Nashua: $0.75 per hour at the Elm Street and High Street garages, with a nine-hour limit and paid enforcement Monday through Friday around the clock.7City of Nashua, NH. Paystations and Meters
If you paid through ParkMobile, add a $0.30 per-transaction convenience fee in Dover.6City of Dover, NH. Pay by Plate – Parking Bureau A charge of a few dollars posted on a day you were in a New Hampshire downtown is almost certainly a garage payment.
Who to Call to Confirm
If the amount and date don’t jog your memory, call the parking bureau for the city where you think the charge originated. Dover’s Parking Bureau, which has handled the mislabeled-descriptor question before, can be reached at 603-516-6132 or parking@dover.nh.gov.1City of Dover, NH. Parking Bureau If you have a ParkMobile account, open the app and check your transaction history, or call ParkMobile support at 877-727-5457.2Brex. ParkMobile LLC Charge Finder
Disputing a Charge That Isn’t Yours
If you’ve ruled out a parking visit and the charge still doesn’t belong to you, start with your card issuer. Federal consumer protection rules allow the issuer to initiate a chargeback for an unauthorized transaction.
You can also file a complaint with the New Hampshire Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau, which enforces the state Consumer Protection Act (RSA 358-A) against unfair or deceptive business practices.8NH Courts. Consumer Protection Law Guide The Bureau reviews complaints for possible legal violations and may forward yours to the business for a response, but it does not act as your attorney and cannot guarantee a resolution.9NH Department of Justice. Consumer Complaints Submit complaints through the state’s online portal or by mail, and include your receipts and bank statements. The Consumer Protection Hotline is 1-888-468-4454 or 603-271-3641, weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. If that process doesn’t resolve the matter, small claims court or a private attorney are the next options.
One note on scope: the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport garage is run by LAZ Parking, a private operator whose descriptors are separate from any municipal system, so an airport parking charge would look different again.10Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. Exciting Parking Changes For a municipal garage, the city’s parking bureau remains the most reliable place to confirm what hit your card.