The pay boxes went online for the first time Monday morning. Motorists will pay the same amount to use a pay box as a single space meter -- $1 an hour.

The boxes were installed and operational in the 300 block of Massachusetts. A motorist can enter a parking space number on a keypad at the box, with the parking space number posted on poles in front of the spot.

Customers can pay with coins or use a credit card. Time can be added or subtracted by using the plus and minus buttons on the box.

"It's nice to have something where it's telling you exactly what's going to be happening," said customer Doreen Tatnall. "This is cool."

ParkIndy has people on hand to walk the block to answer questions about the pay boxes this week. Business owners said they think the boxes will ensure spaces are used by customers instead of people who leave their cars in the same space all weekend long, 6News' Julie Pursley reported.

"There were some, I don't want to necessarily characterize it as abuse, but taking advantage of a free parking space," said David Andrichik, owner of the Chatterbox Jazz Club. "Now, there's a little incentive to go to the lot that you've paid for and free up that space."

Motorists can pay or add more time from any pay box in the city, so customers don't have to walk back to the original box to add more time.

"These pay boxes will all be integrated and will be able to talk to each other," said Lou Gerig, ParkIndy spokesman.

Officials said more enhancements will be on the way soon.

"If you are in an office building, and let's say you park your car here and you're at the top of one of these buildings, you can use your cell phone to … add time," Gerig said.

ParkIndy said it doesn't yet have a time line for phone pay. More pay boxes will be added this summer and fall, including some next week downtown and some in Broad Ripple.