Short Term Parking

$15 max keeps you in Short Term Parking right next to MFE’s Main Terminal

First 30 minutes in Short Term Parking are free, so this is the move for quick McAllen drop-offs and pick-ups at the Main Terminal. The lot sits directly next to the terminal entrance, so you’re walking a short sidewalk instead of waiting on a shuttle or crossing big access roads with bags.

Rates step up in simple chunks: $0 for 0–30 minutes, $5 for 30–60 minutes, $10 for 1–2 hours, and a $15 cap from 2–24 hours. That $15 daily rate makes sense for same-day business runs to Houston or Dallas out of MFE, where you pull in, park close, and get back out the same afternoon or evening.

The lot runs MFE’s Tap ’n Fly system, which uses license-plate recognition instead of paper tickets. You park, scan the posted QR code near your space, register your plate and payment, and then just drive out when you’re back; cameras read your plate and match it to your paid session.

Short Term Parking is officially listed as a short-stay option, not intended for multi-day trips of three or four nights. At that point you’re paying $45–$60 versus off-site or long-term choices, which adds up quickly if you’re gone from Wednesday to Sunday.

One practical tip: take 60 seconds in the lot to scan and set up Tap ’n Fly before you wheel into the Main Terminal. That way you’re not fishing for the QR code or fumbling with your phone at the end of a late return flight into MFE.