$1 per 20 minutes from minute one changes the math
Economy Parking Garage at TPA sits off the Main Terminal and runs a flat $1 per 20 minutes starting immediately, with no free grace period. Daily max is lower than Short Term, so this garage only really makes sense once you cross into multi-hour or overnight territory. For quick pickups under an hour, FlyerTalk regulars point out that Short Term can actually come out cheaper because economy starts the meter the second you pull in.
This is a true park-and-ride setup: you park by the Economy Parking Garage and then take the mandatory shuttle to the Main Terminal. Count on a 5–10 minute ride plus whatever wait time you hit at the stop. You can’t walk to the terminal from here the way you can from the Short Term or Long Term garages next to the Main Terminal, so build that shuttle lag into your departure and return plans.
Rates in the Economy Parking Garage are aimed at trips of several days or longer, undercutting the per-day cost of the Long Term Garage by a few dollars once you pass the 24-hour mark. The trade-off is protection: some spaces are covered, some are open to Florida sun and storms, and reviews flag that getting a roof is a coin flip “if you get lucky.” If your car bakes badly in July, that mix of covered and uncovered spots matters.
Regulars on FlyerTalk say they only touch economy when leaving the car for more than a few hours, usually 24+ hours, and default to Long Term or Short Term for anything shorter to dodge the shuttle and the minute-one charges. Watch out for return timing; if your flight lands at 11:30 p.m., that extra 15–20 minutes waiting on the shuttle can feel long. One practical move: snap a photo of your row and shuttle stop number before you roll bags away; it saves wandering the garage when you land at TPA tired.