Can I park in Montgomery garage and just pay without any money in a flex account?

Hi guys! Commuter student, typically take SEPTA but it's been really getting my nerves and I recently got my first car. I want to try driving down to campus, but when I went to get a flex parking pass online, it wants me to immediately load 96 dollars. I don't want to spend that much money in case I drive down there and decide to just keep taking septa instead.

I was planning on parking in Montgomery, so can I just go pay with a debit card for now like it's a normal garage? Or will it only let you in if you have a parking permit?