Beyond the app

We need to make digital parking payments work for everyone, says TNS’s John Tait

Across the United Kingdom, paying to park has become a digital experience. Drivers expect to tap, scan or pre-book rather than handle coins, yet friction still exists across parking estates.

New research commissioned by Transaction Network Services (TNS) found that 46% of UK drivers had been unable to park at least once in the past year because of a payment problem. 

TNS research suggests UK drivers are among Europe’s most active users of mobile payments for parking, yet inconsistency across councils and private operators continues to frustrate motorists. 

The British Parking Association and International Parking Community’s February 2025 update to their joint Private Parking Sector Code of Practice reinforced the need for transparency and consistency in how payments are presented and processed. 

Drawing on UK developments and lessons from overseas, this article considers how the industry can help make digital parking seamless, safe and inclusive. 

The rise of mobile-first parking

Over the past decade, UK parking has shifted from cash and chip-and-PIN to mobile wallets, pre-book portals and tap-to-pay terminals. From our research, younger drivers are the heaviest mobile users: 18-to-24-year-olds are most likely to use their phone to pay and also the most likely to report issues when doing so. Drivers aged 55 and over still favour card or terminal payments. 

For many people, parking is their first encounter with what the industry calls an unattended payment, so reliability here shapes confidence in wider digital services. Similar patterns appear in Europe and Australia, but the UK’s dense mix of local authorities and private operators makes national consistency especially challenging. 

Fragmentation and app fatigue

The UK has dozens of parking payment apps, often varying from town to town. Regular commuters may know which one to use, but visitors face a confusing download-and-register routine each time they park. 

Local authorities are responding through open-data initiatives and the National Parking Platform (NPP), designed to improve interoperability. Many operators are now adopting complete commerce approaches, consolidating mobile, terminal and online payments within a single managed environment. This unification looks to reduce points of failure and gives customers a consistent experience. 

Collaboration and shared standards matter more than launching another app and the BPA and IPC Code of Practice shows that the drive toward consistency is now part of the policy landscape. 

Trust, security and QR fraud

Public confidence depends on visible security and clear communication. Recent UK media coverage has highlighted fake QR codes placed on pay-to-park signage that divert drivers to fraudulent websites. Operators and suppliers must support payment routes that are genuine and secure. 

Strong encryption, tokenisation and adherence to PCI DSS and P2PE standards protect transactions, while clear branding and certification marks help drivers recognise trusted systems. Similar fraud attempts have surfaced in the United States and Asia Pacific, reinforcing that vigilance must be global even when regulation is local. 

Inclusion and accessibility

Digital convenience cannot come at the expense of inclusion. National and local debate continues about supporting people without smartphones or bank accounts.

The most resilient car parks now offer multiple payment channels: mobile, contactless terminals, assisted pay-on-foot and SMS options. This aligns with guidance from the British Parking Association and the Department for Transport on inclusive design.

Some operators in Australia have shown how to balance innovation with accessibility, maintaining physical payment points while expanding mobile options. The lesson for the UK is that flexibility ensures fairness.

Toward simpler, unified payments

Behind the scenes, many UK operators are consolidating fragmented systems into unified, cloud-based platforms that connect every payment channel. These environments work together to help reduce vendor complexity, speed up upgrades and deliver a consistent customer experience. 

One national operator now processes tens of millions of transactions each year through a single managed service, that has recorded an improvement with uptime and data visibility while benefiting from lower operating costs. 

This trend reflects a wider movement toward integrated commerce, where payment orchestration and secure connectivity form the backbone of daily operations.

Other markets are pursuing the same goal, recognising that simplicity and resilience support both consumers and operators. Collaboration between technology partners, councils and regulators will be key to embedding these benefits across the country. 

Outlook: designing for everyone

The direction of travel is clear. Simplicity, inclusion and security underpin public trust in digital parking. The next phase will see connected-vehicle integration, open-data standards and artificial-intelligence-based pricing models helping operators match supply and demand in real time. Unified payment frameworks will underpin that progress, allowing operators to innovate while assisting every driver with paying quickly and confidently. Continued cooperation between councils, operators and suppliers will make every parking payment work the first time, every time.

John Tait is global managing director for TNS’s payments market business

TNS is a provider of secure payment and network solutions, working with to more than 1,400 organizations in over 50 countries. TNS’ portfolio spans unattended and in-store payment terminals, online solutions to secure global network connectivity and seamless payment processing through its cloud native payment orchestration platform.