Car parks can sometimes be associated with car crime or vandalism, but vehicle owners can also become targets. The scenario for any frequent car park user is a familiar one: it’s late, the car park may have motion-sensor lighting, so it’s mostly dark, and there is no one around. And now you have to pay for your parking at a self-service kiosk.
This might involve turning your back to retrieve your wallet to get out a payment card or cash. You might also be juggling shopping bags or a laptop bag. These minutes can feel incredibly vulnerable.
Whose responsibility is it?
Safety in car parks, especially at night, should be taken seriously. The onus should not be on the driver to keep safe. Many car park operators are working on a range of initiatives aimed at reducing crime and the fear of crime in car parks, such as better lighting and even better cleanliness. Technology is also playing its part to improve safety in car parks, and parking payments are no exception.
Go straight to the car
One way to help you feel safer in car parks is to eliminate the step of having to stop and pay at the payment kiosk. With PayByPhone’s new Pay on Exit system - an easy, digital solution for barriered off-street car parks launched in November 2024 - thanks to integrated ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) technology – you can do just that.
Pay on Exit provides a level of safety when you return to the car park, particularly when it’s dark, because you can simply walk directly to the security of your vehicle and make payment from there before leaving the car park.
Pay on Exit is easy to use. When you enter the car park, ANPR records the vehicle’s arrival time. When you return to the car park, you go directly to your vehicle, open the PayByPhone app and enter the parking location number. You pay for the time you have parked. Once the payment is processed, as your vehicle approaches the exit barrier, the ANPR technology recognises the number plate, and the barrier opens.
Drive in; drive out
AutoPay is another option PayByPhone offers, available at barriered off-street car parks since 2019. It is ideal for people who use these locations when they are less busy and can feel more intimidating. AutoPay is also underpinned by ANPR.
With AutoPay, you drive in with no need to take a ticket, park, and when you return to your car, get into it and drive out of the car park without ever needing to touch your phone. ANPR cameras register the vehicle driving in and out of the car park, and, based on that data, calculate the length of stay against the posted rate. PayByPhone automatically takes payment from your preferred payment method that has been previously set up in the app.
Pay on Exit and AutoPay in car parks not only help protect you and get you back to your vehicle quickly, but also mean less cash is stored in payment machines. This, coupled with the fact that there will be fewer motorists standing at payment kiosks with their wallets out, means car parks may now be less attractive targets for criminals.
So, opt into Pay on Exit and AutoPay today, before you start your journey.
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