Drivers across England are paying up to 40% more to park as councils switch to app-only payments and force customers to pick up the tab for ‘convenience fees’ that are rarely advertised.
Many councils have removed pay-and-display machines and replaced them with app payments, including a number in London. Most local authorities encourage drivers to pay by app to beat queues, while apps are often the only way to pay when ticket machines are out of order. However, many car park signs fail to mention that app payments may incur an additional service fee.
Parking apps save councils money by removing the cost of installing and maintaining ticket machines. While a few councils pay the app providers directly, many leave drivers to foot some or all of the bill through ‘convenience fees’ or ‘service fees’ that typically range from 10p to 30p.
These fees are not included in advertised parking tariffs, even when an app is the only payment option, and are often not strongly flagged within the apps themselves. Of the parking apps tested by the Guardian, none clearly displayed the service fee until the payment stage, and some required customers to click on an information symbol to find out why the price had increased.
In Harrogate, North Yorkshire, drivers who park in the town centre and pay by app are hit with a mandatory 30p service charge — a 38% rise on an 80p tariff. At the council’s Christleton Road car park in Chester, the price of two hours soars by 40% when a 20p convenience fee is added to the 50p tariff.
The Guardian tested apps by booking an hour’s parking at car parks around the country. RingGo added an extra 20p to the £2 tariff at Kings Yard in Lancaster, with the fee hidden behind a small ‘see prices’ link. PayByPhone charged a 15p service fee on top of the £5.10 tariff at Dudley Street car park in Birmingham, with the charge concealed behind the Apple Pay button. JustPark added 12p to a £3.50 charge at Charmouth Road car park in Lyme Regis, Dorset, discoverable only by clicking a tiny pale grey ‘i’ symbol. MiPermit listed its 10p convenience fee above the final price, levied on top of the £1.90 charge in Littlehampton, West Sussex.
Extra fees are also added if drivers agree to receive booking confirmation and expiry alerts, typically between 10p and 30p per text.
According to the Advertising Standards Authority, quoted prices must include all mandatory fees for a contract to be valid. Drivers enter a contract with a council as soon as they accept the car park’s terms and conditions and park their vehicle. However, few realise they enter a separate contract with the app provider if they pay online. App fees therefore may not legally have to be displayed on council car park signs.
Because service fees are agreed between local authorities and individual app providers and can vary by location, drivers have no way of predicting what they will be charged.
RingGo said the fee funded the service it provided and that it was up to councils whether to display it on signs. ‘In line with existing regulations, wherever pricing information is shown in the RingGo app, we also display any additional fees,’ said Adam Dolphin at parent company Arrive.
JustPark said mandatory fees were included in the quoted price during payment. ‘Nothing is added at the payment stage,’ said a spokesperson. ‘The ‘i’ icon simply shows how that all-in price is made up, for drivers who want the detail.’
PayByPhone said its pricing was transparent. ‘The pricing elements related to parking, SMS options and service fees are presented before payment confirmation,’ said a spokesperson.
The Local Government Association, which represents councils, said it was up to app providers to ensure fees were clear and upfront.
The Department for Transport said parking tariffs and surcharges were a matter for councils. ‘Drivers should be able to see clearly what they will be charged before they pay for parking,’ a spokesperson said.
A spokesperson for the AA said: ‘When a driver walks to the signs in the car park and sees £1 per hour, that’s what they should be charged, not £1 plus a 25p service charge.’
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