Frequently Asked Questions

Costs and Charging   back to top

What are the costs involved?

Registration is free and always will be. You do have to give your card details at registration but nothing will be billed to your card until you buy parking

To use phone or SMS parking you will be charged the cost of your parking (as displayed in your car park) plus a small transaction fee.

Calls to our phone parking service are charged at local rate (calls from mobiles may vary). SMS messages sent to our short code (61144) are charged at your standard network rate.

If you choose to receive an SMS reminder, to remind you of when your parking is going to expire, a charge of 10p will be added to the cost of your parking.

You will not be charged for any SMS messages you receive from us

Are there any hidden costs?

No. All the costs are clearly outlined above. There are no other costs

What Payment Cards Do You Accept?

We accept the following:

  • Visa
  • MasterCard
  • Switch / Maestro
  • Visa Electron
  • Solo
  • American Express

General   back to top

Do I get a ticket when I use Phone or SMS parking?

No we don't issue traditional tickets, making it better for the environment too. However the parking attendants will be able to check if you have valid parking by checking your car's registration via their handheld computers which are linked to our databases.

Can I get a VAT receipt for my parking?

Yes, if you are a registered user you can print VAT receipts once you are logged in to the website.

Do I need to register to use the service?

No you can simply call the Phone Parking number in your car park and use the system without being registered. If you choose to register you benefit from:

  • Fast track phone parking
  • Eligible for SMS parking
  • Manage your account online
  • Print VAT receipts
  • Only have to give your payment details once

How do I know my parking purchase is complete?

Your parking purchase is not complete until we have completed your parking transaction on your behalf. When this is complete we will inform you when your parking will expire only at this point is your parking complete. This could be either via an SMS message or on the phone depending on whether you use SMS or call us.

Where Can I use Phone Parking?

Look out for the Phone Parking signs and details in the car park or check out our locations page on this website.

What's The Difference Between Phone Parking and SMS Parking?

You can use either method its just which suits you best.

With Phone Parking you call the number displayed in your car park and you follow the instructions. You will be asked information like how long you want to park and if you are not registered your payment details. If you have Stored your details with us, or registered, we will recognise your call and Fast Track you through the phone parking process (see the 'How it works' page. page)

With SMS Parking you need to be registered first. But once registered you simply send an SMS message with the details of how long your want to park. Find out more on our 'How To' page.

Do I have to use a mobile phone with Phone Parking?

Yes you must use a mobile phone for either Phone or SMS parking. We also need to recognise your phone number so Phone and SMS parking do not work if you withhold your mobile number.

How Long Can I Park For?

Valid parking durations will be displayed in your car park.

If you wish to extend your parking, you simply buy an extension via SMS. It's quick and easy to do so, see here for more information

On parking reminders, what does 'ask me' mean?

When you pay for parking via Phone Parking we will ask you if you want to receive a reminder shortly before your parking is due to expire.

It is not possible to ask you about reminders when using SMS. So if you choose Ask Me and pay by SMS you will not get a reminder.

How do I close my account?

To close your account with us, simply use our Contact Form to contact our Customer Service team who will be glad to help you.

Registration   back to top

Why should I register? What are the benefits?

Registration is quick and simple. Once registered you can use SMS parking and calls to our standard phone parking service are much quicker and simpler because we already know most of the details we need for your parking.

Does it cost anything to register for Phone Parking?

No registration is absolutely free and always will be.

Why do you send me an activation code during registration?

We need to verify that you own/have access to the number you have used for your account registration.

I haven't received my password

Make sure that your phone is turned on and has good reception to receive your password. If you still don't get your password check your phone is capable of sending and receiving SMS messages.

SMS Parking   back to top

What number do I use for SMS parking?

For SMS parking send your SMS to 61144

How do I pay for parking by SMS?

Once registered, to buy parking simply send an SMS message to 61144 following the format:

park SecurityCode Duration
Where SecurityCode is your registered payment card's 3 digit security code (or 4 digit code for Amex users) and duration is the duration you wish to park for, either D for a day or W for a week. So for example:
park 123 D
or
park 123 W

Once we have received your SMS we will process your payment and send you confirmation of your parking.

How do I extend my parking by SMS?

To extend your current parking, simply send another SMS to 61144 following the format:

more SecurityCode Duration
So for example
more 123 D
or
more 123 W

Once we have received your SMS we will process your payment and send you confirmation of your parking extension.

You must send your extension message before your current parking expires. However you can buy a parking extension immediately after your initial parking purchase and therefore you can effectively buy for example, parking for two days.

Note: You can only purchase one extension during the duration of any parking purchase this includes extensions. The system will disregard duplicate messages.

What if I accidentally send my SMS message twice? Will I be billed twice?

No, our system ignores duplicate messages so you will only be billed once if you send the same message twice.

Why do I need to register to use SMS Parking?

You need to register so that we have your details to be able to bill your card when you use SMS parking. It is not secure to send all of these in an SMS message, hence the need for prior registration.

What is my 'preferred vehicle registration'?

When paying for parking via SMS, you do not need to include your vehicle's registration if you are parking your preferred vehicle

What is my 'preferred car park'?

When paying for parking via SMS, then you do not need to include a location code in your SMS message if you are parking at your preferred car park location.

What is the SMS short code?

This is the number to send your SMS message to when paying for parking via SMS.

What is an SMS Location Code?

An SMS Location Code is a unique code that you include into your SMS message that tells us where you are parking. Each car park hasa separate location code. Remember you can leave this out if you are parking at your preferred car park.

Security and Data Protection   back to top

Is Phone Parking Secure? Is it safe to store my details?

Both phone parking and this website are fully secure:

We take the security of all your personal details very seriously. Our systems are rigorously tested and have been developed with encryption software and secure socket layer technology. All banking details and transactions are also protected by firewalls with a view to ensuring the security of all personal information and your complete peace of mind.

If you register online it is only necessary to enter your Card details once. Our secure servers store them using a proprietary encryption algorithm. When used your details are transmitted between our secure servers and the secure servers of one of the UK's leading e-commerce payment companies, who in turn have secure encrypted links between themselves and all the major UK banks.

What Does 'Remember Me' On Login Mean?

When selected, we will remember your phone number, making it easier for you to log into the web site in the future.

close