Parking apps in England: fees up to 40% on top of the tariff

The Guardian reported on 12 October 2026 that drivers in England can pay up to 40% more to park when a council car park takes payment only through an app. Many councils have removed pay and display machines and moved to app payments, including several in London. The apps save councils the cost of installing and maintaining machines. In many cases, though, part or all of that bill lands on the driver as a convenience fee or service fee.

Those fees usually run from 10p to 30p, but they are rarely shown in the advertised parking tariff. That holds even where the app is the only way to pay. The Guardian tested apps around the country and found that none displayed the service fee clearly before the payment stage. Some apps made you tap a small information symbol to see why the price had gone up.

In Harrogate town centre, a driver paying by app faces a mandatory 30p service charge on an 80p tariff, a rise of 38%. At the council's Christleton Road car park in Chester, a 20p convenience fee lifts a 50p two-hour tariff by 40%.

The Guardian booked an hour's parking at car parks around the country to test the apps. RingGo added 20p to a £2 tariff at Kings Yard in Lancaster. PayByPhone charged 15p on top of £5.10 at Dudley Street in Birmingham. JustPark added 12p to a £3.50 charge at Charmouth Road in Lyme Regis, and MiPermit listed a 10p fee above a £1.90 charge in Littlehampton. Optional text confirmations and expiry alerts cost extra again, typically 10p to 30p per message.

The rules are split between two contracts. A driver enters a contract with the council on accepting the car park's terms and parking there. Paying online creates a separate contract with the app provider. The Advertising Standards Authority says quoted prices must include all mandatory fees for a contract to be valid. App fees may therefore not legally have to appear on council signs.

Fees are agreed between each council and each app provider, and they vary by location. That leaves drivers with no reliable way to predict the charge in advance. The Local Government Association, which represents councils, said it was up to app providers to make their fees clear and upfront. The Department for Transport said tariffs and surcharges are a matter for councils, adding that drivers should see clearly what they will be charged before paying.

RingGo said the fee funds its service and that displaying it on car park signs is a decision for each council. JustPark said mandatory fees are included in the price quoted during payment and that its information icon simply breaks down the total. PayByPhone said its parking, SMS and service fee pricing is presented before payment confirmation and is available on its website and in the app. MiPermit was contacted for comment.

The AA's view is blunt: if the sign says £1 an hour, that is what a driver should pay, not £1 plus a service charge.

The Guardian's tests found the fee at different points depending on the app. With RingGo, drivers had to click a small "see prices" link above the "Next" button after choosing a location, and the charge was mentioned again on the payment page only when the "i" symbol beside the final price was clicked. PayByPhone did not explain the charge until the payment page, where it sat behind the Apple Pay button and required scrolling to the end of the page. JustPark required a click on a tiny pale grey "i" symbol beside the final price at the end of the booking process. MiPermit listed its 10p convenience fee above the final price at the end of the booking.

Because the fee is set locally, the same app can cost different amounts in two towns.