Frequently Asked Questions Answers to Common Parking Questions

Our car park attendants are not authorised to take payments for Parking Charges or Parking Charge Notices. Our facilities offer a number of payment methods to pay for your parking, including cash and card services. We also offer a more convenient way to pay for your parking via our automated telephone line or by registering for our APCOA Connect app compatible with mobiles, tablets and Smart phones. APCOA Connect offers a number of smarter ways to pay such as Auto Pay and Late pay options. Simply [click here] for more information.

Annual, quarterly and monthly season tickets are an ideal way to save money if you park at one of our sites on a regular daily basis. Please contact our Season Ticket Department by [email] or [live chat] with one of our team on our season ticket website during office hours.

You can manage your account, update your vehicle details, renew and cancel your season ticket by visiting [seasontickets.apcoa.co.uk].

Season ticket holders can park however a vacant parking space cannot be guaranteed. For more information on Season Tickets [click here].

Our car parks may provide parking facilities for motorbikes or push bikes. There may be discounted parking rates available for motorbikes and riders should obtain the relevant concession ticket from the car park attendants before paying for their parking at the pay station.

Most of our car parks have been awarded the Safer Car Park award. The car park may be monitored by CCTV. Instead of relying solely on the car park attendants, CCTV cameras monitor the car parks. CCTV images may be also monitored on-site by our APCOA staff who may be in attendance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For more information please refer to the relevant page for each site.

Help Points may be located in our car parks on payment machines, barrier equipment and at strategic points around the car park. Calls may be directed through to the staff kiosk.

If you are not satisfied with the service level that you have received, you can write to our UK Customer Complaints team who will deal with your enquiry. 

[Please click here to download a copy of our Customer Complaints Policy and Procedure] 

Yes, [please click here to download a copy of APCOA’s Health] and [Safety policy and APCOA’s Environmental policy].

Please [click here] to view the Terms & Conditions.

Daily Tickets 

If a parking session is no longer required or there are no available parking bays at the time of attempting to park, a refund request can be made prior to the parking session starting, or at the time of attempting to park. Refund requests made later in the day or at a later date, cannot be honoured as it cannot be determined if the parking services were used.

To request a refund, please contact our Customer Service Team via email to csc.refunds@apcoa.com. 

Please ensure to include your booking reference number, vehicle registration and car park location within your email.

Weekly Tickets

As weekly tickets are sold at a discounted rate, if the car park cannot be used due to it being full, a refund cannot be provided on the basis that the remaining days of parking would still equate to a greater value to that paid for the weekly ticket. If a weekly ticket is surrendered after a few days of being issued, a refund may be due. Please immediately contact the Customer Support Team, so that the ticket can be cancelled and any remaining balance, refunded.

To request a refund, please contact our Customer Service Team via email to csc.refunds@apcoa.com. Please ensure to include your booking reference number, vehicle registration and car park location within your email.

This list of FAQs is provided to assist customers with the most common queries. For other queries please visit our help centre to speak to one of our agents on live chat who will be delighted to assist you.

You need to start the charging session via APCOA Connect. Please download the app and then begin by pressing Park/EV charge and search for the EV location code (located on the signage near the port).

In this instance, we would need to determine if you are charging using a phase 1 or a phase 3 cable. To charge at 22kw, a phase 3 cable would be required. The charge speed would also depend on the maximum charging power of your EV vehicle.

For further information on your vehicle charging speed please refer to the EV Database website

Ensure you have begun the charging session via the APCOA Connect App. If you are still having issues, please call our helpline on 0345 222 1805 and notify the agent what number charge point you are using, our agent will troubleshoot or reset the machine.

Unfortunately, you would be unable to use an EV charging point at this time.

Please call our helpline number on 0345 222 1805 and notify the agent what number charge point you are using.

This could depend on what restrictions you have set on the app for your vehicle. Please check your app settings; you may have it set to charge during night hours or to stop charging once the battery reaches a certain capacity.

Firstly, close all vehicle doors and lock and unlock your vehicle, attempting to remove the cable with each action. If this does not work, please call our helpline on 0345 222 1805 and notify the agent what number charge point you are using, our agent will reset and unlock it for you.

For futher assistance click here

If you are already charging, we will manually end the session for you to allow you to leave. The new update will ensure that you are charged within 24 hours for the power used. If you are not charging, we should only allow you to charge for free in an emergency or as a gesture of goodwill.

Please call the helpline on 0345 222 1805 and an agent will reset the machine.

Your vehicle can remain within the space once the vehicle is charged if the parking duration is paid.

AutoPay is a system driven by Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras. These are installed at participating locations and track vehicle movements into and out of car parks. Payments are taken automatically depending on the duration of stay in the car park. Please be aware each individual vehicle registration needs to be registered for AutoPay separately.

ANPR cameras capture number plate and date/time at the entrance and exit of car parks. If you are registered with the Auto Pay scheme, you tariff will be calculated based upon your entry and exit times for the Car Park and your account will be charged accordingly, this can take up to 15-20 working days after the initial Car Park stay. You do not need to do anything!

No ... once you've registered for AutoPay via the website, the AutoPay system will automatically use your details to take payments. It is then unnecessary to pay by phone via IVR, SMS, Smartphone or Web, provided you are using the applicable locations

AutoPay is not available at all car parks but is available at a large number. Please refer to local signage to see if you can utilise the AutoPay system or refer to the following list:

• Atkinsons
• Grand Arcade, Crompton St
• Grand Arcade, Millgate
• Great Western Railway - Bristol Parkway
• Great Western Railway - Charlbury
• Great Western Railway - Cheltenham Spa
• Great Western Railway - Chippenham Car Park 1
• Great Western Railway - Chippenham Car Park 3
• Great Western Railway - Didcot Foxhall
• Great Western Railway - Exeter St Davids Main
• Great Western Railway - Exeter St Davids Overflow
• Great Western Railway - Exeter St Davids Wards Yard
• Great Western Railway - Hanborough
• Great Western Railway - Slough East
• Great Western Railway - Slough North
• Great Western Railway - Slough West
• Great Western Railway - Slough West Approach
• Great Western Railway - Swindon Main Car Park
• Great Western Railway - Swindon West Car Park
• Great Western Railway - Taunton
• Great Western Railway - Tilehurst
• Great Western Railway - Tiverton Parkway
• Great Western Railway - Tiverton Parkway Overflow
• Great Western Railway - Tiverton Parkway Overflow 2
• Great Western Railway - Twyford Car Park 2
• Great Western Railway - Westbury
• Great Western Railway - Worcestershire Parkway
• Lanyon Place, Belfast
• Network Rail - Manchester Victoria
• Network Rail - Manchester Victoria Outside
• Network Rail - Uckfield
• Network Rail - Victoria Road Car Park
• Northumbria University Coach Lane East
• Norwich Research Centre (South) - Staff Car Park
• Plymouth MSCP

Unfortunately we cannot guarantee any parking spaces at any of our locations. To avoid disappointment it is advisable to purchase your parking session whilst on site. Unfortunately we cannot refund any sessions purchased where a parking space is not available.

The rules for Blue Badge holders differ by location and parking operator. You should always refer to local signage for full information on whether or not Blue Badge holders are required to pay for parking at the location.

Alternatively, you can search our Parking Locator tool for any details relating to a specific location. If there is no mention of Blue Badge holders being able to park for free, you should assume that you are required to make payment and proceed accordingly.

Your Blue Badge must also be displayed at all times regardless of whether a parking fee is applicable or not.

Registration is free. You don't need to enter your card details until you are buying parking and even then nothing will be charged until the purchase is confirmed. To use phone or SMS parking you will be charged the cost of your parking (as displayed on our website).

No. All the costs are clearly outlined on our website location page. There are no hidden costs.

• The headline cost is the parking cost
• A convenience fee may be charged depending on location
• SMS reminder and confirmation cost 10p each, if selected
• Some locations charge extra to use credit cards
• Some locations offer a discount for low emissions vehicles

We accept the following card types, but please check with your local provider:

• Maestro
• MasterCard
• MasterCard Debit
• Visa
• Visa Delta
• Visa Electron
• Solo
• American Express (depending on your local provider)

Call costs will be dependent upon your Network Provider and your individual contract, please refer to your Network Providers pricing policy for any respective pricing tariffs.

If you opt in for a Reminder or a Confirmation SMS, Connect will charge at a rate of 10 pence per SMS sent to you. Please refer to your Network Providers pricing policy for any other SMS charges and their respective tariffs.

If you feel you have been incorrectly charged for your parking, please contact us using the feedback forms on the website and/or Smartphone Application

The GDPR is a regulation intended to strengthen and unify data protection for everyone within the European Union (EU). As we believe that all our customers can benefit from its mandates, we're implementing it globally. The GDPR requires greater openness and transparency from companies on how they collect, store and use personal data, while also imposing tighter limits on the use of personal data.

1. We will collect the following personal information required to register and book a transaction through the service.
   1. Phone Number
   2. Vehicle Details
   3. Your email address in certain circumstances
   4. Billing information such as your credit card number and expiry date. Please note payment details are not stored on our servers they are stored in a PCI compliant manner with our Payment Services Provider
2. Please note that it not compulsory to store the above details with us and doing so is entirely up to the customer.

1. We will not request data that is not relevant to your transaction through the Site or Apps such as:
   1. Date of Birth
   2. Home Address
2. As we believe that this is not relevant to your transactions through our Site and Apps.

1. We will use this information in order to administer your parking transaction
2. Make the information available to integrated enforcement systems to ensure that you will not receive a parking ticket if you have a valid transaction for the time and date of the contravention occurrence
3. We do not send any information onto 3 rd Parties for Marketing purposes
4. If you opt in, we can send you service update messages such as
   1. Location closures
   2. Location updates

Yes you can use a Landline Phone Number to purchase parking through the system, but please remember that the phone/ service used must be capable of sending and receiving SMS messages in order to; Register via the Landline Phone and also receive SMS Reminders and Confirmations.

If you register your account using a Landline Phone Number that number will be your account Phone Number.

If your Landline Phone Number cannot receive SMS messages you could register via the Smartphone Application or via the Website .Then once you have your account set up, you can switch your active number to your landline, but bear in mind you will not be able to receive SMS messages if your phone does not allow it.

LatePay is a system that allows you to pay for parking after-the-fact. It charges a premium for this service, so it's still cheaper to park in the regular way. However, it's less expensive than a Parking Charge Notice.

LatePay is an adaptation of Web payments. It allows you to wind back the start date into the past, with all other aspects remaining the same as standard.

No, LatePay is available at specific locations. See local signage or check on the website LatePay purchase process for a list of participating locations. LatePay is currently available at the following car parks:

• Aberdeen TECA
• Atkinsons
• Bristol Parkway
• Charlbury
• Cheltenham Spa
• Chippenham Car Park 1
• Chippenham Car Park 3
• Cornwall Airport Newquay
• Didcot Foxhall
• Exeter St Davids Main
• Exeter St Davids Overflow
• Exeter St Davids Wards Yard
• Gloucester Station
• Gloucester Station Overflow Car Park
• Grand Arcade, Crompton St
• Grand Arcade, Millgate
• Hanborough Car Park 2
• Kemble Station Overflow Car Park
• Lanyon Place
• Manchester Victoria Station Car Park
• Norwich Research Centre (South) - Staff Car Park
• Oaklands College Car Park
• Oxford Station Long Stay
• Slough East
• Slough West
• Slough West Approach
• Swindon Main Car Park
• Swindon West Car Park
• Taunton
• Tilehurst
• Tiverton Parkway
• Tiverton Parkway Overflow
• Tiverton Parkway Overflow 2
• Twyford Car Park 2
• Uckfield Station Car Park
• Victoria Road Car Park
• Westbury

No. At present LatePay is limited to a single day up to 24 hours after the fact. This policy is likely to continue so a longer infringement will result in a Parking Charge Notice.

This depends on the policy at each participating location.

A location code is a 4 digit number that registers one of the partnered car parks where you can purchase your parking using any of the APCOA systems. (For example, 2346 = Blackpool South Pier)

No, each location code is sorted by area on our website, on the locations page, and VAT receipts allows you to look over any previously purchased parking for if you need to purchase parking in the same area.

The system does not cater for multiple sessions purchased by the same account for different VRM's via the IVR, SMS and Web. If you wish to cater for this occurrence we would advise using the Smart Phone application. If you attempt to purchase multiple concurrent sessions for different VRM's via the IVR, SMS or Web your second purchase will be treated as an extension to the first session that you purchased. If you do indeed make this mistake please contact your local customer services provider.

Permits are a system in which you prepay for a longer stay at one of our locations. Rather than paying for a singular visit, a permit allows you to leave, come back and even allow other cars to park for a designated length of time (Usually a month or more)

Permits do not guarantee a space. Spaces are allocated on a first-come-first-served basis at the locations. Permits are not applied to the spaces directly.

Permits may only be used in accordance with the Terms and Conditions displayed in the car park.

Refunds will be pro-rata, less an administration charge starting two working days after the email request .

You can change your parking permit valid for one month or more in real-time.  To update your details, please telephone customer services, check local signage for phone numbers between the hours of 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday, or 9am - 5pm on Saturday (excluding bank/public holidays), and notify them of your change of details.

Alternatively, you can send a SMS (text message) to update your vehicle registration mark (VRM) aligned with your parking permit.  Simply text REG followed by your VRM to 078 6000 6000.  For example: text REG KT16STY to 078 6000 6000.

If you do not change your vehicle registration number on your permit, the system will not recognise your pre-paid parking session and you will be liable to receive a parking charge notice (PCN)..

Please note that simply changing your default vehicle on the website or the Smartphone application will have no affect on the vehicle on your permit.

Call 01895 262 122 and follow the instructions to book your parking session. Or send SMS to 078 6000 6000. If you can't access any of these you can use one of the other methods such as the website or the smartphone application.

No we don't issue tickets, 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 integrated with our back end database.

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

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 a fast track service.

Your parking purchase is not complete until we have completed your parking transaction, which includes VRM confirmation taken via SMS at the end of the call. Additionally, the details will be present in your VAT receipts list, so if you are unsure you can check in there, or the "Current Parking" section of the smartphone application.

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

You can use either method it's 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 for your location and parking duration details.

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.

Valid parking durations will be displayed in your car park. If you wish to extend your parking, you simply buy an extension via SMS.

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.

Currently you can only have one live session with the Connect system per Mobile Number registered.

When this happens, this is a preauthorisation to confirm that your card is active. Please find the below description from Barclaycard for more information on this

Pre-authorisations

These are like a temporary payment guarantee on your card, sometimes taken by:

• Car hire companies
• Hotels
• Petrol stations
• When you pay at pump

With a pre-authorisation, money is not taken from your account. After a few days, the 1p charge will disappear from your account.

Registration is quick and simple. Once registered you can use Phone, SMS, Smartphone or Website parking. Any 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.

No, registration is absolutely free regardless of what device/service you use to register.

Please ensure that you have entered the correct email address to receive your Activation Link.

When you use the telephone system to make a purchase, you have the option of storing your credit or debit card details for future use. If you choose not to store them, no details will be retained by any of our systems and you will need to enter the full details every time, including long card number, expiry date, card verification value and optionally start date and issue number. If you choose to store them, these will be held in compliance with the industry-accepted PCI/DSS standard in a secure datacenter, with the exception of card verification value which is never stored.

(www.connectcashlessparking.com or www.apcoaconnect.com), you can choose to view VAT receipts associated with your purchases. Your account will be password-protected in line with data protection requirements and you will also be able to enter credit or debit card details online, for storage via the same secure mechanism, should you choose to do so.

You can have multiple vehicles available with your account. This can be setup either by sending a message with "REG A123BCD" to 078 6000 6000 or by entering the details (including make and colour) via the "My Account" section on the website. Additionally, you can use the smartphone application to update your vehicle list.

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

The APCOA Connect Smartphone Application is now available to download at iTunes and Google Play. The application will enable customers to pay for transactions and manage accounts via iPhone and Android Smartphones.

The Android Smartphone application is available to download at Google Play.

The iPhone Smartphone application is available to download at the App store.

All confirmations and reminders consist of SMS messages sent on purchase or before parking expiry respectively. There are separate controls depending on whether you want them to be sent out for IVR, SMS or Smartphone purchase.

Following the major update to the smartphone application in 2017, we are discontinuing support for the versions previous to this update, specifically applications with versions lower than 5.0.0.

This means that these versions will no longer be functional, and therefore you will be unable to continue to use them for any of their features, including buying parking.

The date we will be discontinuing support for these applications is the 3rd of October 2018. We recommend that all users upgrade to the latest version of the application as soon as possible. This can be done on your devices app store, links to these can be found below.

If you are using a version equal to or above version 5.0.0. then you don't need to worry, but we would advise you always try to keep the application as up to date as possible, as each new version will include general improvements and newer features.

Any purchases that were made on the previous versions of the application will continue to be valid and will appear on the new version of the application, even if they are due to expire after the old application's support is discontinued.

You can download the latest version of the application here.

Yes, you will not need to re-enter any data from the previous versions of the application. Just update and login with the same credentials. Immediately take advantage of our new features

Both phone parking and this website are fully secure; as 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.

When you register online or elect to store you details it is only necessary to enter your Payment Card details once.

Secure servers store them in a PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) compliant and accredited facility. Details are only accessed when you pay for parking, using secure encrypted links between our payment service and the major Banks.

The payment service is managed and maintained by our partner DataCash. A copy of the DataCash PCI DSS certificate can be viewed here: http://www.mastercard.com/gateway/common_datacash/pdf/Certificate_MasterCardDataCash_12082015.pdf

Our privacy policy could be view here. https://www.apcoaconnect.com/privacyStatement

Please note that you need to have payment details registered prior to making payments via SMS.

The Connect system does not accept credit card details via SMS, the customer needs to be registered with the system in order to purchase via SMS. When the customer registers with the system gains something called a token from the Payment Services Provider, which links to the account on the Connect system.

When a payment is made via SMS the CVV needs to be input as part of the process. This is all within a PCI compliant process. Please note that the CVV is not stored within the system, the below is the statements from Visa concerning the CVV and it's use, which covers SMS. “CVV must always be protected but Visa’s position is that CVV alone without the presence of PAN does not need to be protected according to the full suite of PCI DSS requirements. The one exception is the CVV must never be stored after authorization.”

For SMS parking send your SMS to 078 6000 6000

Once registered, to buy parking simply send an SMS message to 078 6000 6000 using one of the following formats:

• park CVV

• park CVV ParkingCode

• park CVV ParkingCode LocationCode

• park CVV ParkingCode LocationCode VRM

Where:

• park is a keyword that means we know you are parking your vehicle.
• CVV is your payment card's 3 or 4 digit security code (also known as a CV2 code).
• Parking Code is the code for the number or days, weeks etc. that you are parking your vehicle for e.g. 801 = 1 Day, 802 = 2 days, etc. 60 = 1 Hour, 120 = 2 hours etc.
• Location Code is a 4-digit code that refers to the location, as displayed on the website and local signage.
• VRM is your vehicle registration mark.

Please note that the system works by remembering your parking from last time. So if you use the minimal "park CVV" message, the system will fill in the remaining parameters automatically, including ParkingCode, LocationCode and VRM from your previous purchase.

To extend your current parking, simply send another SMS to 078 6000 6000 using one of the above formats, such as:

park CVV ParkingCode

So for example

park 123 801

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.

When paying for parking via SMS, if you do not enter in a vehicle registration, the payment will apply to your default vehicle registration. This is useful for if you need to quickly repurchase parking, but be careful if you are buying for a different vehicle.

When paying for parking via SMS if you do not enter in a location code, the purchase will apply to your previously used location. This will count as your preferred location until you buy parking in a new location,

This is the number to send your SMS message to when paying for parking via SMS. The number is 078 6000 6000.

The Long Code is not a premium number and is normally included within standard mobile phone contracts.

As part of the IVR registration process you will need to reply to the SMS Long Code (078 6000 6000) with the world REG followed by your VRM. If your mobile phone contract blocks this facility you can add your VRM via the Smart Phone application or the Web Page or you could contact your local Customer Services Agent, contact details should be displayed at the location you have parked.

If you have sent us a reg message and it has not been delivered, it is most likely to be that your mobile phone network has blocked sending messages to this shortcode. If you contact the customer services team (via phone, email or our feedback form) they will be able to help by updating your purchase with the correct vrm.

All SMS Options are available to be configured separately via the My Account Sections (SMS, IVR, Smartphone)

All SMS confirmations will require opting out either via the IVR or My Account Section

All SMS confirmations will now be charged (including purchases made via SMS) previously an SMS confirmation were previously free for SMS users

From November 2019, in accordance with new Google Play Store policies, the Apcoa Connect Android app will no longer be providing updates to devices running Android 4.3 and earlier.

Once setup, the vehicle at the top of the list is the default vehicle that will be used for IVR, SMS, Smart-phone and website transactions. In each case, you have the opportunity to select one of the other vehicles instead. You can change the default on the website/smartphone application.

Please check at local sites to find out what a Longer Duration Permit is, in some locations they could be called Permits or Season Tickets, they could be for a Quarter and longer.

Please note that changing the default vehicle only affects future purchases, it will not affect a current purchase/ session, E.G. if your location offers Annual Season Tickets and you have purchased one changing your default vehicle will not change the vehicle associated with that purchase and you could potentially be issued a parking ticket as you would have an invalid parking session.

In order to change the vehicle on a Longer Duration Permit you have two options:

1. Contact Customer Services and they will make the change for you (contact details available at local sites).
2. Alternatively, you can send a SMS (text message) to update your vehicle registration mark. (VRM) aligned with your parking permit. Simply text ‘REG’ followed by your VRM to 078 6000 6000. For example: text ‘REG KT16STY’ to 078 6000 6000.
3. Website - View the Current Parking page on the website and any tariffs that can be changed will be editable through a dropdown menu.

Also please note that the vehicle associated with short-duration tariffs may not be changed, again please check local sites for details but they tend to be for one month and less.

Web Payments are be available via the Connect website on selected locations.

If you navigate to the a location page and chose the buy option next to the respective tariff, this will take you through the purchase process.

Please note that web payments are not available for every location.

The Connect system does not accept phone calls from withheld numbers, this is due to the fact that Connect requires a phone number to send an SMS to and in turn receive a Vehicle Registration for your parking.

Please note that you can download the APCOA Connect Smart Phone application from apcoaconnect.com/smartphone. You could also pay for parking by the APCOA Connect Web Site apcoaconnect.com.

Or you could change the settings on your phone to disable the withheld number.