This article explains how AutoPay works for customers parking in the UK.
What are the transaction fees for AutoPay?
The transaction fees will be displayed in the app on the transaction summary page. The fees vary by car park.
Q-Park: All locations - £0.45 per transaction
Transport for London (TFL): All locations - £0 per transaction
What is AutoPay?
PayByPhone AutoPay lets you park without having to start a parking session each time. When your vehicle enters and exits a participating car park, the system detects your number plate and charges your saved payment card automatically.
How does it work?
PayByPhone uses integrated ANPR technology at participating car parks to pick up your entry and exit without any action needed from you. This gives you touchless arrival and departure, and you're only charged for the time you actually park. You can also register multiple vehicles on your AutoPay account to make things even easier.
How does this benefit me?
Park and go. No tickets, no machines.
Your parking session starts automatically.
Faster entry and exit, with no need to stop and pay.
Register multiple vehicles to your account.
Automatic payments with instant receipts.
Use at all supported locations.
How do I opt in for AutoPay?
Tap 'Account' in the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen.
Tap 'AutoPay'.
From here, you can add or remove vehicles, confirm which vehicles are opted in, review and accept the AutoPay Terms and Conditions, and set your payment method.
| 1. Tap 'AutoPay: Hands-Free Parking' from the home screen. | 2. Tap 'Enable AutoPay'. | 3. Add a new vehicle. |
| 4. Or select an existing vehicle, then select the box on the right to enable it for AutoPay. | 5. Add or select a payment method. | 6. A message will appear once AutoPay is enabled. Each approved vehicle will have a QR code beside it. |
| 7. When you exit, the automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system will identify your vehicle and open the barrier. If it does not register correctly, you can scan the QR code instead. | 8. Please note that there is a unique QR code for each operator. |
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How do I opt out of AutoPay?
Tap 'Account' in the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen, then tap 'AutoPay'. Select the three dots next to the opted-in vehicle, tap 'Opt out', then tap 'Save'. If you have more than one vehicle on the list, the updated list will show the remaining vehicles.
| 1. Tap 'AutoPay: Hands-Free Parking' from the home screen. | 2. Select the three dots next to the vehicle, tap 'Opt out', then tap 'Save'. | 3. If you have multiple vehicles opted in, the remaining vehicles will appear. |
📋 NOTE: Please make sure your vehicle registration is entered correctly, particularly similar characters such as '0' (zero) and 'O' (the letter O).
How can I receive email notifications?
To opt in for email notifications, go to 'Account' > 'Settings' > 'Parking notifications', then toggle 'Email Receipts' on.
What do I need to do to ensure payment goes through?
Once your vehicle is approved and you've opted in, make sure your payment method stays up to date in AutoPay. Your parking fee will be taken automatically after you drive out of the car park. All UK AutoPay locations accept Visa, Mastercard, Amex, and Discover.
To help ensure your payment goes through:
Go to 'Account' > 'AutoPay' and check that your payment card details are current.
Make sure your card has enough available funds to cover the parking charge.
Check that your billing information is correct.
If your card has expired or changed, update your payment method before using AutoPay.
My payment hasn't been collected, why could this be?
AutoPay uses cameras to capture your vehicle as you enter and exit the car park. If your vehicle is enabled for AutoPay and your payment method is in good standing, there are a couple of reasons why payment may not be collected automatically.
The payment may not have been processed successfully.
This can happen if:
Your bank has declined the card.
Your card has insufficient available funds.
Your card details have expired or are no longer current.
There is another issue preventing the payment from being processed.
The camera may not have been able to read your number plate clearly.
If your number plate cannot be captured when you enter or exit, the system may not be able to calculate the parking charge.
What should I do?
If your AutoPay payment is unsuccessful:
Check your payment details under 'Account' > 'AutoPay'.
Make sure your card is current and has sufficient available funds.
Check the PayByPhone home screen for an option to pay manually for the parking session.
Complete the manual payment if prompted.
If the payment could not be collected automatically, we'll let you know about the failed payment and give you the option to pay manually from the PayByPhone home screen.
Will I receive a Parking Charge Notice (PCN) if payment isn't collected?
If payment for a prior AutoPay session fails, you'll receive an email letting you know. A message will be displayed to you on the home screen of the PayByPhone app, giving you the option to manually pay for that parking session. Your AutoPay registration will be suspended until the failed payment is resolved, after which it will automatically be re-enabled. We recommend taking care of the payment as soon as possible to avoid any potential PCNs.
If this happens more than once, please consider updating your payment method.
How do I know if a car park or space offers PayByPhone AutoPay?
Car parks will have signage close to the entrance or inside the location.
How can I request a refund from Q-Park?
Click this LINK to visit Q-Park's Customer Support team.
For any further AutoPay inquiries, please ask to speak with an agent by tapping on the widget at the bottom-right corner of the page.