§ HOWThe walk-through

From plate
to payment.

SmartParq sits quietly on your site. It reads plates at the entry, checks them against your rules, lets paying drivers pay on their phone in under thirty seconds, and settles revenue straight to your bank. Here's how each bit works.

— Reading time · 3 min
● 5 stages · end-to-end
SmartParq / 2026 / v1
Stage 01 01.

We install the cameras.

A Unique Group engineer surveys your site — entries, exits, sightlines, lighting. We specify camera count and mounting, install to your network, and hand back a commissioning report. Hardware is yours.

Site survey UK installers Hardware from £2k Ethernet & PoE
CCTV surveillance camera mounted on building
● CAM 01 · COMMISSIONED 1080p · 60fps · ANPR
Stage 02 02.

Plates get read in real time.

As each car arrives or leaves, the camera streams plates to the SmartParq platform within milliseconds. No ticket machines. No barrier. No queue of visitors fumbling for change on a Tuesday morning.

Real-time ANPR No barrier No ticket machine Weather-tolerant
● LIVE · CAM 01 · NORTH ENTRY 09:42:07
AB24 PRQ
READ · 0.12S · 98.6% CONFIDENCE · HIGH
Stage 03 03.

Your rules decide what happens.

Staff permit? Let them in, no payment needed. Visitor? Flag them for payment. Contractor between 7am and 11am? Approved. Everything configurable from your dashboard — and changeable in seconds, not ticket cycles.

Permits Exemptions Time windows Grace periods Zone logic
Live activity Permits Rules
LAST 5 MIN
Plate Class Rule Status
AB24 PRQ Staff permit Exempt · 24h OK
LX18 KRM Visitor Pay on exit Paid
CJ19 YBE Contractor Window 07–11 OK
WM71 FHA Unregistered Pay required Wait
Stage 04 04.

Drivers pay on their phone.

For visitors, a short URL — on signage, on receipts, on a QR — opens a clean pay-page in your livery. Plate pre-filled from ANPR. Apple Pay, Google Pay, card. No app download, no account, no PCN machine.

Web-based Apple / Google Pay No app White-labelled
09:42 5G · 100%
● SMARTPARQ
Pay for your stay
AB24 PRQ
SiteNorthfield HQ
Duration2h · until 11:42
Rate£3.00 / 2hrs
Total £3.00
Pay with Apple Pay
Stage 05 05.

Revenue lands in your account.

Payments go direct to your Stripe account, not ours. SmartParq takes a flat platform fee and a small per-session cost. Card processing is passed through at cost. You see the P&L on your dashboard and reconcile like any other revenue stream.

Stripe-direct Daily settlement Live P&L No revenue share
MONTHLY P&L SITE · 01
Net retained
~£5,000
Of gross
~80%
§ FAQCommon questions

What operators usually ask first.

The short answers below. The longer ones happen on a call — and we're happy to bring an engineer along.

01
Do I need to rip out existing signage or hardware?
Usually no. SmartParq works with most existing signage. We'll survey, specify what needs changing, and re-brand signage in your livery where needed. You're not locked to a particular pole supplier or signage format.
02
Can we still issue PCNs if we need to?
Yes — SmartParq integrates with DVLA-authorised PCN issuers if you need them, fully BPA / IPC compliant. But the platform is designed so most of your revenue comes from paying drivers, not charge notices. PCNs become a last resort, not a business model.
03
What happens to the revenue — literally?
Drivers pay via Stripe, directly into your business Stripe account (not SmartParq's). Settlement follows your Stripe schedule (usually daily). SmartParq invoices you monthly for the platform licence and per-session fees. There's no pooled pot, no escrow, no hidden cut.
04
How long to install a typical site?
From first survey to cameras live: four to six weeks for a single-site installation. Multi-site programmes are rolled in waves. We handle the engineering; your FM team handles access.
05
What about data, GDPR, and the ICO?
Plate data is personal data under UK GDPR. SmartParq provides a data processing agreement, a DPIA template, and the signage wording to display at your site entries. You are the data controller; we are your processor. Data is UK-hosted.

Ready to take
your car park
back?

A 20-minute discovery call is the fastest way to see whether SmartParq is right for your estate. We'll look at your site, your current setup, and the numbers that matter.

Register interest → Back to overview