Transforming the parking industry for a sustainable future

31 / 05 / 2022

The new parking landscape presents many challenges to industry operators, ranging from the rise of electric vehicles, and the subsequent need for adequate charging infrastructures and space utilisation, to keeping up with rapidly changing technology and transforming the parking industry. Our new full-service, omnichannel parking suite of products will provide a single platform for all merchants’ payment services. There is an array of additional advantages, too – the suite will enable parking vendors to handle all their needs, regardless of size or location, across Europe and allow smartphone (e.g. through parking apps) and e-commerce payments.

Tranforming parking

Worldline’s solution to parking industry challenges

This bespoke solution can be tailored toward the individual needs of the parking operator and enable our customers and partners to implement additional services to their pre-existing solutions.

The suite provides true flexibility to our clients, ensuring they are equipped with the right tools to enhance the customer journey - a major concern for merchants. Indeed, customer experience is often the driver of innovation, and it has become clear that the provision of a single, omnichannel platform for all online payment services is popular with, if not expected from, parking users.

Through mobile, e-commerce, and app payments, merchants can make parking an online service accessible via a multitude of channels. A parking garage can be monitored in real-time so you can provide the best customer experience for people using your car parks.

 

Contactless

From a payments perspective, the traditional means of paying for car parking spot is being replaced by contactless options, which answers increasing concerns from drivers for health and safety whilst ensuring they don’t have to get out of their vehicle to pay for their spot.

Instead, they might reserve parking spaces through an app before leaving their home, for example, and through the deployment of numberplate recognition technology, are able to seamlessly enter and exit a car park without the worry of purchasing a physical ticket.

Parking operators should consider investing in contactless payment infrastructure if they aren’t already equipped, as fewer people carry cash with them after being encouraged to adopt alternative means of payment during the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

An electric future

Parking merchants should consider the exponential rise in the number of electric vehicles on UK roads, part of a continuous upward trajectory of drivers embracing the rapid shift towards greener forms of transport.

As electric cars become more commonplace, parking merchants must plan for when parking spaces and charging points integrate, thus avoiding wasted valuable space. One way to combat this would be by putting time restrictions in place for customers parking in a dedicated. charging space.

Taking the next step, parking operators may consider charging at an enhanced rate or giving out fines for those wasting the space. This is a challenge merchants should begin factoring into on-going business strategies as consumers understand the benefits electric vehicles will have on wider society and combating climate change.

About Worldline

Worldline [Euronext: WLN] is the European leader in the payments and transactional services industry and #4 player worldwide. With its global reach and its commitment to innovation, Worldline is the technology partner of choice for merchants, banks and third-party acquirers as well as public transport operators, government agencies and industrial companies in all sectors.

Powered by over 20,000 employees in more than 50 countries, Worldline provides its clients with sustainable, trusted and secure solutions across the payment value chain, fostering their business growth wherever they are. Services offered by Worldline in the areas of Merchant Services; Terminals, Solutions & Services; Financial Services and Mobility & e-Transactional Services include domestic and cross-border commercial acquiring, both in-store and online, highly secure payment transaction processing, a broad portfolio of payment terminals as well as e-ticketing and digital services in the industrial environment. In 2019 Worldline generated a proforma revenue of 5.3 billion euros.

Anthony Wicks

Key Account Manager, Self-Service Global Sales Vertical – Parking & EVC, Worldline
Anthony Wicks is the Key Account Manager, Self-Service GSV – Parking & EVC for GSV at Worldline. With over 20 years of experience, Anthony is an experienced Key Account Manager and Direct Sales professional with a demonstrated history of working in the information technology and services industry. Having worked with Worldline for over a year and a half, Anthony brings his skills in Sales, Partner Management and Pre-sales activities to deliver payment solutions, Point of Sale (POS) systems, and installation and deployment projects.