'Frustrating' parking apps unpopular with most drivers
Thu, 16 Oct 2025
Drivers are becoming increasingly frustrated with mobile parking apps as new research reveals nearly 3 in 4 motorists have suffered difficulties in the past year.
By far the biggest issue is a lack of reliable mobile phone signal in the car park – surely a basic check for any car park operator before deciding to introduce mobile app parking – with 70% of drivers experiencing issues.
Next up, reveals research by the RAC, is the mobile app not correctly recognising the car park the driver was in, and the app in question crashing.
A quarter said the app wouldn’t accept their bank card, while 13% said they couldn’t work out how to use the app in the first place.
The latter figure doubled for drivers aged 75 and over.
"There’s no doubt mobile apps have an important and increasing role to play when it comes to parking our vehicles, and the best ones make parking an easier task," says RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis.
"But our figures show there’s still plenty drivers find frustrating about them. Parking should be one of the simplest tasks any driver completes, but having to navigate a variety of differently-designed apps – and register an account, vehicle details and bank cards with each one – can be a pain."
There are security concerns with the plethora of mobile parking apps too, says Dennis. Having card details saved with so many providers is an issue "as unlike using conventional websites, there’s generally no reassuring padlock symbol on parking apps to show card details are being shared securely."
To be as secure as possible when using a mobile parking app, the RAC advises drivers make sure they’re always using the latest version of each app they use.
But even then, those with older smartphones need to be aware that over time, parking app developers stop supporting their devices. This means these drivers will no longer be able to update their apps, which could lead to future problems using them to pay for parking.
The RAC is also looking forward to the belated launch of the UK’s National Parking Platform, which it says should spell the end of drivers needing to download lots of separate apps just to park.
"This does depend on enough local authorities and parking companies up and down the country signing up, though," adds Dennis.
Recent figures have revealed that local councils pocketed a staggering £1.2bn profit from parking fees in the last financial year.
