Parking violation fees play a crucial role in preventing revenue loss in free-flow parking systems.
They serve as a deterrent and encourage drivers to follow the rules consistently over time. But here’s the challenge: How do you enforce these rules fairly—while still providing a positive customer experience?

In this blog, we take a closer look at why these fees are necessary, the common concerns raised about them, and how smart, fair enfocement can be part of a customer-friendly parking experience. 

Table of Contents

Why Are Parking Violation Fees Necessary?

Is the Criticism of Parking Charges Justified?

Why Is a Customer-Friendly Parking System the Foundation of Fair Enforcement?

What Does a Customer-Centred Debt Collection Process Look Like?

What Are the Advantages of This Approach?

What Should You Look for When Choosing an Enforcement Provider?

Conclusion

Why are Parking Violation Fees Necessary?

Parking violation fees and consistent enforcement work hand in hand to prevent misuse of barrier-free car parks. They help ensure that operators don’t lose revenue due to users who fail to pay.

But these fees aren't just deterrence - they also influence behaviour. When people know there are consequences, they’re much more likely to follow the rules.

In practice, the non-payment rate – which can often exceed 10% – is typically reduced quickly and easily to just 1–2%. The key is to have a user-friendly, inituitive parking system in place, with clearly marked signage and consistent follow-up on violations. 

Fair enforcement and a customer-friendly process help ensure compliance without being overly punitive. This way, operators benefit from well-managed and financially stable parking operations - without risking a PR disaster. 

Fees for parking violations - and their consistent enforcement - are essential to effectively prevent revenue losses on barrier-free car parks.

Is the Criticism of Parking Charges Justified? 

Despite their necessity, there is valid criticism of high parking violation fees. In many cases, the penalties are disproportionate to the actual offence.

Tip

Parking violation fees should be set at a level that covers the costs of enforcement and the reminder process – no more, no less.

Excessive parking fines don’t just frustrate customers – they can also harm your business’s reputation. This is especially true when drivers receive a penalty despite having paid or genuinely tried to do so.

There are many reasons this can happen: technical glitches during payment, a missed license plate scan at exit, or unexpected events like an accident that delay a timely departure from the car park.

In these rare but understandable cases, goodwill is key. The ability to cancel fees when there's a valid objection plays a big part in creating a positive customer experience. Unfortunately, the flexibility to handle these situations is often lacking – leading to frustration and potentially driving customers to choose alternative parking options in the future.

In practice, however, customer-friendly solutions often clash with financial interests. When parking fines become a major source of revenue and are deliberately set high, it creates a business model built on penalisation rather than customer-focused parking management.

Tip

Parking violation fees should never be treated as a source of revenue – and certainly not as the foundation of your business model.

The result: An increasing number of enforced parking cases and excessive fines undermine the goal of fair parking management - damaging the operator’s reputation and reducing overall acceptance of parking terms.

Want to learn more about the risks of high fines and aggressive debt collection practices? Check out our blog post: 'In Comparison: Arivo vs. Freeflow-Only Providers'. Not sure how to manage parking violations efficiently and with your customers in mind? We’re happy to help. Discover what a fair, customer-friendly enforcement process looks like. Get in touch with Arivo today

Why Is a Customer-Friendly Parking System the Foundation of Fair Enforcement? 

Many parking violations aren't intentional - they often occur because essential information is missing or unclear. To ensure free-flow sites run smoothly, it’s crucial to have an intuitive parking system and clear, highly visible signage that communicates payment requirements effectively.

If payment requirements aren’t clearly visible, unintentional non-payment becomes far more likely.
That’s why clear signage at the entrance is essential. Just as important is a user-friendly, intuitive parking system that makes the entire parking and payment process seamless.

Here are the key features that matter most:

• Clear signage indicating that the area is paid parking, placed at the entrance and reinforced with instructions on how to pay throughout the site
• Feedback systems at the exit, such as traffic lights or display screens, showing the status of the parking session
• Simple and flexible payment options, including on-site pay stations, online payment, or parking apps
• User-friendly interfaces with clear instructions to guide the process
• Generous grace periods (at least 15 minutes), so drivers searching for a space don’t risk a fine if they can’t find one and need to leave.

What Does a Customer-Centred Debt Collection Process Look Like? 

A customer-oriented reminder process should be fair, transparent, and adapted to the specific situation, with goodwill applied where appropriate. Excessive or unclear fines create frustration, while a clearly communicated and reasonable system helps build awareness of responsible parking behavior.

Parking violation fees should always be kept as low as possible. The aim isn’t to generate extra income, but to prevent losses from unpaid parking. Fees should reflect the actual costs involved in the enforcement process, such as retrieving vehicle owner data, administrative handling, and postage.

For operators, having full transparency is essential—knowing how many cases are being pursued, the types of violations involved, and the reasons behind them. They should also be able to cancel outstanding fees quickly and easily when needed.

This fair approach should extend to the debt collection process as well, beginning with a clear, multi-stage reminder process before any case is escalated, and continuing with reasonable payment deadlines and fair reminder fees.

Important

Customer-friendly enforcement doesn’t mean parking violations should always be waived. It’s about acting proportionately – enforcing rules without discouraging users through excessive fees.

 

Looking to manage your free-flow car park in a customer-friendly way while benefiting from Arivo’s fair enforcement approach? Get in touch with Arivo today

What Are the Advantages of This Approach?

We firmly believe that transparent, customer-friendly processes – both in parking management and in the handling of violations – pay off in the long term. From our perspective, fair enforcement offers clear advantages:

• Greater acceptance: Transparent procedures increase users’ willingness to pay any parking violation or reminder fees.

• Fewer conflicts: Fair reminder policies and reasonable fines reduce the likelihood of complaints or formal disputes.

• Revenue protection without reputational damage: A fair reminder system helps secure income without risking a PR backlash.

Source: Bild (2024); Tiroler Tageszeitung (2024); Heute (2024); Tiroler Tageszeitung (2024); Kronen Zeitung (2024)

What Should You Look for When Choosing an Enforcement Provider?

If you're thinking about outsourcing enforcement and the reminder process for unpaid parking sessions, it's important to carefully assess and compare potential providers—whether they’re specialist legal firms, dedicated free-flow enforcement companies, or integrated solutions offered by parking system providers. In this sensitive area, the devil is often in the details.

Before choosing an enforcement partner, be sure to consider the following key points:

• Amount of violation fees: Are the charges proportionate and based on the actual costs of enforcement and reminders?

• Reminder fees and stages: Are these fair and reasonable?

• Payment deadlines: Are the timeframes realistic for customers to meet?

• Goodwill policies: Is there flexibility to waive charges in special cases or when payment or parking errors occur?

• Transparency: Will you receive clear reports and insights into the cases being followed up?

The table below outlines these key criteria and shows how Arivo’s enforcement solution (as of April 2025) compares to other providers.

Not sure what to look out for or want to learn more about Arivo’s enforcement solution? Get in touch with us – we’re happy to advise you. Contact Arivo today

Conclusion

Parking violation fees are essential to avoid revenue losses in free-flow areas and to encourage proper parking behaviour. But how these penalties are implemented makes all the difference: fair enforcement is built on transparency, proportionality, and a user-focused approach – not on maximizing penalty income

A customer-friendly reminder process offers realistic payment deadlines, moderate fees, and goodwill in justified cases. When penalties become a primary revenue source, trust in the parking system can quickly break down.

By choosing fair, customer-oriented processes, you not only secure stable revenue from your parking operations, but also minimize conflict and safeguard your reputation.

Looking to manage your car park efficiently with a free-flow system – without the hassle of chasing unpaid sessions? We’ll help you find the perfect parking solution tailored to your needs. Contact Arivo today