Entered wrong registration parking fine: how to get it cancelled

Three common situations

• A small typo. One letter or number wrong, or a 0 typed as an O, when paying at a machine or in an app.
• Forgot the tablet. At gyms, supermarkets and restaurants you often need to type your reg into a tablet inside. If you forgot, the cameras don't know you were a customer.
• A different car. You paid for your other car, or the reg of a car you used to own.

All three are common, and companies see them every day. The key is showing that you were there legitimately and that the mistake was a simple one.

What the industry expects

The industry Appeals Charter expects parking companies to consider cancelling or reducing a charge when a genuine customer made a registration mistake. It isn't automatic, so your proof matters. Keep your tone calm and factual: the reader needs to see quickly that you were a genuine customer who made an honest mistake.

Proof that helps

• The payment receipt, or a screenshot from the parking app showing the reg you entered.
• A bank or card statement showing the payment.
• A till receipt with a time on it.
• Your gym or club check-in record.
• A photo of your car in the car park, if you have one.
• An email from the business confirming your visit.

Check what the letter says

Some letters show the registration that was entered at the machine or tablet. Compare it with your plate: if only one character is different, that's strong evidence of a simple keying error. If the letter shows no payment at all, ask the company for its records of payments made at that time.

Who to contact — and in what order

1. 1

   Step 1: The business

   Ask the shop, gym or restaurant manager to tell the parking company you were a customer. Many sites can do this.

2. 2

   Step 2: The parking company

   Appeal at the same time, with your proof, before the deadline.

3. 3

   Step 3: Independent appeal

   If the company says no, use the free POPLA appeal or IAS route.

Forgot to enter your reg in the tablet

This is one of the most common reasons people get a charge at a gym or supermarket. Ask reception or the store manager first: many sites can confirm to the parking company that you were there. Send your membership check-in or receipt with your appeal.

What to write in your appeal

Say what happened in one or two sentences, then point to your proof. For example: you paid for the full time, the registration entered had one character wrong, and the attached app receipt shows the payment and time.

If you forgot to enter your registration, say you were a genuine customer or member, give the time of your visit and attach the receipt or check-in record. Ask for the charge to be cancelled. Give each file a name that says what it is, such as 'gym check-in 3 October'.

More than one charge

If you used the same site several times before noticing the problem, you may get several charges. Appeal each one and mention the others in each letter, so the company can deal with them together. Ask the business to confirm every visit date at once.

Other points to check

A keying error isn't the only possible point. Check whether you were within the parking grace period, whether the notice to keeper arrived in time, and, at a hospital, whether PALS can help — see hospital parking charge appeal.

You don't have to say who was driving, but never say anything untrue. Examples on this page are illustrative and based on typical situations, not real cases.

This is a free self-help guide, not legal advice. Check your own letters and dates. If you're unsure, get free advice from Citizens Advice. Written by the Parking Help team.