Everything you need to know before you sign up.
No. If you can set up an email account, you can set up OpenParking. There's no code to write, no IT help needed, and no onboarding call required. Most operators are live within an hour of signing up.
Under an hour for most operators. Add your location, set up your permit types and pricing, connect Stripe, and you're live. If you're printing a QR code sign for a physical lot, add a few extra minutes to print and post it.
Two ways. For physical lots: you post a QR code sign at your location — guests and transient parkers scan it with their phone, tap through checkout, and have a digital permit in under 2 minutes. For residents or monthly permit holders: you share the buy link via email or text and they purchase in advance. No app download required either way.
No. Everything works in a mobile browser. Guests scan the QR code, buy through the browser, and receive a digital permit. No app store involved.
When you add a location, OpenParking generates a unique QR code for it. Print it, post it on a sign at your lot, and any guest or transient parker can scan it to buy a permit on the spot. The permit is tied to their license plate — your enforcement officer verifies it using the enforcement app.
Yes — 14 days. A credit card is required at signup, but you're not charged until day 14. Cancel before then and you're never billed.
$50/month base fee, plus $1.50 per resident (monthly) permit and $0.35 per guest permit configured. No setup fee, no annual contract required.
Your trial runs 14 days from signup. On day 14, your card is charged. Cancel before day 14 and you pay nothing.
Directly via Stripe Connect. When a customer buys a permit, the money goes straight to your Stripe account — OpenParking doesn't hold your funds or pay you on a delay. You'll need a Stripe account to use OpenParking.
Credit and debit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. Guest checkout requires no account creation — customers pay and move on.
Yes. Cancel through the Stripe Customer Portal at any time. No cancellation fees, no notice period required.
Yes. OpenParking uses Stripe Connect to send permit revenue directly to you. Setting up a Stripe account takes about 5 minutes and is free.
Guest and transient permits (hourly or fixed-fee), resident and monthly permits (recurring), and employee permits. You control pricing, expiry windows, and availability for each type.
Yes. For each permit type, you can toggle on manual approval — new permits go into a pending state until you approve them. Or set permits to auto-approve so customers get access immediately.
Enforcement officers log in to a mobile app (works on any phone, no download required), enter their location and a 4-digit PIN, and look up any plate — either by typing it or using the camera for automatic license plate recognition. The app shows immediately whether the vehicle has a valid permit.
Yes. There's no limit on locations. Each location gets its own buy page, QR code, and permit configuration. You can view revenue across all locations from one dashboard.
Yes. The platform works for operators anywhere in the world. The in-product interface supports 18 languages. Stripe handles currency and regional payment methods.
Payments are processed by Stripe, which is PCI-DSS compliant. OpenParking does not store card numbers. Operator and customer data is hosted on Railway with standard cloud security practices.
Yes. OpenParking was built to run commercial parking operations — it's what 5280 Parking (the company that built it) uses for its own lots. Configure hourly, daily, or monthly permits, post QR code signs, run enforcement, and pull revenue reports — all from one platform.
Yes. OpenParking is designed to give a new operator everything on day one: permit sales, payments, enforcement, and reporting. You don't need existing infrastructure or customers to get started.
Yes. Invite team members with role-based access. Enforcement officers get a separate mobile login that limits access to plate lookups at their assigned location only.
Yes. The reporting dashboard includes one-click CSV export for transactions, permit holders, and revenue summaries.
Active permits remain valid until their expiry date. No new permits can be purchased after cancellation. It's worth giving customers advance notice before you cancel.
White-label buy pages are available on the Enterprise plan. Email us to discuss.
The enforcement officer app is tied to active permit data at a connected location. It's not designed as a standalone enforcement tool — it works as part of the full permit and enforcement workflow.
Sign up free — live in under an hour.