Do I have to pay a private parking charge?

Private parking charges are contractual, not fines. You are only liable as the keeper if the operator followed the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 requirements exactly — including issuing a Notice to Keeper within 14 days. Over 50% of POPLA appeals succeed. Do not ignore the charge, but you have strong grounds to appeal.

How do I appeal a council parking ticket (PCN)?

You have 28 days from the PCN date to make an informal challenge to the issuing council. If rejected, you receive a Notice to Owner and have 28 days to make a formal representation. If that fails, you can appeal free of charge to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal (or PATAS in London). Common grounds include defective signage, invalid Traffic Regulation Order, or procedural errors on the PCN.

How long do I have to appeal a parking charge?

For council PCNs, you have 28 days from the date of issue to make an informal challenge. If you pay within 14 days, you usually get a 50% discount. For private parking charges, challenge within 28 days of the original notice. After this, amounts can increase significantly.

What is POPLA and how does it work?

POPLA (Parking on Private Land Appeals) is the independent appeals service for private parking charges from BPA-member operators. If your initial appeal to the parking company is rejected, you can escalate to POPLA for free. The operator must provide a full evidence pack. If they fail to respond within the deadline, your appeal is automatically allowed.

7 June 2026

Paid to Park but Still Got a Ticket? Keying Errors, POPLA and Your Appeal

Imagine paying for your parking, displaying everything correctly, and still receiving a charge in the post weeks later — all because you mistyped a single part of your number plate at the machine. That is exactly what happened to one Sheffield motorist whose case made national headlines in 2026, and it is one of the most appealable situations there is.

The Case That Put Keying Errors in the Spotlight

As reported by the BBC, a driver visiting Lincolnshire paid for two hours of parking but entered only part of his registration into the pay-and-display machine. Euro Car Parks issued a Parking Charge Notice and rejected his appeal, describing it as a "major keying error", while offering to close the matter for a £20 administration fee. He is now taking the case to POPLA — and his pay-and-display ticket proves he paid.

What the Parking Code Says About Keying Errors

A "keying error" is simply where a motorist does not enter their vehicle registration correctly into a machine, app or payment terminal. The British Parking Association draws an important distinction:

A minor keying error — such as a single wrong letter, or a zero instead of the letter "O". The BPA says operators should cancel the charge if the motorist appeals.
A major keying error — such as multiple mistakes, entering a spouse's plate, or entering only part of the registration. Here the BPA says a "modest charge of no more than £20" can be justified to cover costs.

Either way, the BPA is clear that operators should resolve the error at appeal — especially where the motorist can show they paid or genuinely tried to enter their details.

Why You Should Appeal — the Odds Are Good

POPLA, the independent appeals service for BPA-member operators, considered more than 107,000 appeals last year, and over half were upheld or not contested by the operator. In the 12 months to April 2025 it quashed a record 54,100 tickets. If you paid and can prove it, a keying error is precisely the kind of charge that should not survive a properly evidenced appeal.

How to Appeal a Keying-Error Charge

Gather your proof. Your pay-and-display ticket, card statement or app receipt showing the date, time and amount paid is your strongest evidence.
Appeal to the operator first, in writing, within the deadline on the notice. State plainly that you paid for parking and made a keying error when entering your registration, and ask for cancellation.
Do not pay the charge while you intend to appeal — paying is often treated as admitting it.
Escalate if rejected. For a BPA member, take it free to POPLA within 28 days of rejection. For an IPC member, use the Independent Appeals Service within 21 days.

Sources

BBC News — "Motorist to fight Louth parking ticket issued for 'keying error'" (May 2026)
British Parking Association — code of practice guidance on keying errors
The Mirror / Martyn James — POPLA appeal statistics (May 2026)

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