CMA writes to private parking operators over appeals and extra charges

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced a package of actions on 16 July 2026 covering private parking operators in the UK¹. It has opened an investigation into Euro Car Parks to examine whether its practices at petrol stations and its handling of appeals may breach consumer protection law¹. The CMA said it is at the beginning of that investigation and has reached no conclusions about whether Euro Car Parks has broken the law¹.

Alongside the investigation, the CMA has written to other private parking operators outlining concerns about the appeal process for drivers and potentially unfair additional charges applied when seeking to recover unpaid parking charges¹. It has also written to trade associations setting out steps that can be taken now to improve appeals handling and communications with motorists, and called on the wider sector to ensure its practices are consistent with consumer law¹. The open letter to operators says the CMA has "particular concerns about the potentially unfair practices of some operators, including the way operators handle appeals and attempt to recover additional fees on top of the parking charge"².

The CMA has made recommendations to government on the new Code of Practice it has consulted on, including that parking firms should be required to make drivers aware of their rights, improve appeals processes to make them fair and consistent, and that the rules around consideration periods should be looked at¹.

The CMA cited research suggesting private parking operators issued around 14.4 million parking tickets in the year 2024/25, more than double the number issued six years earlier¹. It said complaints from motorists highlighted unclear signage, broken ticket machines and faulty apps¹.

The CMA also published tips for drivers¹. It said drivers who believe a charge was issued incorrectly should appeal to the parking operator within 14 days to remain eligible for the Early Payment Discount, and that those not appealing should pay within the 14 days to benefit from it¹. It said the charge should be reduced to £20 in some circumstances, for example where the driver paid the fee but mistyped their registration number, and that drivers always have the right to appeal¹. These are set out in the Appeals Charter in the existing industry Code of Practice¹.

Euro Car Parks was previously issued with an administrative penalty for non-compliance with a CMA Information Notice¹. Euro Car Parks has appealed the CMA's decision to issue that penalty and the appeal is ongoing; the penalty relates solely to its initial failure to respond to the Information Notice and does not concern any alleged infringement of consumer protection law¹. Under the new consumer regime, the CMA can fine a company up to 10% of global turnover, or £300,000 where that is higher, if it infringes consumer protection law¹.

Why it matters for households

Private parking charges are a routine cost for many drivers, and the CMA's figures put the volume of tickets issued in 2024/25 at around 14.4 million¹. The actions announced on 16 July 2026 concern how operators handle appeals and how they seek to recover additional fees on top of the parking charge, both of which affect what a driver pays after a ticket is issued¹. The CMA's tips restate existing positions: a 14 day window for appealing or paying to keep the Early Payment Discount, a reduction to £20 in some circumstances such as a mistyped registration number, and a right to appeal¹. The recommendations to government concern a new Code of Practice that has been consulted on, so any change to the rules operators must follow depends on that process¹. The investigation into Euro Car Parks is at an early stage and no conclusions have been reached, so no finding against the company has been made¹.

What happens next

The CMA's investigation into Euro Car Parks is at the beginning, with no conclusions reached¹. Euro Car Parks' appeal against the earlier administrative penalty is ongoing¹. The CMA has made recommendations to government on the new Code of Practice it has consulted on¹. The CMA has published an open letter to the private parking sector and a letter to government, and has issued consumer tips and a video¹. No timetable for the investigation or for government's response to the recommendations has been reported¹.

More on how consumer rules are enforced is in our consumer protection coverage, and the wider framework is set out in our regulation and policy section.