ParkSmarter

Privacy Policy

Last updated: 17 May 2026

1. Who we are

ParkSmarter with MSQR is a cashless parking service operated by IPS Group UK (“we”, “us”, “our”), the data controller for the personal data described in this policy. Our registered address is Unit 5 Railway Court, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom, DN4 5FB and our company registration number is 09971838. We are registered with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) under registration number ZA603621.

For any privacy question, or to exercise your rights, contact us at support@parksmartermsqr.uk.

2. What this policy covers

This policy explains how we handle personal data when you use ParkSmarter with MSQR — including our website at parksmartermsqr.uk, paying for parking by scanning a QR code on an MSQR terminal, and the administration system used by operators and enforcement staff.

3. The personal data we collect

  • Vehicle registration– the number plate you enter, or scan with your phone camera, when paying for parking.
  • Vehicle details– the make, colour and year of your vehicle, retrieved from the DVLA from your registration so you can confirm you entered it correctly.
  • ANPR data– at locations with ANPR cameras, images of vehicles and their recognised number plates, together with the time and the camera location.
  • Parking session data– the location, the tariff chosen, the amount, and the start and expiry times of your parking.
  • Payment data– card payments are taken by our payment processor, Stripe. We do not see or store your full card details; we receive confirmation that a payment succeeded.
  • Email address– the address you provide to Stripe at checkout, used to send your parking confirmation; and any address you give us when contacting support.
  • Support enquiries– the name, email address and message you send through our support forms.
  • Administrator accounts– for parking operators and enforcement officers, an email address, a securely hashed password and an account role.
  • Technical data– your IP address and standard server log information, kept for security and to keep the service running.

4. How we use your data, and our lawful basis

  • To provide parking you have paid for– processing your payment, recording your session and emailing your confirmation. Lawful basis: performance of a contract.
  • To support parking enforcement– matching ANPR sightings to paid sessions so that overstays and unpaid parking can be identified by the operator or landowner. Lawful basis: our legitimate interests, and those of the operator, in the proper management of the parking facility.
  • To answer your enquiries– responding to messages you send us. Lawful basis: legitimate interests.
  • To keep the service secure and working– preventing fraud and abuse and maintaining the system. Lawful basis: legitimate interests.
  • To meet our legal obligations– keeping financial and tax records of payments. Lawful basis: legal obligation.

5. Who we share your data with

We do not sell your personal data. We share it only with the service providers needed to run ParkSmarter with MSQR, and where the law requires:

  • Stripe– processes card payments and sends payment receipts. See stripe.com/privacy.
  • DVLA– the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's Vehicle Enquiry Service, used to look up vehicle make/colour/year from a registration.
  • A third-party number-plate recognition service – used to read plates from ANPR camera images and customer plate scans. We can disclose the specific provider on request.
  • Our email provider– used to deliver confirmation and support emails. The specific provider can be disclosed on request.
  • The parking operator or landowner– where a location is managed by a third-party operator, parking and enforcement data for that location is available to them.
  • Authorities– where we are legally required to disclose data, for example to the police.

6. ANPR cameras

Some locations use Automatic Number Plate Recognition. Where they do, cameras capture images of vehicles entering and leaving and record the recognised registration and time. This is used to confirm whether a vehicle's parking was paid for and within its paid time. Signage is displayed at locations operating ANPR.

7. International transfers

Some of our providers (including Stripe and our number-plate recognition service) may process data outside the UK. Where they do, the transfer is protected by appropriate safeguards such as the UK's International Data Transfer Agreement or equivalent approved mechanisms.

8. How long we keep your data

We keep personal data – including parking session records, ANPR images and events, and support enquiries – for 90 days, after which it is deleted. The only exception is where the law requires us to keep certain records for longer, such as records of payments retained for tax and accounting purposes; those are kept for as long as the law requires and then deleted.

9. Your rights

Under UK data protection law you have the right to:

  • ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you;
  • have inaccurate data corrected;
  • ask us to erase your data in certain circumstances;
  • restrict or object to our processing of your data;
  • ask for your data in a portable format; and
  • withdraw any consent you have given.

To exercise any of these, email support@parksmartermsqr.uk. We will respond within one month.

10. Complaints

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your data, please tell us first so we can put it right. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk.

11. Cookies

Information about the cookies we use is set out in our Cookie Policy.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The date at the top shows when it was last changed.