When did parking become a strategic asset rather than just an operational one? For decades, off-street parking has been managed as necessary infrastructure but rarely differentiated, that is now changing. As mobility becomes more connected and data-driven, parking is evolving into a control point for access, identity, and service delivery, opening the door to new revenue models and more integrated mobility experiences, with automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) playing a central role in this transformation.
Off-street parking engages millions of drivers every day and occupies high-value urban space, giving operators a clear strategic opportunity as they digitize. In a rapidly evolving mobility landscape, parking is no longer just an operational necessity but a critical touchpoint in the wider urban ecosystem.
A strategic choice for operators
ANPR is transforming off-street parking globally by digitizing access, identity, and user journeys for operators, service providers, and end users. It enables reliable vehicle recognition, strengthens tariff control through integrated systems, and turns digital discovery into revenue. In doing so, it helps operators scale services and differentiate in increasingly competitive markets.
At Arrive, transformation is already underway across more than 40,000 off-street locations through our end-user parking apps and integrations with leading Parking Management Systems and ANPR vendors. In 2025 alone, we processed more than 50 million ANPR transactions, demonstrating that license-plate-based access can operate reliably at global scale, providing millions of users with a seamless parking experience.
When ANPR becomes the foundation of access, operators unlock capabilities that go far beyond frictionless entry and exit. Dynamic pricing, integrated EV charging, and mobility services become easier to deploy, while richer operational insights help maximize the value of existing assets.
ANPR as the access and identity layer
ANPR delivers immediate operational improvements by reducing or fully eliminating paper tickets (in ticketless facilities), and improving vehicle flow at entry and exit. The operator’s subscribers and users of parking apps with automatic parking enabled move in and out without stopping, improving the overall experience while reducing congestion during peak periods. Operators gain reliable data tied to identifiable vehicles, strengthening reporting, operational visibility, and strategic decision-making.
Through express pay, Arrive connects ANPR to guest parkers’ payment credentials and service entitlements, giving operators full tariff control while enabling automatic validation of third-party services. This approach transforms existing infrastructure into a foundation for new revenue streams, turning operational efficiency into long-term commercial growth. Additionally, the operator can boost profitability through higher revenue and lower costs when guest parking transactions are processed via Arrive.
From garage to integrated mobility environment
Many garages already combine short-stay parking, residential/business contracts, EV charging, and access to public transport. However, these services often remain fragmented, limiting visibility and underutilizing existing demand.
By connecting Parking Management Systems, ANPR, and digital platforms, Arrive helps operators:
surface services earlier in the journey
improve service discovery before and during parking
increase both adoption and value realization
As navigation and in-car systems integrate parking data, this influence extends further into the planning phase. Parking decisions shift from purely location-based choices to service-led decisions, where availability and experience become key differentiators.
Collaboration enables hub monetization
Mobility hubs rely on close coordination among parking operators, service providers, digital platforms, and public authorities because each plays a distinct role in delivering a seamless experience. Operators manage the physical asset and access. Service providers contribute specialized offerings such as EV charging. Digital platforms enable discovery and transactions. Cities define broader mobility objectives that shape usage and policy.
When stakeholders align, mobility hubs can deliver a unified experience for drivers while generating measurable value across the urban mobility ecosystem.
Arrive helps operators monetize these new services better by leveraging the existing user base of parking apps and in-car systems. By improving the discovery of these services, more people will start using them.
As navigation systems incorporate parking data, this visibility can move earlier into the planning process, influencing parking choices based on service availability rather than location alone.
Digitizing Park and Ride (P+R)
Park and Ride remains one of the most effective tools for reducing congestion and supporting multimodal travel to make cities more liveable. However, many systems still rely on fragmented validation processes that require multiple payments and/or physical tickets. This complexity prevents operators from leveraging the benefits of ANPR as described above together with new public transport payment methods like “Open Payment” (“tap-and-go”).
There are several solutions that can support ANPR, third-party parking apps and services.
Public transport tickets can be validated or scanned at parking pay stations and reconciled automatically against the ANPR parking session.
Mobile applications can capture validation codes or beacon confirmations during the public transport journey and transmit them back to the PMS.
Alternatively, centralized clearing mechanisms can link license plates and payment credentials across parking and transit providers, enabling automated entitlement recognition across systems.
These approaches allow existing infrastructure to work with ANPR rather than requiring disruptive system replacement. The driver parks, continues their journey on public transport, and exits the facility with limited payment or validation steps. Operators can support multimodal policy objectives while maintaining full commercial oversight of parking operations.
Taking the next step
ANPR is reshaping urban mobility by turning off-street parking from static infrastructure into a connected mobility layer. What was once simply a place to leave a car is becoming a dynamic node within a wider ecosystem of services, data, and multimodal journeys.
With more than 40,000 connected off-street locations and over 50 million ANPR transactions processed in a single year, Arrive is already operating this model at scale, demonstrating its reliability across real-world environments.
The opportunity for operators is clear. Those who transform their garages into connected, service-enabled environments will unlock new revenue streams, improve operational performance, and build stronger long-term customer relationships.
Arrive is one of the world’s leading urban mobility companies, with more than 70 years of combined mobility innovation across the EasyPark Group, Flowbird Group, and Parkopedia brands. Today, we support more than 60 million drivers across over 90 countries, helping cities and operators deliver smoother, more connected mobility experiences at scale.
By Bernd Reul, Head of Off-street and International Accounts, Europe, Arrive