Quick Summary:
- ANPR cameras record your plate at entry and exit, then calculate fees.
- Avoid paying twice by using only one payment method per stay.
- Check the rental’s plate details, especially temporary tags, before entering.
- Keep receipts, screenshots, and entry times to challenge any incorrect billing.
Ticketless, plate-read car parks are increasingly common in Philadelphia, especially around busy garages, lots near entertainment districts, and some airport-adjacent facilities. Instead of taking a paper ticket, cameras read your number plate when you enter and again when you leave, then link your stay to a payment method. With car hire, this can be convenient, but it also creates a few predictable pitfalls, particularly if your rental has temporary plates or if you pay via an app while the operator also bills by plate.
This guide explains how ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) parking works in Philadelphia, why double charges can happen, and exactly what to keep as proof if something goes wrong.
How ticketless (ANPR) parking works in Philadelphia
In a ticketless car park, the operator uses entry and exit cameras to create a time-stamped record tied to the vehicle’s plate. The system typically follows this sequence:
1) Entry capture. As you drive in, a camera reads the plate and logs the time. Some sites show your plate on a screen, others do not. If the system cannot read the plate cleanly, it may still create a record that later needs manual matching.
2) Parking session creation. The car park software starts a session. Depending on the operator, you may be expected to do nothing until exit, or you may need to validate your plate at a kiosk or in an app during your stay.
3) Payment matching. Payment can be taken in several ways: paying at an on-site pay station by entering your plate, paying in an app that asks for your plate, tapping a card at the exit barrier, or being billed later by plate via a registered account.
4) Exit capture and fee calculation. When you leave, the exit camera reads your plate again, calculates the length of stay, and either opens a barrier (if payment is recognised) or directs you to pay.
In Philadelphia, the key point for renters is that the plate is the identifier. If the plate on the car does not match what you typed into an app, or if you pay twice through two separate channels, the system can treat these as different sessions or as one paid session plus a second unpaid session.
Why car hire vehicles are more likely to be misbilled
ANPR works best when the plate is stable, clearly printed, and consistently formatted. Car hire can introduce extra complexity because the plate you see may not be the plate the operator expects to see, or your payment method might be linked to something else.
Temporary plates and paper tags. Some rentals use temporary tags or paper plates, often placed in a rear window. Cameras are optimised for standard reflective plates, so a temporary tag can be misread, partially read, or missed. A “close enough” read can accidentally match another vehicle, or create an exception that later gets manually processed incorrectly.
Plate changes mid-fleet. If a vehicle has recently been re-registered, databases can lag. The operator may have stale data in a monthly parker system, while you pay a one-off session at a kiosk. These mismatches can trigger follow-up billing.
Multiple payment channels. Many lots allow you to pay at a kiosk, through a mobile app, or by card on exit. If you pay once in the app and again at the exit barrier because the barrier did not recognise the app payment, you can create two paid transactions for one stay.
Pre-authorisations that look like charges. Some apps and card readers place a temporary hold (pre-authorisation) to confirm funds, then finalise the actual charge later. If you also pay elsewhere, you might see both in your banking app and assume you have been double billed. Sometimes one drops off, sometimes both finalise if two separate sessions were created.
Rental toll and parking programmes. Some hire companies offer a tolling or convenience programme that can also cover certain parking transactions, depending on location and operator agreements. If you separately pay at the car park, you can end up with your own card charge plus a later rental invoice item.
Common double-charge scenarios in Philadelphia ANPR car parks
Here are the most frequent ways double charges happen, and how to recognise them.
Paying in an app plus paying at the exit gate. You start a session in an app by entering the plate, but on exit the barrier does not lift. You tap a card to get out. Later, both the app and the gate payment settle. This is more likely if you typed the plate incorrectly or the app session was started for the wrong facility.
Paying at a kiosk with a mistyped plate. At a pay station you enter the plate, but you swap a letter for a number. Your payment applies to a non-existent or different plate. The system still sees your actual plate exiting, flags it as unpaid, and you pay again at the gate or receive a later invoice.
Temporary tag not read, staff enters a “best guess”. The operator later reconciles unread plates. If your temporary tag was unclear, manual entry might be wrong. If you have already paid correctly, the reconciliation can still trigger a second charge against a similar plate.
Leaving and re-entering during the same day. Some systems treat each entry as a new session. If you enter, exit, and re-enter within a short time, the system can merge or split sessions depending on its rules. If you pay once expecting it to cover the whole day, you may be billed again.
Validation confusion. A hotel, venue, or office might validate parking by plate. If you also pay normally, you can generate overlapping records. The validation could reduce a fee but not remove it, leading to unexpected amounts or duplicate “pending” items.
How to avoid double charges when driving a rental
The safest approach is to make the ANPR system’s job easy, and to keep your own records. These practical steps reduce the chance of paying twice.
1) Confirm the plate details before you park. At pick-up, note the plate number and state shown on the physical plate or tag, and compare it with the rental paperwork. If the vehicle has a temporary tag, write down the full tag number exactly as displayed, including any dashes or spaces if present. If you are collecting at the airport, you can also review parking and driving essentials through the Philadelphia airport car hire page: car hire airport Philadelphia (PHL).
2) Choose one payment route and stick to it. Decide in advance: app, kiosk, or pay-on-exit. If you start an app session, do not also pay at the kiosk “just in case”. If the barrier does not open, press the help button and explain you have already paid via the app, then provide the plate and transaction time.
3) If you must pay at an on-site machine, double-check every character. Before confirming payment, carefully check the plate you typed. This matters even more with temporary tags because the formatting may be unfamiliar, and a single character error can create a second session.
4) Watch for pre-authorisations. If you tap a card at entry or exit, your bank may show a pending amount first. Give it time to settle before assuming it is a duplicate, especially if the amount is round or higher than expected. Keep a screenshot of the pending line and later the settled line in case you need to show a timeline.
5) Be cautious with “account-based” parking. Some operators let you create an account and register a plate for automatic billing. With car hire, avoid leaving a rental plate saved in your account after your trip. If the same vehicle is later hired by someone else, your account could be charged for their stay.
6) Understand the rental’s toll and fee settings. Ask at collection whether any parking charges could be routed through the rental company, and whether there are admin fees if that happens. If you are comparing rental options and policies, these Philadelphia pages can help you orient yourself: car hire Philadelphia and car rental Philadelphia (PHL).
7) Avoid last-minute exit payments if you already paid. If the gate is not recognising your payment, do not immediately tap a second card. Use intercom support first. Many operators can manually verify your app payment or kiosk receipt by plate and time.
What proof to keep if billing goes wrong
If you are charged twice, your success disputing it usually depends on proving three things: which vehicle you had, when you entered and exited, and how you paid. Keep the following until all transactions have fully settled and your final rental statement is issued.
1) The rental agreement and vehicle details page. Save a PDF or photo showing the vehicle registration or tag number, plus the dates and times you had the car. If there is a plate change or the car has a temporary tag, this document helps show why ANPR might have struggled.
2) Photos of the plate or temporary tag. Take a clear photo front and rear if plates exist, or the temporary tag in the window. Do this in good light before your first ANPR car park visit.
3) Payment receipts and screenshots. For kiosk payments, photograph the printed receipt. For app payments, screenshot the session details showing the facility name, plate entered, start and end time, and amount. For card payments at a gate, keep the card slip if provided and screenshot the bank transaction once it settles.
4) Entry and exit evidence. If you can, note the address or car park name, and the approximate entry and exit times. A phone location timeline can also help. If a barrier display shows your plate on entry, a quick photo can be useful, provided it is safe and you are not obstructing traffic.
5) Any intercom reference numbers. If you used the help button, ask for a reference number or the operator name, and note the time. This can connect your account of the issue to the operator’s logs.
How disputes typically work for ANPR parking and rentals
If you notice a duplicate payment, start by identifying whether you are seeing a real charge or a temporary hold. A pre-authorisation may disappear automatically within a few days. If both items settle, follow this order:
First, contact the parking operator with your proof bundle. Operators can usually refund the duplicate if you show two payments for the same session, or if you show you paid and their system later billed again.
Second, contact the payment provider or app if the operator is unresponsive, especially when the app session and the gate payment came from different systems.
Third, contact the rental company if a charge appears on your rental invoice rather than your own card, or if you suspect a toll and parking programme routed a parking fee through the rental contract. For travellers who prefer to review supplier-specific terms and common admin fees, these pages may help set expectations: Enterprise car hire Philadelphia and Avis car hire Philadelphia.
When disputing, be specific. Provide the exact plate or tag number, the facility name, entry and exit times, and both transaction IDs. Clear, time-stamped evidence is often enough to resolve the issue without escalating.
Practical checklist for your next Philadelphia ANPR car park
Before you enter: confirm plate or temporary tag, decide your payment method, and ensure your phone has signal if you plan to use an app. While paying: double-check the plate characters and the facility name. Before exiting: if you paid in an app, open the session screen so you can quote the transaction quickly. After leaving: keep receipts and screenshots until you see final settled charges and your rental is closed.
FAQ
How do I know if I’ve been double charged or it’s just a pre-authorisation? A pre-authorisation usually shows as “pending” and may be higher than the final fee. If both transactions fully settle and remain, treat it as a duplicate and dispute with proof.
What plate number should I enter in a parking app for a hire car? Enter the exact plate or temporary tag displayed on the vehicle, not a stock number from the keys. If the car has a paper tag, copy it character-for-character.
What should I do if the barrier won’t open even though I paid? Use the intercom or help button before paying again. Provide your plate, approximate entry time, and any app or receipt transaction reference so staff can verify payment.
Can a rental company bill me later for ANPR parking I already paid? It can happen if a parking operator routes charges by plate to a fleet account or if the rental has a convenience programme. Keep receipts and your rental statement to challenge any overlap.
How long should I keep ANPR parking receipts when travelling? Keep them until all parking transactions have settled and your final rental invoice is issued, plus a little longer if you see any delayed charges in your banking app.
