Parking lots and car parks have long been inconvenient when it comes to payments. Whether fumbling for the prepaid ticket, struggling to reach a payment terminal with your arm, waiting in long exit queues, or insufficient coverage of RF (radio frequency) or video technologies, traditional methods often cause unnecessary inconvenience.
But thanks to ultra-wideband (UWB), an innovative wireless technology, parking payments can be transformed into a more touchless and seamless payment experience. UWB standardization body FiRa® recently released its Core specification 3.0 which offers dedicated UWB capabilities that make parking faster, safer, and more convenient than ever, without compromising security or jeopardizing existing payment methods such as NFC.
A New Era for Contactless Parking Payments
Contactless payments based on NFC technology have become a standard in retail, public transport, and access control, but parking facilities have been slower to adopt fully automated, yet touchless solutions. Current systems, such as RFID-based toll passes or license plate recognition, have limitations in accuracy and security and need a strong, always-on background system support.
UWB, however, brings a secured and higher level of precision and eases parking transactions by enabling touchless entry and exit payment. UWB is already built into many smartphone and wearable platforms and is targeted to be used in residential and commercial access control and in many cars to enable secured and touchless access using a key fob or a mobile platform. Thus, it is just a small step towards car-related payment services without major investments.
Imagine driving into a parking lot and seamlessly passing through the gate without stopping to grab a ticket or scan a pass. Your UWB-enabled smartphone or smartwatch communicates securely with the parking system, verifying your presence and automatically registering your entry. When it’s time to leave, the same effortless process occurs—your stay is calculated, payment is processed, and the gate opens, without needing a card tap, app interaction, or manual input.
While the car park background system can be widely reused to perform access or payment transactions, only the gate infrastructure needs to be adapted, communicating with standardized UWB infrastructure in the car or smartphone. For example, if a vehicle is not equipped with UWB, NFC-based communication will be used as a backup.
How UWB-Powered Parking Works
The process of using UWB for parking payments is straightforward and requires no extra effort from the driver:
- Arrival & Entry: As you approach the entrance of a parking lot or garage, the UWB-enabled parking controller detects your smartphone or wearable device. This identification process is both secure and precise, ensuring that only authorized devices are recognized.
- Device Verification: If multiple UWB-enabled devices are in the vehicle, the system verifies the appropriate payment method, allowing users to select the correct device if needed.
- Gate Access: The system confirms authorization and seamlessly opens the entry gate—no need for tickets, QR codes, or taps.
- Payment Processing: When you’re ready to leave, the system calculates the duration of your stay based on your unique device ID and automatically processes the payment using your preferred payment method.
- Exit Confirmation: Once payment is verified, the gate opens, and you exit without delays or manual steps.
This all happens in real-time, using UWB’s high-precision ranging capabilities to ensure fast, reliable, and secure transactions. If no UWB device can be detected, a smartphone or smartcard-based NFC transaction could be used as a backup.
Why UWB is the Ideal Solution for Parking Payments
UWB technology offers several advantages that make it the ideal solution for seamless parking transactions:
- Truly Tap-Free Experience: Unlike other systems that require a physical tap, UWB payments occur automatically when a device is within range.
- Secured Transactions: UWB leverages Time-of-Flight (ToF) measurements and has built in several security measures such as Scrambled Time Sequences (STS), based on cryptographic technology, to prevent relay and man-in-the-middle attacks, ensuring a higher level of security. Additionally, it can work in conjunction with a hardware-based secure element to enable the storage and exchange of secure keys, similar to a Smartcard.
- Eliminates Payment Friction: No more struggling to reach a payment terminal or app—just drive in, park, and leave when you're done while the handling and display can be monitored on your smartphone or your car’s dashboard.
- Optimized Traffic Flow: Reduces congestion at entry and exit points, leading to a smoother overall parking experience.
Looking Ahead: The Future of UWB in Parking and Beyond
The rollout of FiRa Core 3.0 marks a key step forward in bringing UWB-powered contactless, even touchless payments to real-world applications. While parking payments are one of the most immediate and impactful use cases, UWB has the potential to go even further. Future applications could include helping drivers locate available parking spots in real-time, guiding them to EV charging stations, or even integrating with autonomous vehicle systems for fully automated parking.
As UWB adoption continues to grow, it will redefine how we interact with everyday transactions, making them more seamless, secure, and convenient. The days of fumbling for tickets and payment cards in parking lots are numbered—UWB is paving the way for a smarter, stress-free experience.
So, next time you pull into a parking lot, imagine a world where everything happens in the background, effortlessly. With UWB, that future is closer