Our Most Effective Methods for Optimizing the Use of Your Parking Spaces

Methods to Increase Revenue and Shorten Waiting Lists

As long as you only offer reserved parking, you’ll never generate more than one revenue stream per spot. But since most reserved spaces sit empty part of the time, that’s an underutilized asset. By converting reserved spots into permit-based parking, you can:

• Allow controlled overbooking
• Offer time-based access rights
• Fill vacancies with temporary visitor parking

— all without reducing availability for existing tenants.

Overbooking

In general, a 10% overbooking rate is fully manageable. If you don’t already have data on how your tenants use your parking facilities, that’s the best place to start. Begin by systematically measuring your actual vacancy rate and use that data to fine-tune overbooking. The goal is to find a balance where utilization is maximized without users experiencing reduced access.

Time-Based Access

Different customers park at different times of the day. By offering time-based parking permits, you can match those needs — for example:

• Day permits for employees who park during office hours
• Evening/weekend permits for residents who park when they’re home

This doubles utilization without affecting perceived availability, and customers appreciate paying only for what they actually use.

Temporary Visitor Parking

If you want even better insight into how your facilities are being used — and to boost utilization with visitor parking — ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) is a great tool. Cameras feed your parking system with real-time entry and exit data, helping you adjust visitor capacity dynamically.

“Don’t be afraid to ask your customers what they think when you explore new products or solutions.”
— Eva Näsholm, Head of Parking, Corem

Methods to Reduce Vacancy and Increase Customer Satisfaction

Unreserved parking isn’t just the solution to long waiting lists — it can also do wonders for areas with high vacancy rates. It allows you to work more flexibly with your parking offer and meet different customer needs more effectively.

Think of it this way: if you go to a store looking for bananas and they only sell apples, you’ll leave empty-handed. The same goes for parking. By converting vacant areas into unreserved parking zones, you can align supply with actual demand. Combine this with targeted communication and data-driven pricing, and you’ll reduce vacancies while improving customer satisfaction.

Packaging

What types of parking and mobility needs exist around your property? Beyond your tenants, there’s often demand for day, evening, and weekend permits, as well as EV charging and car-sharing options. If your area lacks these services, that’s a potential competitive advantage.

Pricing

A monthly subscription should always cost less per day than a single-day purchase — whether it’s Netflix or parking. Make sure your pricing reflects this. In general:

• Reserved spots should cost more than zoned monthly parking.
• Visitor parking should be priced higher than contract parking.

Always base your pricing on data — demand, competition, and utilization patterns — including for EV charging.

Automation

How easy is it to rent a parking spot from you? If it’s complicated or time-consuming, you’re likely losing customers — and leaving spots vacant between contracts. By publishing your parking availability on a digital waiting list, customers can buy permits or join queues themselves. A digital system that automatically matches interest with vacancies and sends digital contracts minimizes friction and downtime.

“It’s valuable to focus on creating clear, specific parking categories. That allows you to offer a wide range of options to your customers.”
— Nabeel Rihan, Sverige Parkering

Loyalty program

Don’t forget about visitors — they’re often anonymous and unpredictable. By offering a loyalty program with perks such as discounted rates or access to premium spots, you can build relationships, encourage repeat visits, and collect valuable behavioral data to help optimize your visitor parking capacity.

Communication

Even the best business strategy won’t succeed if potential customers don’t know about your offers. Be proactive and communicate across multiple channels and audiences:

• Send push notifications via your parking app
• Post signage in garages and on nearby notice boards
• Promote your digital waiting list on your website and social media
• Email offers to local businesses and tenants
• Distribute flyers in nearby residential buildings
• Use targeted ads on Google or social media

Meet your customers where they are — both physically and digitally!

Two Key Enablers for Optimizing Utilization

If it isn’t clear already — convert your reserved parking to unreserved areas. It’s the foundation for flexible offers and efficient space utilization. In this interview, our Product Manager Oskar explains how EV charging (or other in-demand services) can be used as an incentive to encourage tenants to switch from reserved spots to digital permits.

Once you have the technical setup for optimization, how do you know what to adjust? The answer lies in data. Without insights into usage patterns, it’s impossible to make the right decisions or achieve optimal occupancy.

Read more about how to use data to grow your parking business here.

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