Parkopedia and Škoda have updated the in-car payment service to include notification prompts for drivers when they approach locations that support in-car payment transactions. This new functionality helps drivers locate parking and fueling sites, with notifications now appearing on the infotainment screens.
The functionality is made possible thanks to Parkopedia’s extensive parking data. The companies said that the quality and accuracy of the location data is a fundamental part of enabling in-car transactions. This new update will debut on gasoline and diesel Škoda models including the Fabia, Kamiq, Karoq, Kodiaq, Octavia, Scala and Superb. The upcoming all-electric Škoda Elroq will be offered with this update from launch, with the Enyaq and other EV models gaining this functionality in 2025.
The service takes the stress out of finding parking machines, minimizes driver distractions with subtle prompts and bypasses additional issues such as out-of-order machines, not having the correct change and card payment issues. In-car payments are a growing priority for drivers worldwide, with 59% of European drivers wanting the option to pay for parking through their in-car media systems, according to the latest Parkopedia Global Driver Survey.
The survey also highlighted that parking is the most requested in-car payment service for drivers, reflecting that paying for services with outdated methods can be an unnecessarily stressful and time-consuming process.
Highlighting the value of this new functionality, Markus Dohl, VP of sales and business development Europe at Parkopedia, said, “Our new feature developed with Škoda simplifies the payment process, intelligently informing drivers when convenient in-car payment services are available in their surrounding area or at their destination, with onscreen notifications and prompts.”
Škoda technical project lead and product manager Martin Handl added, “From our driver feedback, we know that paying for parking and fuel can be a tedious and stressful task for our drivers, which is why we’ve worked with Parkopedia to streamline this process for our drivers with this innovative and valuable solution.”
