Two ways to identify a vehicle
Every car park must answer one question at the barrier: is this vehicle allowed in, and how do we account for it? Ticket systems answer it with a printed or digital ticket. RFID systems answer it with a small tag on the windscreen read automatically by a long-range reader.
When ticket systems are best
- Visitors and pay-per-use customers who park occasionally.
- Shopping malls, hospitals and public car parks.
- Sites that charge by time and need receipts.
When RFID is best
- Staff, tenants, residents and season-pass holders who park daily.
- Sites where queues at peak times are a problem — RFID vehicles do not stop.
- Locations needing tight security: tags are vehicle-bound and can be blocked instantly.
Side-by-side
| Ticket | RFID | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Visitors | Regular users |
| Speed at lane | Driver stops | Drive-through |
| Billing | Time-based | Monthly / season |
| Security | Good (better with LPR) | High |
| Running cost | Tickets & paper | One-time tag |
The winning combination
In practice, the most efficient car parks use both: RFID for regular users and tickets for visitors on the same lanes, with LPR cameras verifying every vehicle. It is exactly how we design systems for hospitals, universities and corporate campuses. Explore RFID car park systems or automated car parks.
Frequently asked questions
Can RFID and tickets work on the same lane?+
Yes. A single lane can read RFID tags for authorised vehicles and issue tickets to visitors.
Are RFID tags transferable between cars?+
We recommend tamper-evident windscreen tags that are destroyed if removed, so they cannot be moved between vehicles.
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