Charge Exceeds the £100 Industry Code Cap

Private parking charges are capped at £100 by the parking industry's own rulebook — the BPA–IPC Private Parking Sector Single Code of Practice (paragraph 8.2.1), in force since 1 October 2024 and binding on every operator with DVLA access. There is no statutory cap: the Government's code under the Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019 was withdrawn in June 2022 and has never been reinstated. A charge above £100 therefore breaches the operator's own code — a strong ground for cancellation on appeal — and separately, under PoFA 2012 Schedule 4 paragraph 4(5), a keeper can never owe more than the amount stated in the Notice to Keeper. Two code exceptions allow higher totals: an unpaid parking tariff may be pursued in full plus up to £60 (paragraph 8.2.3), and up to £70 may be added once a charge is overdue (section 9).

Legal basis

BPA–IPC Private Parking Sector Single Code of Practice v1.1 (in force from 1 October 2024; v1.1 effective 17 February 2025, foreword updated 13 April 2026): para 8.2.1 (parking charges must not exceed £100), para 8.2.2 (minimum 40% discount for payment within 14 days), para 8.2.3 (unpaid tariff may be pursued in full plus up to £60), section 9 (up to £70 may be added once a charge is overdue). PoFA 2012 Sch 4 para 4(5) (maximum recoverable from the keeper is the amount specified in the Notice to Keeper). NOTE: the £100 cap is an industry-code requirement, NOT statute — the statutory code under the Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019 was withdrawn in June 2022 and is not in force.

How to identify this in your case

Check if the initial charge (before any increases for non-payment) exceeds £100 for a car or £50 for lower-level contraventions.

Sample appeal wording

Before you send this

Deadline. A late submission can be turned down without your argument being read. Check your notice for the deadline and how it is counted.
Paying may end it. Paying can count as accepting the notice and can close a challenge already under way. Part-paying or acknowledging an old debt can also revive a time limit that had expired.
The amount can change. Check what happens to the sum if you challenge — it may be held, re-offered lower, or keep rising, and fees or enforcement can continue meanwhile.
Use the official route. Use the method, recipient and form your notice specifies, with any reference, evidence and signature it asks for. Sent elsewhere, it may not count.
Only say what is true. Do not copy any statement of fact unless it is true for you, and check the legal point still applies. Delete what does not fit. It may be treated as your statement.
Careful what you volunteer. Avoid unnecessary admissions — naming the driver or accepting responsibility can remove arguments. But answer anything you are legally required to answer, and do include the evidence your ground needs.
Keep the record. Keep what you sent, the attachments, any receipt, and the reply. Note the next deadline.

Sample wording to adapt and send yourself — it may not fit your notice or the stage you are at. Replace the bracketed prompts with your own details; leave any case citation as it is.

The initial parking charge stated as £[AMOUNT] exceeds the maximum permitted charge of £100 for private car parks in England under current regulations. The operator cannot lawfully demand more than the capped amount. This charge should be reduced to comply with the statutory limit, or cancelled entirely given the operator's attempt to overcharge.

Beat It writes this argument automatically

Scan your PCN — our AI checks if this ground applies to your specific ticket, drafts a properly-cited appeal letter, and sends it for you where the council takes email — guiding you through their own online form where they use one, so you press submit. The win fee is only charged if you win.

Scan my ticket

Sources

BPA-IPC Private Parking Sector Single Code of Practice v1.1 paras 8.2.1-8.2.3, section 9
PoFA 2012 Sch 4 para 4(5)