Minor keying error — you paid but mistyped one character of your reg: the charge must not be pursued
If you paid for parking at a machine or app but typed your registration slightly wrong — one character out, a 0 for an O, an I for an L, or the right characters in the wrong order — the parking industry's own binding rulebook says the operator must not pursue the charge at all. The Private Parking Sector Single Code of Practice (in force for BPA and IPC operators since October 2024) lists exactly this in its Appeals Charter: a driver who paid the tariff but made a minor keying error must have the charge cancelled. Operators are also required to run systems that avoid issuing charges for accidental keying errors in the first place. POPLA's own published case studies allow appeals where the operator failed to follow this framework. (Bigger errors — a completely different reg, or only part of it — fall under the separate "major keying error" rule, which caps what you pay at £20 rather than cancelling.)
Legal basis
Private Parking Sector Single Code of Practice v1.1 (BPA/IPC, operator compliance expected from 1 Oct 2024): Annex F (Appeals Charter) F.1(h) — charges "must not be pursued" where the driver paid but made a minor keying error (examples given: 0 instead of o; I instead of L; 1 instead of I); s.6.3 — operators must have and follow a documented policy to avoid issuing or enforcing charges for accidental keying errors. BPA Code of Practice v9 s.17.4: for minor keying errors "the PCN must be cancelled at the first stage of appeal". POPLA published case studies (Keying error, Scenarios 1 and 2) allowed appeals where the framework was not followed.
How to identify this in your case
The customer paid (bank/app record or receipt exists for the right time and place) but the operator says no payment was found for the reg: compare the reg as ENTERED (on the receipt/app history) with the true plate — a single wrong, swapped or look-alike character (0/O, I/L, 1/I) with payment made is the minor-keying case. A wholly different reg or a partial entry is the MAJOR keying case (£20 cap), not this ground.
Sample appeal wording
formal
Replace [PARKING DATE], [NtK DATE] etc. with your own dates before sending.
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Scan my ticketRelated appeal grounds
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- Attorney acting for keeper under Scottish power of attorney
- Bailiff acted without proper advance warning notice
- Bath CAZ — Sunset Period for Pre-Registered Commercial Vehicles
- Bay Obstructed or Too Small — Could Not Park Within the Bay Markings