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When business and pleasure don’t mix

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For fleet managers, managing parking payments is tricky. Using solutions that aren’t tailored to fleets as a workaround may seem clever at the time, but these are riddled with risk and a massive time drain.

A workaround that doesn’t work

PayByPhone, the global leader in mobile parking payments, realised that a precarious approach to fleet parking was being adopted by businesses throughout the country. Companies were signing up for accounts designed for personal use, adding their company card and providing each driver with the same username and password.

Adam Dolphin, UK Sales Director, PayByPhone, says: “Companies can be forgiven for thinking this workaround might work but personal accounts just aren’t designed for that. It actually creates more work for a busy fleet manager, not less.”

Using a PayByPhone personal account to cater for a corporate fleet facilitates anonymous parking – businesses have no way of knowing who booked what session. Anyone with access to the account can park any vehicle and if a driver leaves the business, they still have the app, so can still pay for parking with their former employer’s card. Payment details are also visible to anyone with access to the account so these details could be misused.

“Fleet managers should always opt for solutions that are bespoke to their needs, like our PayByPhone Business, which delivers security, visibility and efficiency, enabling businesses to take back control,” Dolphin adds.

PayByPhone Business’ centralised system gives fleet managers visibility over all parking activity in a simple solution. The portal enables admins to manage their fleet of both vehicles and drivers, adding and removing access as appropriate.

PayByPhone Business is scalable, so there is no limit to the numbers of vehicles a company can add, and for added convenience, they can be added in bulk. Payment can be made from one credit card for all drivers for maximum simplicity. And for added security, once a driver or vehicle is deleted, the associated business payment card will immediately be removed, safeguarding the account.

To find out more and to sign up your fleet visit https://park.paybyphone.co.uk/business.

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT: Fleet management made easy with PayByPhone

960 640 Stuart O'Brien

Controlling costs, avoiding information overload, satisfying compliance regulations – the to-do list for a busy fleet manager is long and complex. That’s why services that help manage large, on-the-go workforces are at the top of any business-critical needs list. But now parking payments are one less thing to worry about, thanks to a new solution from PayByPhone, the global leader in mobile parking payments.

PayByPhone Business brings a company’s parking under one easy-to-use, centralised system so fleet managers have visibility over all parking activity in a simple solution – one app and one interactive dashboard are all you need.

Simplified management

PayByPhone Business is scalable, so there is no limit to the numbers of cars a company can add to the system, and for added convenience, they can be added in bulk. Fleet managers can add, remove and authorise drivers and vehicles easily and even assign drivers to specific vehicles. Payment can be made from one credit card for all drivers for maximum simplicity. And for added security, once a driver or vehicle is deleted, the associated business payment card will immediately be removed, safeguarding the  account.

With the detailed Reporting Suite, PayByPhone Business users have real-time visibility of who is parking where and when. Multiple reports are available including historical and current reports and full VAT reports. It is also possible to have multiple admins on the account.

Driver-focused ease

There are benefits for the drivers too. Authorised drivers pay for their parking in just 15 seconds using the PayByPhone app – that’s a 75% faster transaction time than with other payment methods. Drivers no longer need to pay out of pocket and keep track of receipts. This eliminates the headache for the driver, as well as the fleet admin of time-consuming monthly expense reports. Drivers can be alerted before their parking session is due to expire, avoiding those costly parking fines.

To find out more and to sign up your fleet visit https://paybyphone.co.uk/business/paybyphone-business

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT: RingGo Corporate parking app

960 640 Stuart O'Brien

RingGo is the UK’s no.1 parking app, with over 500 locations across 140 local authorities. We’re proud to offer the widest availability of TouchFree cashless parking across the whole of the UK. More than 11,000 businesses use RingGo Corporate to take the hassle out of parking for employees and manage their fleet, parking finances and admin all in one place.

Save time with intuitive tools to take the pain out of parking admin

  • Get one monthly HMRC-ready invoice to make reclaiming VAT easier.
  • No need to chase receipts. 
  • Add or remove employees and vehicles in your account in seconds.

Save money with an app that makes parking simpler for everyone

  • Reduce the risk of PCNs – handy SMS reminders alert employees when time is nearly up, so they can extend their parking session easily in the app.
  • Spot trends and opportunities to save money with our easy-to-use insight and reporting tools.

Boost productivity and free up employees to do more of what they do best

  • Help employees to park smart. With the app, they can find a space or charging point, get directions to it, pay for and extend their parking in just a few taps.
  • Increase efficiency, with less resource required to chase receipts, manage expenses or take care of parking fine admin.
  • Get a complete view of the parking activity for your whole business in your personalised company dashboard.


We’re more than just parking. We’re parking that works for your business.

https://corporate.myringgo.co.uk/ 

Here are the top driving apps for 2020

960 640 Stuart O'Brien

The UK was home to 38.9 million vehicles by the end of September 2019, with 32 million being cars. The number is rising 1.3 per cent year on year too, so it’s safe to say that we in the UK love a good road trip. But with the nation on lockdown, many of us are yearning for the open road. Get yourself prepared for that post-lockdown road trip by downloading the best driving apps of 2020, as picked by SEAT dealer Vindis…

Find the car again with Car Locator

When the lockdown eases, you know the roads are going to be packed. So much so, you can go to the shops, the seaside, or local attractions and struggle to find a parking space. After driving around aimlessly, you finally find one! Success — or so you think. Once you’ve left your vehicle and gone about your business, there’s a great chance you’ll have forgotten where you parked. It has happened to the best of us.

In fact, a study by Nissan found that two thirds of the British public have forgotten where they parked their vehicle. On average, this search for your missing vehicle takes 10 minutes before you spot it. However, for five per cent of people this can take over half an hour!

Enter Car Locator. This app can be your saviour. With Car Locator you can either manually enter your location or set your phone up so that it automatically marks it using the car’s Bluetooth. Therefore, simply activate your GPS as you return to your vehicle and eradicate your search time. This app is best used for those who are sprawling outdoor car parks or are in an unfamiliar location. Because of its use of GPS, it’s not effective in underground or multi-storey car parks.  

PlugShare is amazing for electric car owners  

Have you opted to go electric yet? While only 4,054 out of 149,279 cars purchased in the UK in January 2020 were battery electric vehicles, this figure is more than double the amount purchased in January 2019. While the UK continues to work on cutting its emissions and ceasing production of petrol and diesel vehicles in the not-so-distant future, the sales of electric vehicles will continue to rise.

It can be hard to find charging points though. While the amount of charging points is constantly increasing, it’s always important to know where you can ‘refuel’. PlugShare is a free app which can pinpoint charging points near you to ensure that you’re never caught short. 

Android Auto or Apple CarPlay to stay connected 

These two app do similar jobs. Choosing the right one will depend on which phone you have. Android Auto is for those with an Android operating system on their phone. Essentially, this app means that while you’re behind the wheel, you can say ‘OK Google’ and be able to undergo the following tasks: 

  • Set up real-time GPS navigation and be informed about traffic alerts.
  • Check your calendar for any occasions that you have scheduled.
  • Set reminders.
  • Get up-to-date news.
  • Set a do not disturb message on your phone.
  • Make or answer phone calls handsfree.
  • Access so many of your media apps, such as those containing your favourite music playlists, audiobooks and podcasts.

Apple CarPlay is the choice of iOS smartphone users. Featuring Siri voice control, you are able to: 

  • Search for attractions while driving by simply asking for directions through the following means: “Siri, where’s the closest petrol station?”.
  • Have the app predict where you need to be by analysing addresses on your recent emails, text messages, contacts, and calendars.
  • Make calls and listen to voicemail handsfree.
  • Have Siri read and reply to text messages, as well as send messages in new conversations too.
  • Gain access to content via your iTunes, Apple Music or other audio apps accounts, as well as even requesting for Siri to become your personal DJ for the duration of a road trip.

Let these apps keep you connected while your stay focussed on the roads 

Lockdown-safe digital driving thanks to Asphalt 9: Legends

Yearning for the road? Stay safe during this troublesome period and get your automotive fix by downloading this app. For your driving experience during lockdown, this game will allow you to immerse yourself in racing action thanks to developers, Gameloft. Take advantage of your time at home and dive into this arcade-style racing action from your phone. You can compete in a 60-season career mode with over 800 separate races, while also taking part in an online multiplayer competition which pits you against up to seven other active app users.

We’ll be back on the roads soon, but until then, we need to stay safe and stay indoors. Of course, these are just four apps to choose from, and with 20 billion apps in general anticipated to be downloaded this year, there are many more for you to choose from if you wish!

Additional sources

https://www.motoringresearch.com/car-news/best-mobile-racing-games-ios-android/

https://kit.honestjohn.co.uk/top-tens/top-ten-smartphone-apps-for-drivers/

Image by Dariusz Sankowski from Pixabay