Changing the Industry Paradigm: Using Parking Rewards to Transform the Punitive Parking Model

At IPMI 2025, we challenged the status quo with a new vision for the parking industry.

What an unforgettable week at the IPMI 2025 Conference. Park Loyalty was thrilled to co-present a session that asked a bold question: What if the parking model wasn’t designed to penalize, but to incentivize good parking behavior through parking rewards?

Park Loyalty and RISETEK presented “Changing the Industry Paradigm: How Rewarding Good Behavior is the Key to Changing a Punitive Parking Model.” Marc Lucey and Sriram Somanchi represented Park Loyalty, while Jack Skelton and Frank Pinero joined from RISETEK. Together, the four brought decades of combined experience in parking management, enforcement operations, and public-private partnerships, offering a well-rounded perspective on how the model can evolve. They’ve helped build the very technologies that support traditional enforcement and understand what has made those systems effective. At the same time, they see an opportunity to improve the customer experience by layering in incentives and parking rewards, rather than relying solely on penalties. The session drew a full audience of municipal and higher education parking professionals from across the country.

Parking’s Reputation Problem

Let’s be honest: parking doesn’t exactly have a glowing reputation. Whether it’s seemingly endless circling for a parking spot, following confusing signage, or getting hit with a parking ticket, the experience is often a negative one.

Even though parking enforcement and digital payment tools have come a long way, the public’s perception really hasn’t. It’s “pay or else.” We’ve built powerful tools for enforcement, payments, curbside management, and more, but the customer experience still feels stuck in the past.

When we polled the room and asked what hurts the image of parking the most, the top answer was loud and clear: “People think it’s all about the money.” That answer grounded the conversation. Because if people are treated like customers everywhere else, why does parking still feel like a one-sided transaction?

What Other Industries Got Right

We took a step back and looked at how other industries overcame similar challenges. Think airlines, banks, insurance companies, and credit cards. All have had rocky reputations through time—delays, fees, fine print—but they’ve worked hard to rebuild some trust through loyalty programs.

Frequent flyer miles and elite status perks keep people coming back to their favorite airline, even if there’s a cheaper flight out there. Hotel chains like Hilton and Marriott do the same with points and perks. Banks reward customers for spending wisely. Insurance companies offer discounts to safe drivers. These programs smooth out the rough spots and turn everyday transactions into long-term relationships.

Rethinking Parking Incentives

So why not parking? There’s a real opportunity to flip the script and reward positive behavior. It could be as simple as a real-time offer sent to a motorist’s phone when they park, like a coupon for a nearby retailer or a free cup of coffee from the local café. Or it might be a future discount for someone who promptly pays a citation, or perks for repeat visitors who consistently follow the rules. Local businesses benefit too, turning parking into a new marketing channel that drives foot traffic, encourages repeat visits, and builds loyalty with their customers.

During our session, we introduced the idea of a “value triangle” between motorists, parking agencies, and local merchants. Each plays a role. Each sees a benefit. Motorists feel appreciated. Businesses attract more customers. And parking management agencies gain better compliance and stronger public trust.

Technology Makes It Happen

What used to be theoretical is about to become very real. Thanks to smart parking management software and AI-driven enforcement tools, agencies will be able to monitor behavior, adjust pricing, and offer targeted parking rewards and incentives that feel timely and relevant.

We’re not just talking about issuing parking tickets anymore. We’re talking about building an ecosystem that works for everyone. One where compliance goes up, resentment goes down, and communities thrive.

Looking Ahead

The takeaway from IPMI 2025 was clear: people are ready for change. And we’re ready to lead it.

At Park Loyalty, we’re actively building out new solutions that make this reward-based model possible, with Rewards Pro. Over the next year, we’re expecting to pilot programs across the country that bring this vision to life. By the time we’re back at IPMI next year, we’ll be ready to share real case studies with real results.