Car park QR codes: what they do and which one you need
By the Tagwyse team · Last reviewed
There are two kinds. Some car parks put QR codes on tickets, signs or pay machines so you can pay or check in from your phone. A car park QR sticker is different: it goes on your own windscreen, and anyone who needs you to move, or sees damage, scans it to alert you without seeing your phone number.
QR codes the car park puts up
Malls, hospitals, office buildings and city parking operators increasingly use QR codes on tickets, entry gates or signs. Scanning one usually opens a page to pay for your time, extend a session or register your vehicle number. They belong to the car park, and they only do what the operator set them up to do.
- Check the code is printed on the official sign or ticket, not stuck on top of it. Fake QR stickers on parking signs and machines are a known trick for stealing card details.
- Look at the web address before you pay. It should match the operator named on the sign.
- If you’re unsure, pay at the counter or machine instead.
A QR sticker on your own car
The other kind is yours. A car park QR sticker sits inside your windscreen and shows your vehicle number and a QR code. When your car is blocking someone, the lights are on or a window is open, they scan it with their phone camera, pick a reason and you get the alert on your phone in seconds. Neither of you sees the other’s number.
It’s built for the places where cars get boxed in: apartment car parks with tandem bays, office basements, hospital and school gates, temples and hotel weddings, and the lane outside your house.
Why not a phone number on the dashboard?
A number in the window does the same job, but anyone walking past can photograph it and keep it: attendants, strangers and people who send spam. Leaving your number on the dashboard is still better than nothing; a QR sticker just keeps it private.
What to look for in a car park QR sticker
- The person scanning shouldn’t need an app. Any phone camera should open the page.
- Your number stays hidden, with calls or WhatsApp only if you switch them on.
- Urgent reasons, such as blocking access or a child left inside, are marked so they reach you first.
- Protection from spam: limits on how often a tag can be alerted, and a way to block a sender.
- A sticker that survives the sun on a windscreen, and a way to move it to a new car.
Tagwyse ticks all five. Your first sticker is free for 6 months and you can print it at home tonight, or order a durable printed one by courier anywhere in Sri Lanka.
Questions people ask
- Is a car park QR sticker the same as the fuel pass QR?
- No. The National Fuel Pass QR is for fuel quotas. A contact sticker only lets people send you a message about your vehicle. See the difference.
- Can a car park QR sticker be used to track my car?
- No. It has no GPS or chip. It only works when someone standing next to the car scans it, and photos they send have location data removed.
- Does it work for motorbikes and three-wheelers?
- Yes. The sticker shows whatever vehicle number you enter, and a smaller card fits a motorbike.