APCOA at Airports: Understanding Your Charge
APCOA manages car parks at several major UK airports, including short stay, long stay, drop-off zones, and pick-up areas. They use a combination of barriers, pay machines, pay-by-phone apps, and ANPR cameras. Airport charges from APCOA are among the most complained-about, largely because of system failures and the stressful nature of airport travel.
Payment System Failures
APCOA airport car parks rely heavily on technology: barrier entry systems, pay-on-exit machines, RingGo and other apps, and contactless payment points. When any of these fail, the driver is left unable to pay or exit properly, resulting in a charge. Payment system failures at airports are frustratingly common, particularly at busy times.
If the barrier did not open, the machine was out of order, the app crashed, or the contactless reader failed, document everything. Take photos or screenshots, note the time and date, check your bank statement for attempted payments, and report the issue to APCOA immediately. This evidence forms the backbone of your appeal.
Drop-Off and Pick-Up Charges
Airport drop-off zones with APCOA typically allow 5 to 15 minutes. Pick-up areas may have similar restrictions or require entering a paid short-stay car park. In practice, helping passengers with luggage, wheelchairs, or multiple bags, waiting for passengers to clear security and reach the pick-up point, or dealing with last-minute issues all extend your time.
[Use our free appeal tool](/appeal) to build your APCOA airport appeal in minutes.
Flight Delay Defences
If you were collecting someone whose flight was delayed, you had no control over the situation. Get evidence of the flight delay from the airline or an online flight tracking service. Include the scheduled and actual arrival times in your appeal. POPLA assessors are sympathetic to flight delay cases because the circumstances are entirely beyond the driver's control.
APCOA Court Risk at Airports
APCOA generally does not pursue unpaid charges through the County Court. This is a significant advantage compared to ParkingEye. While you should still appeal properly to get the charge formally cancelled, the risk of court action if your appeal fails is low. This means you can appeal with confidence.
Building Your Airport Appeal
Document the issue thoroughly: payment failure evidence, flight delay data, photos of signage, and details of any passengers you were assisting. Check the NtK date. Appeal to APCOA within 28 days. If rejected, [escalate to POPLA](/appeal) within 28 days.