Event and game-day parking for private lots
If your lot is a short walk from a stadium, arena, fairground, or concert venue, event days can be its best days of the year. Here's how to price them, staff them, and get paid without a cash box.
Why small lots do well on event days
Official venue lots sell out, cost more, and take a long time to empty after the event. Drivers will pay a fair price for a space that's close, easy to find, and quick to leave. A private lot a few blocks from the gate can offer exactly that.
You don't need a big lot. A 10-space lot charging a flat rate on game day can earn more in one evening than in weeks of ordinary weekdays.
How to price event parking
Event parking is usually a flat rate per car, because everyone arrives and leaves around the same time.
- Check the venue's prices. Look up what its official lots charge, and what nearby private lots charged at the last event.
- Price by distance. Closer than the official lots, or easier to leave, can charge as much or more. Farther away, charge a little less.
- Price by event. A playoff game or a sold-out concert supports a higher rate than a weeknight regular-season game.
Setting a flat rate in Parkulo
Set the first-hour minimum and the daily cap to the same number, for example $20 and $20. Every driver then pays $20 no matter how long they stay. Switch back to your everyday rates after the event. For everyday pricing, see how much to charge for parking.
Before the event
1. Check local rules
Some cities require a permit for event parking on private property. Ask before your first event.
2. Plan the layout
Decide where cars enter and exit and how tightly to park them. Cones and a simple chalk line help volunteers fill the lot neatly.
3. Put up event parking signs
An A-frame at the entrance that reads "Event parking $20, scan to pay" catches drivers before they pass. Keep your QR sign where drivers walk out of the lot.
4. Set your event rate
Switch to your flat rate the morning of the event, and set a reminder to switch back afterward.
Cash or phone payments?
Cash feels simple until you run an event with it. Someone has to make change, count the box, and carry it home, and you end up with no record of who paid.
With phone payments, drivers scan your sign or text the Lot ID and pay with Apple Pay, Google Pay, or a card. The license plate is the proof of payment, so there's nothing to hand out. Your volunteers wave cars in instead of handling money, and you see every payment as it happens.
During and after the event
- Check plates. Type a plate into the enforcement page to see whether that car paid. Write a photo citation if it didn't.
- Watch the count. Your dashboard shows how many cars are parked right now, so you know when the lot is full.
- Keep records. Export the event's sessions to CSV for your books and your taxes.
If unpaid parking becomes a regular problem, see how to stop unauthorized parking on private property.
Help event-goers find your lot
Every active Parkulo lot gets a public page and a pin on the Parkulo parking map. Share your lot's page in neighborhood groups, fan forums, and on social media before game day, and mention the venue and the walk time.
Event days are one of several ways a lot earns money. See how to make money from a parking lot, or church parking lot rental if you're running parking for a congregation.
Frequently asked questions
Start charging for parking today
Parkulo is free for lot owners. Set your rates, print one sign, and drivers pay from their phone. You keep your full rate.