Car parking firm NCP falls into administration – what it means for bookings, season tickets and more

NCP runs more than 300 car parks across the UK

NCP was founded in 1931 and runs car park at sites including airports, hospitals and train stations. It fell into administration on Monday 16 March, with financial services firm PwC appointed to oversee the process.

The administrator said the business has "faced a challenging trading environment over several years", citing changing consumer behaviours and high costs leading to trading losses.

PwC is exploring ways to sell the business, calling this "the best option" for those NCP owes money to. Almost 700 jobs are at risk. If you're worried about your role, check your rights in our Redundancy help guide. PwC's website also contains info on the administration for employees and motorists alike.

You can still use NCP car parks – but sites are under review

PwC says all of NCP's car parks will remain open for the time being and that motorists shouldn't see any immediate changes to operations. This is subject to change during the administration process, however.

According to PwC: "Administrators will continually review the viability of each location, and there may need to be site closures as part of the process." This means things could change quickly, particularly at individual sites. Any future closures could cause disruption – particularly at airports, hospitals and train stations, where drivers may have limited alternatives or have paid in advance.

Pre-booked spaces will continue to be honoured – for now

Currently, your reservation will be honoured as all NCP car parks remain open. NCP also appears to still be taking future bookings, though given it's unclear what will happen next in the administration process, you should proceed with caution as you may struggle to get your money back if NCP closes for good.

PwC has also said that due to the administration you can't cancel and get a refund if you've since changed your mind about your booking.

If you ultimately don't receive the parking you paid for, card protections such as chargeback or Section 75 may offer a route to try to reclaim your money. We've more info on your card payment rights below.

Season tickets remain valid for the time being

All season tickets purchased before and after the administration process began remain valid and will work as normal.

It's also still possible to buy new season tickets, though given it's unclear what will happen next in the administration process, you should proceed with caution as you may struggle to get your money back if NCP closes for good.

If you ultimately don't receive the parking you paid for, card protections such as chargeback or Section 75 may offer a route to try to reclaim your money. We've more info on your card payment rights below.

Parking fines issued by NCP are still valid

According to PwC, any private parking fines issued by NCP are still valid. This means that you are still liable for payment if the ticket is fair. You should be able to find out how to pay the fine on the parking charge notice (PCN) itself.

For unfair parking tickets, PwC is yet to confirm whether the appeals process has changed due to NCP's administration. NCP's appeals page is still online at the time of writing. However, it's uncertain how long this appeals process may remain in operation and if you'll receive a refund should you win.

Read our Private parking tickets guide for help appealing an unfair parking fine.

Owed money by NCP? How to try to get it back

When a firm goes into administration, typically consumers are treated as unsecured creditors. In plain English, that usually means:

• You'd rank behind banks and other secured creditors, meaning refunds aren't guaranteed.

• You might receive only some – or none – of your money back.

• Any repayment could take a long time.

PwC's Q&A on the issue currently states that "as a result of the administration, we are unfortunately unable to provide you with any refund". Of course, there's no harm in asking. PwC says you should continue to use the parking firm's usual customer service channels for "business‑as‑usual" queries. You can also email: ncpcustomerservice@ncp.co.uk.

If you don't get anywhere, you can try the following:

1. Paid for something costing more than £100 on a credit card, you may be protected under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. This makes your card provider jointly liable if the company you paid for a service fails to provide it.
   
   Section 75 is a legal protection and is generally stronger than chargeback (see below), but it only applies to credit card payments (so not debit cards). You can try a Section 75 claim if:
   
   - You paid at least £100 (even if only part was on the card).
   - You paid directly to NCP (not via a third‑party agent).
   - You didn't get the service you paid for.

   If successful, your card provider should refund you – regardless of what happens to NCP. Read our Section 75 guide for further info.

2. Paid by debit or for something costing less than £100 on credit card? Try chargeback. Here, you can ask your bank to attempt a chargeback. This is a scheme run by card networks (such as Visa and Mastercard) that enables your bank try to claw back money if you didn't get what you paid for – for instance, if a car park closes and you can't use a booking or season ticket. To use chargeback:
   
   - Contact your bank.
   - Explain what you paid for and why you didn't receive it.
   - Provide evidence (booking confirmation, receipts, emails).
   
   Chargebacks aren't guaranteed, and time limits apply – often within 120 days of the service not being provided (or when you realised there was a problem). Banks decide on a case‑by‑case basis. Our chargeback guide has more info.

Additional reporting by the Press Association.