This article was originally published on liko.dev.
A while back I moved to Germany, and pretty quickly I learned something the hard way: many parking lots here don't have gates or ticket machines. Instead, they're managed by private companies that use cameras to track your license plate. You park, you shop, and you have 48 hours to pay the fee online. Miss that window and a few euros turn into a €50+ fine in your mailbox.
This happened to me at a supermarket near my house. A new company had taken over the lot management, and honestly, I didn't even notice the change, even with the signs. The payment notices started arriving. I called, tried to explain, tried to negotiate (the language barrier didn't help), and still had to pay.
It felt unfair. So I did what any developer would d, I started building something.
What ParKlug does
The idea is simple. You sign up with your German license plate and email. No login needed, no app to install. The system checks multiple times a day whether there's any unpaid parking linked to your plate. If there is, you get an email with a direct link to pay.
That's it. A reminder service so you don't forget to pay and end up with a fine.
I still use it myself
This isn't some side project I built and forgot about. I'm still a daily user. Just last week I got a notification that I had a parking session, and a reminder that I didn't need to pay because it was already handled. It's become part of my routine without me even thinking about it.
People are finding it on their own
Here's what surprised me: I've never promoted ParKlug. No ads, no marketing, nothing. But every now and then I see a new registration come in. People are finding it through search, or maybe word of mouth, and signing up. That feels really good, it tells me the problem is real and the solution makes sense.
What's next
I'm still working on connecting more parking lot operators. Right now the service doesn't cover every company, so it won't always catch everything. If you use a specific operator that isn't supported yet, let me know, I'm always adding new ones.
If you're driving in Germany and parking in managed lots, give ParKlug a try. It's free, takes 30 seconds to set up, and might save you from an annoying fine.
Liran Koren, Product Developer, Germany.
More at liko.dev.
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