3.0
ParkAppsHub score
MiPermit
Chipside Ltd (MiPermit)
City parking · Free app, per-transaction parking fees apply
Best for: UK residents and visitors in councils that officially use MiPermit for parking and permits
2.4
Google Play · 5,890
1M+
Downloads
1
Country
Europe
AndroidiOSWeb
90+ UK councils
About this app
MiPermit is a cashless parking and digital permits platform built by UK software firm Chipside and rolled out as the official pay-by-phone app for a large number of local councils across England, Scotland and Wales. Drivers register a vehicle and payment card, then start and stop parking sessions by street or zone code, receive session-end reminders, and can extend time remotely without returning to the car. Beyond casual parking, the app is also the digital front door for residents' parking permits, visitor permits, and business permits in many boroughs, letting councils retire paper permit schemes. Because each council sets its own tariffs, permit rules and even its own branded skin of the service, the experience varies noticeably from one local authority to another, and coverage is limited to councils that have contracted with Chipside rather than being nationwide by default.
- Pay-by-phone on-street and car park parking sessions
- Remote session extension and end-of-session reminders
- Resident, visitor and business permit management
- Multiple vehicles and payment cards per account
- Council-specific tariffs, zones and permit schemes
- Parking history and receipts for expense claims
Pricing & fees
Free app, per-transaction parking fees apply
- App download and account registration are free
- Parking session fees are set individually by each participating council
- A per-transaction service/convenience fee is typically added to the council tariff
- Permit costs (resident, visitor, business) vary by council and are set locally
Accepted payment methods
VisaMastercardGoogle PayApple Pay
Ratings & scores
Editorial score set by the ParkAppsHub team using our five-criteria grid — see how we rate. Store ratings shown for reference.
What users say
▲ Most praised
- Convenient to avoid queuing at machines or carrying coins
- Useful for managing resident and visitor permits digitally
- Remote top-up saves trips back to the car
▼ Common complaints
- Frequent login failures and account access issues
- App crashes or freezes during payment
- Slow or unhelpful customer support when sessions or permits go wrong
Summarised from recent user reviews on Google Play, the App Store and consumer platforms. Themes, not verbatim quotes.
Pros & cons
What we like
- Official app for a large number of named UK councils, so it is often mandatory rather than optional
- Covers both casual pay-and-display parking and residential/visitor permits in one place
- No physical ticket or permit disc required once registered
- Remote top-up avoids overstay fines from a single misjudged parking window
What could improve
- Store rating sits at 2.4/5, with many reviews citing login failures, crashes and slow support
- Per-transaction convenience/booking fees on top of council parking tariffs
- Behaviour, tariffs and permit rules differ by council, which confuses drivers who move between areas
How to use MiPermit
- Download the app and register an account with vehicle registration and a payment card
- Find your on-street location code or car park, or select your council for permits
- Start a parking session or apply for a resident/visitor permit
- Extend the session remotely if you need more time before it expires
- Check parking history in-app for receipts or expense claims
Editor’s tips
- Check your specific council's MiPermit page for exact zone codes before your first session, since layouts differ by authority
- Set up remote session extension to avoid overstay fines if plans change while parked
- Keep the app updated, since several login complaints in reviews were tied to outdated versions
Editor’s verdict
MiPermit is less a single consumer app than a white-label parking utility that dozens of UK councils have adopted, which makes it a mandatory install for residents of those areas rather than a discretionary convenience app. Its strength is breadth of function within a council relationship: casual pay-by-phone parking sits alongside resident and visitor permit management, something narrower rivals often split into separate products. The trade-off is inconsistency — because each authority configures its own tariffs, zones and permit rules, the experience is not uniform nationwide, and coverage only exists where a council has actually contracted with Chipside. The Play Store rating of 2.4 from close to 6,000 reviews is a real weak point, with recurring complaints about login problems, app stability and slow customer support during time-sensitive parking moments. For drivers in a covered council area it is usually the only official option, but it should not be mistaken for a slick, unified national parking app in the way some competitors present themselves.
— The ParkAppsHub editorial team · 2026-08-06
How it compares
vs RingGo
RingGo covers more UK councils overall and generally has a more polished app, while MiPermit's footprint depends on which specific authorities have contracted Chipside.
vs PayByPhone
PayByPhone operates more internationally and is seen as more reliable, whereas MiPermit is UK-only and tied tightly to council-specific permit schemes.
Frequently asked questions
Is MiPermit available outside the UK?
No, MiPermit only operates in Great Britain, covering local councils that have contracted Chipside as their parking technology provider.
Does MiPermit charge extra fees on top of parking tariffs?
Yes, most sessions include a small processing or convenience fee in addition to the council's standard parking tariff.
Can I manage resident parking permits in the app?
Yes, many councils use MiPermit for resident, visitor and business permit applications and renewals, not just casual parking.
Why is the app rating relatively low?
User reviews frequently cite login issues, occasional crashes, and slow customer support responses, which drag the average rating down.
Do all UK councils use MiPermit?
No, only councils that have signed up with Chipside use MiPermit; others use different providers such as RingGo or PayByPhone.
About the developer
Chipside Ltd is a UK-based parking technology company that builds the MiPermit platform used by local councils for cashless parking and digital permit management. Rather than operating as a single consumer brand, Chipside licenses its system to individual local authorities, each of which configures its own tariffs, zones and permit rules. This council-by-council model has made MiPermit one of the more established players in UK municipal parking technology, alongside competitors like RingGo and PayByPhone.
Additional information
Developer
Chipside Ltd (MiPermit)
Headquarters
Reading, United Kingdom
Ownership
Chipside Ltd
Category
City parking
Price
Free app, per-transaction parking fees apply
Coverage
90+ UK councils
Downloads
1M+
Languages
English
Reviewed
2026-08-06
Where it works
90+ UK councils — including Reading, Oxford, Cambridge, Brighton, Southampton, Woking, Guildford, Windsor.
United Kingdom
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Independent review. ParkAppsHub is not affiliated with Chipside Ltd (MiPermit). App name, logo and screenshots belong to their owners and are shown for identification and review purposes. Coverage, prices and features change — verify current conditions with the publisher. Last reviewed 2026-08-06.