Tesco Parking Fine: How to Appeal (2026)

Last updated: March 2026

Updated March 2026 · 8 min read

You did your weekly shop at Tesco. A few days later, a £100 parking charge lands through your letterbox. Millions of UK drivers park at Tesco every week, and thousands get caught out by ANPR cameras enforcing time limits they didn't even know existed.

The good news: this isn't a council fine. It's a private parking charge, and you have strong grounds to appeal.

Who's Actually Issuing the Fine?

Tesco doesn't issue parking charges itself. It contracts private parking companies to manage its car parks. The two main operators you'll see are:

• Euro Car Parks — an IPC (International Parking Community) member. Appeals go to IAS (Independent Appeals Service), not POPLA.
• ParkingEye — a BPA (British Parking Association) member. Appeals go to POPLA.

Check the letter you received — it will tell you which company issued it. This matters because Euro Car Parks and ParkingEye have different appeal routes.

How Long Can You Park at Tesco?

Time limits vary by store:

• Tesco Express: Usually 30-60 minutes
• Tesco Metro/Superstore: Usually 2 hours
• Tesco Extra: Usually 3 hours

These limits should be displayed on signs at the car park entrance. The ANPR cameras start timing you the moment your car enters — not when you walk into the store.

If you're parked near a Tesco in a shared retail park, the time limit covers your entire stay in the car park, not just your time in Tesco. So if you pop into Costa and WHSmith after your shop, all that time counts.

Your Legal Rights

A Tesco parking charge is not a criminal fine. It's a private invoice — the parking company claims you breached a contract (the terms on their signs). Under UK law:

• The parking company must send a Notice to Keeper (NtK) within 14 days of the alleged contravention under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012
• Signage must be clear, visible, and prominent at all entrances
• The charge must be proportionate — not a penalty
• You have the right to appeal — first to the operator, then to IAS or POPLA

How to Appeal: Step by Step

Step 1: Check the 14-Day Rule

This is the first thing to check and has one of the highest success rates of any appeal ground. Under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (Schedule 4), the parking company must serve the Notice to Keeper within 14 days of the alleged parking event.

Count the days from when you parked to when the letter was posted (check the date on the notice). If it's more than 14 days, keeper liability fails — the company cannot pursue the registered keeper. They'd need to identify and prove who was driving, which they almost certainly can't do.

Step 2: Appeal to the Operator

For Euro Car Parks: Appeal online at their website or by post to the address on your notice. You typically have 28 days from the date of the charge.

For ParkingEye: Appeal at parkingeyeappeals.co.uk or by post.

Include:

• Your Tesco receipt (if you have one)
• Photos of signage at the car park
• Any evidence supporting your grounds (bank statements showing transaction time, dashcam footage, etc.)

Step 3: Contact Tesco Customer Services

While your formal appeal is in progress, contact Tesco customer services separately. Explain you received a parking charge while shopping at their store. Tesco has a relationship with its parking operators and can sometimes request they cancel charges for genuine customers.

This works best if you have a Clubcard — Tesco can check your transaction history to confirm you were shopping there.

Step 4: Independent Appeal (If Rejected)

If the operator rejects your appeal:

• Euro Car Parks → IAS (Independent Appeals Service) at theias.org
• ParkingEye → POPLA at popla.co.uk

You have 28 days from rejection to submit your independent appeal. Both services are free. The operator's decision is final if it rules against you — but success rates at POPLA hover around 40-50%, so it's well worth trying.

Appeal Grounds That Work for Tesco Charges

Late Notice to Keeper (14-Day Rule)

If the NtK was sent more than 14 days after you parked, keeper liability fails under POFA 2012 Schedule 4. This is your strongest ground — our data shows an 87% win rate when the notice was genuinely late.

Genuine Customer with Receipt

You were using the car park for its intended purpose — to shop at Tesco. If you have a receipt or Clubcard record proving this, it demonstrates you were a legitimate customer, not someone abusing the parking.

Inadequate Signage

Visit the car park and photograph every sign. Were time limits clearly displayed at the entrance? Could you see them when you drove in? Were they obscured by trees, other signs, or poor lighting? Under the BPA and IPC codes, signage must be prominent, legible, and clearly visible.

Shared Retail Park Confusion

If Tesco is in a retail park with other shops, the signage must make it clear that the time limit covers the entire car park, not just Tesco. Many drivers assume they can shop at multiple stores within separate time limits. If the signage is ambiguous about this, that's a strong appeal ground.

Grace Period Not Applied

The BPA Code of Practice requires operators to apply a grace period (typically 10 minutes) before and after the stated time limit. If you were only slightly over the limit, check whether a grace period was properly applied.

ANPR Camera Errors

ANPR cameras occasionally misread plates or record incorrect entry/exit times. If you have evidence you left within the time limit (dashcam, bank transaction times, phone location data), challenge the ANPR reading.

Template Appeal Letter for Tesco Parking Charge

What If You Don't Have a Receipt?

A receipt helps, but it's not the only evidence:

• Tesco Clubcard: If you used your Clubcard, Tesco can verify your transaction
• Bank/card statement: Shows a payment to Tesco at the relevant time
• Witness statement: Someone who was with you can provide a statement
• Dashcam: If your dashcam was running, it may show your entry/exit times

Even without a receipt, you can still appeal on other grounds — signage issues, late NtK, grace period, etc.

Will Tesco's Parking Company Take Me to Court?

It depends on the operator:

• ParkingEye does take people to court. They're one of the most litigious private parking companies in the UK, emboldened by the 2015 Supreme Court ruling in Beavis v ParkingEye.
• Euro Car Parks is less likely to litigate but does send debt recovery letters through companies like Debt Recovery Plus. These letters can look threatening but are not court proceedings.

If you have a genuine appeal ground, use it. Don't ignore the charge and hope for the best — appeal properly and get it cancelled.

Timeline

Key Takeaways

• Tesco parking fines come from Euro Car Parks or ParkingEye — not Tesco
• It's a private charge, not a criminal fine
• Check the 14-day rule first — if the notice was late, you likely win
• Keep your Tesco receipt or use Clubcard records as evidence
• Contact Tesco customer services alongside your formal appeal
• Euro Car Parks appeals go to IAS; ParkingEye appeals go to POPLA

Sources: Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, BPA Approved Operator Scheme Code of Practice, IPC Code of Practice, POPLA, IAS, Citizens Advice. Last updated March 2026.