⚠️ Watch out for parking payment scams

A few tricks circle around parking payments in Czechia that can cost you money — and still get your car clamped. Here are the most common ones and how to avoid them.

1. Unofficial parking "middlemen"

Some websites look like official parking payment — you enter your plate, pay by card and think you are done. The catch: these services are not contracted by the city. Your payment never reaches the system that enforcement officers check. The result? You paid a third-party company and still get clamped or fined.

How to protect yourself: In Prague, pay only through official channels — parking.praha.eu, the PID Lítačka app, or the partner apps listed on the city's official website (ParkSimply, EasyPark, SEJF). If the website you are paying on is not listed by the city, do not pay there.

2. Fake QR stickers on parking meters

Czech Police warn about scammers covering the QR code on parking meters with their own sticker. You scan it, a page opens that looks just like the official payment — but your card details go to fraudsters.

How to protect yourself: Before scanning, check whether a sticker covers the meter's original print (bubbles, crooked edges, different shade). After scanning, check the web address — official payments run on the city's or its operator's domains. When unsure, pay with coins or a card directly at the meter, or use an app downloaded from the App Store / Google Play.

3. Phishing SMS about "unpaid parking"

A common trick: you receive an SMS in the name of a known app (e.g. EasyPark) about an "outstanding parking fee" with a payment link. The link leads to a phishing page harvesting card details. Official apps never collect debts via SMS links.

How to protect yourself: Don't tap links in such messages. Open the app or the official website directly and check your account there.

Checklist: how to recognize a safe payment

1. Am I paying through a service listed on the city's official website?
2. Does the domain match? Official systems run on city/operator domains (parking.praha.eu, parkovanivbrne.cz, parksimply.cz…).
3. Did I download the app from the App Store / Google Play? Not from an SMS link or a street QR code.
4. Are there suspicious "assistance fees"? Official channels charge the parking fee, at most a small service fee.

What to do if you got caught

1. Block your card in your banking app (if you entered details on a suspicious site).
2. Contact your bank — a chargeback is often possible for fraudulent payments.
3. Report to the Czech Police (in person or via policie.cz). Attach screenshots and the payment record.
4. Resolve the clamp with the city — unfortunately, paying an unofficial service does not release you from paying the city.

This page summarizes publicly available information and journalism. Operators and fraudulent websites change over time — always judge by the current situation. Updated: August 2026.