The city of Sunderland is set to trial a new parking app call ParkingPerx, which gives users the chance to earn rewards from participating retailers which can then be used to pay car parking charges.

The Sunderland Business Improvement District(BID), Sunderland City Council and the Bridges shopping centre will be supporting the new project, which uses smart beacon technology to message users when they park and shop. The app includes a one-touch parking feature and the ability to extend a stay in a car park without having to return to the car.

Retailers can decide what their offer or discount is going to be, so the benefits will differ depending on which shop consumers visit. The shopper simply presents their mobile at the till to claim their reward, which can be used as credit to park for their parking fees on the ParkingPerx app.

Gemma Dishman, marketing and communications at Sunderland BID, said: “ParkingPerx does what the best apps do – makes life easier and provides valuable incentives to shop local. It uses an innovative new technology to tackle both real and perceived barriers to growth in the local economy and positively promotes loyalty to local businesses.”

If the pilot is successful, the new solution will be rolled out across the city in a bid to improve the local economy and deal with parking issues.

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