The introduction of mandatory technical security devices (TSE) is intended to prevent tampering with digital records. "Digital records" refers to financially relevant transaction data, i.e., all data generated during a sale, payment, or booking in an electronic cash register system.
While retailers, restaurants, and numerous service providers had to convert their cash register systems, this requirement expressly does not apply to one area: cash registers and parking ticket machines used for parking space management.
Why parking ticket machines are exempt
The KassenSichV clearly defines which systems are subject to the TSE requirement. Classic electronic cash registers are included, but parking ticket machines are not. The legislator has recognized that parking ticket machines operate differently from classic points of sale in terms of technology, organization, and function (similar to ticket printers or ticket machines in public transport).
The result: parking ticket machines—whether in an on-street or off-street context—do not require a TSE. This eliminates any pressure to upgrade, financial burden, or risk factor for municipalities, parking space managers, and operators due to technical changes.
Digital payment methods on the rise
The temporary discussion of mandatory conversion alarmed the industry, but it also had a positive side effect: it drew attention to cashless and fully digital parking solutions.
The debate has shown many decision-makers how dependent traditional parking systems are on hardware, cash collection, maintenance, and tamper protection. At the same time, digital payment methods have long since established themselves as a user-friendly and future-proof alternative:
- Card payment at the machine
Many operators now rely on machines that only accept debit and credit card payments (including contactless via NFC). This eliminates the need for cash and thus the typical risks and costs associated with it.
- Mobile payments via smartphone
Mobile payments via smartphone have been commonplace on public roads for years. Drivers can use their smartphones to pay conveniently for parking—no parking ticket, no parking meter required. This development is now increasingly spreading to off-street parking, i.e., parking garages, underground parking lots, and open spaces that previously operated exclusively with barriers and parking meters.
This is exactly where Peter Park 's digital parking system Peter Park : automatic license plate recognition eliminates the entire physical ticketing process. No ticket, no machine, no paper—instead, digital recording at entry and exit and flexible payment options. This reduces effort and costs for operators and offers parkers a consistently convenient parking experience, including seamless, modern payment.
- Ticket sales in the online shop
Some parking areas offer time tickets (e.g., day tickets, monthly tickets, etc.) to their parkers, which until now usually had to be purchased from a ticket machine on site. A digital parking system greatly simplifies this process: parkers can conveniently purchase their time tickets online, saving themselves the trip to the ticket machine and no longer having to carry a physical ticket or risk losing it.
Another advantage of the digital online shop is that long-term parkers, such as employees or residents, can manage their parking permits themselves. After a one-time verification, they simply enter one or more license plate numbers. The entire process is then carried out independently and digitally, which significantly reduces the administrative burden for parking space owners.
Would you like to digitize your parking lot? Talk to our experts about your options!
ContactArrange appointmentNew freedom for sustainable decisions
With the clear legal exception for parking ticket machines in the Cash Register Security Regulation, parking space owners now have completely new freedom of action. Without TSE requirements, unnecessary upgrade costs, and regulatory time pressure, they can now strategically develop their parking spaces—toward modern, efficient, and sustainable solutions. Digital systems with cashless payment methods can thus be introduced in a future-proof manner without technical requirements slowing down progress. The result: more flexibility for owners and a significantly improved parking experience for all users.
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