ANPR payments verified to the person, not just the plate
Trust App has developed a patented method that links a recognised vehicle to an
authorised user and their mobile device at the point of service. Payments for
parking, fuel, EV charging and other vehicle-based services can be triggered
automatically and charged to the right person. This is more accurate, more
reliable and easier to defend than payment by plate alone.
ANPR has made it possible to charge for parking, fuel and other vehicle-based
services automatically, using the number plate as the trigger. Trust App builds
and operates ANPR software today, so we see the strengths of that model
first-hand, and its limits. A number plate only ever identifies the vehicle.
It cannot tell you who is driving, who should pay, or whether anyone authorised
the payment at all. That gap shows up in familiar, expensive ways:
The wrong person gets charged
Shared cars, pool cars, hire and lease vehicles, and plates still registered to a previous keeper all mean the account billed is not always the person who used the service. Every mismatch is a refund, a complaint or a lost customer.
Every ANPR system sometimes reads a plate as a similar one belonging to someone else. Without a second check, a misread becomes a wrong charge or a wrongly issued parking charge, followed by appeals, refunds and reputational damage.
Number plates are visible to everyone and can be cloned. Taking a payment on a plate read alone is like taking a payment on a name alone. There is no second factor confirming the customer is really there.
When a customer disputes a plate-triggered charge, the operator has to show that the account holder was actually present. A camera image of a vehicle is often not enough.
A plate cannot tell you which of several account holders is in the car, so loyalty, pre-orders and personal service stall at the window or the barrier.
The patented method checks whether an authorised user's device is present at the
location alongside the recognised vehicle. That one extra fact changes each of
these problems:
The right account is charged. The payment follows the person who is actually there, not just the plate.
Missed and partial reads can be recovered. Because the match works in both directions, an incomplete or uncertain plate read can still be confirmed against the registered customers present at that location, turning lost transactions into completed ones.
Payments gain a second factor. Vehicle plus verified device rather than plate alone: closer to chip-and-PIN than to a signature.
Disputes and enforcement gain evidence. A record that the account holder's device was present at the time and place of the charge.
Service becomes personal. Knowing which customer has arrived enables loyalty, pre-orders and tailored service.
These problems appear, in different forms, in every sector below. The use cases
show what solving them could look like in each.
The descriptions above are general observations about plate-only payment models,
not statements about any specific provider or system.
What the technology does
The patented method brings together elements that are usually handled separately:
a user account, a mobile device, a vehicle registration, a defined service
location, and a payment or service event. In plain terms, it works like this:
1
Register
A user registers an account, a mobile device and their vehicle registration.
2
Arrive
The vehicle arrives at a participating location, such as a car park, forecourt or collection point.
3
Verify
The business system recognises the vehicle registration and checks whether an associated authorised user or device is present.
4
Serve
A payment, service, permission or customer journey can then be triggered automatically, at the right place and time.
The precise implementation will depend on the partner's systems and use case.
The steps above are a simplified, non-technical description.
Why it is different
Location technologies typically answer one question at a time. The patented method
is designed to answer several together, and to make the result usable within a
payment or service.
Standard geofencing
Knows that a mobile device has entered or left a defined area.
ANPR (number-plate recognition)
Knows that a recognised vehicle has arrived.
Trust's patented method
Can associate the recognised vehicle with an authorised user or mobile device in
the relevant location, and use that association within a payment or service.
This comparison describes the practical distinction in general terms. It is not a
statement about the legal scope of any patent protection.
Use cases
The examples below illustrate how the patented method could be applied. The
strongest near-term applications are vehicle payments, where the problems
described above are already costing operators money. None of these
implementations currently exists as a Trust product; each would be built by or
with a partner, tailored to that partner's systems. The list is not exhaustive.
Vehicle payments
Parking
Current problem
Parking often relies on tickets, machines, apps and manual entry of vehicle details, with limited connection between the vehicle, the driver and their account.
How the method could be applied
Ticketless and account-based parking, automatic permit recognition, linking a driver and vehicle at a car park, accessible parking permissions, and customer recognition on arrival.
Potential benefit
A smoother arrival and departure experience, fewer disputes, and stronger assurance that the right account is charged for the right vehicle.
Likely partners
Parking operators, parking payment providers, permit-management platforms and local authorities.
Payment and loyalty at the forecourt are largely disconnected from the vehicle, and fleet fuelling often relies on cards that can be shared or misused.
How the method could be applied
Recognising a customer and vehicle together, account-based payment, loyalty matching, fleet use, and authorisation before or during fuelling.
Potential benefit
Faster, more secure transactions and better control over fleet fuelling.
Likely partners
Fuel retailers, forecourt technology providers, fleet-card issuers and payment providers.
Starting a charge often involves apps, RFID cards or memberships that are not reliably connected to the specific vehicle at the specific charger.
How the method could be applied
Charger and vehicle recognition, customer account matching, automatic authorisation, and payment or membership use tied to the verified combination of user and vehicle.
Potential benefit
A simpler start-to-charge experience and stronger assurance about who is using each charger.
Likely partners
Charge-point operators, e-mobility service providers and charging-network software providers.
Charging schemes typically recognise the vehicle but have limited means of linking it to an authorised user, account, exemption or permit at the point of use.
How the method could be applied
Linking a vehicle to an authorised user or account, handling exemptions and permits, account-based charging and location-specific authorisation.
Potential benefit
More accurate charging, simpler exemption handling and a better experience for compliant drivers.
Likely partners
Scheme operators, enforcement providers, payment platforms and public-sector bodies.
Accessible parking often depends on physical permits, which can be misused, lost or difficult to verify, and which offer little information to support fair enforcement.
How the method could be applied
Digital permissions that match the permit holder, their vehicle and the location, reducing reliance on physical permits and improving the information available for enforcement.
Potential benefit
Greater confidence that accessible spaces are available to the people they are intended for, with less burden on permit holders.
Likely partners
Local authorities, permit-scheme administrators, parking operators and enforcement providers.
Campuses, workplaces, private estates, depots and gated locations often rely on separate systems for vehicle access and person access, with limited assurance that the two belong together.
How the method could be applied
Authorised visitor or vehicle access based on the verified combination of a recognised vehicle and an authorised user or device at the entrance.
Potential benefit
Stronger access assurance and less manual checking at barriers and gates.
Likely partners
Access-control system providers, facilities-management companies, estate operators and security integrators.
Depot arrivals, loading and collections often involve paperwork and manual identity checks to confirm the right driver is in the right vehicle for the right job.
How the method could be applied
Detecting vehicle arrival, verifying the driver or account, controlling depot access, and triggering loading and collection workflows automatically.
Potential benefit
Faster turnarounds, fewer errors at the gate and a clearer record of who collected or delivered what, where and when.
Likely partners
Logistics operators, warehouse and yard-management software providers, and fleet-management platforms.
Trust App is open to a range of commercial structures. The examples below are
starting points for discussion rather than fixed packages.
Patent licence
The partner implements the method within its own technology and pays an agreed licence fee.
Design partner
The partner works with Trust to apply the concept to a real use case and helps fund or undertake the integration.
Proof-of-concept partner
An initial partner may receive discounted or free licence terms in exchange for building, validating and documenting the first implementation.
Consultancy and implementation support
Trust may provide commercial, operational or technical input during the design and implementation process.
All structures are subject to discussion and agreement on a case-by-case basis.
Who Trust wants to speak to
Conversations are likely to be most productive with organisations that:
already operate relevant software or infrastructure;
have their own technical capability or established development partners;
can identify a clear commercial use case;
are willing to fund or undertake implementation;
want to explore a licence, pilot or partnership.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a finished software platform?
No. The current opportunity is to license or partner around the patented method. Trust App is not offering an off-the-shelf platform, API or SDK.
Who would build the integration?
In most cases, the partner or its chosen development team would implement the technology within its own systems.
Is the commercial model fixed?
No. Licence, pilot, design-partner and other commercial structures can be discussed.
Can Trust build a bespoke platform?
Trust's role and level of support would depend on the opportunity and the resource available at the time. This would be agreed as part of any discussion.
What sectors can use the technology?
The use cases on this site are initial examples and are not exhaustive. If your organisation connects customers, vehicles, payments and locations, the method may be relevant.
Can we see the patent?
Yes. Details of the patent and its claims can be shared as part of a licensing or partnership discussion. Get in touch to request them.
Discuss a use case
If you can see a potential application of the technology in your sector, we would
like to hear from you. Please share a short outline and a preferred next step.
