The parking-tech vocabulary in plain English
Every acronym, vendor protocol, and pricing-model term you'll encounter when you're evaluating parking software — defined the way an operator would explain it, not the way a vendor would sell it.
ANPR vs LPR
ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) and LPR (License Plate Recognition) are the same technology — the names just reflect regional preference.
Destination charge
A Stripe payment pattern where the platform takes a fee and routes the rest to a connected sub-account.
Gate integration
The wiring between ParkDwell and a physical gate device — typically over relay, MQTT, or vendor API.
Guest pass
A time-limited authorization for a visitor's vehicle to park at a property — issued by a resident, host, or front-desk staff.
Permit template
A reusable rule that defines how a category of permit (resident, guest, vendor, staff) is issued, priced, and enforced.
Plate capture
The act of recording a vehicle's plate, either manually (officer types it) or automatically (camera reads it).
Rule set
A bundle of pricing and access rules attached to a lot, zone, or spot — defining who can park, when, and for how much.
SCIM
System for Cross-domain Identity Management — the standard protocol for auto-provisioning users from your IdP into a SaaS.
SpotShare
A feature that lets residents sublet their deeded parking stalls to other residents or the public when they're not using them.
SSO
Single Sign-On — letting users log into ParkDwell with their corporate identity provider (Okta, Google Workspace, Azure AD).
Stripe Connect
Stripe's multi-tenant payments product, used by ParkDwell to isolate each property's payouts and refunds.
Surge pricing (parking)
Dynamically raising the hourly rate when occupancy crosses a threshold, to ensure stalls remain available for late arrivals.