Ghent to end cash parking by 2026 as 70 percent use apps

Ghent (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Ghent will stop cash parking by summer 2026. Only 2% pay cash now; 70% use apps. Alderman Joris Vandenbroucke says the removal of cash machines will save money and improve efficiency.

As VRT News reported, Ghent will stop accepting cash for parking in the coming months. By summer 2026, drivers will no longer be able to pay with coins or banknotes on city streets or in underground parking garages. The city will remove all machines that take cash. 

Currently, only 1 in 3 parking meters still accept cash. Underground garages will switch to cashless payments immediately. On-street parking meters will change gradually to give drivers time to adjust.

What will replace cash parking in Ghent by 2026 as apps rise?

Drivers can pay with mobile apps, contactless bank cards, or other digital options. Authorities expect the change to cut maintenance costs and make parking faster and easier for residents and visitors. Officials also promise clear information to help people adapt to the new system.

“This is a logical consequence of a development that has been underway for years,”

says Alderman Joris Vandenbroucke (For Ghent).

“Less than 2 percent of parking fees are currently collected in cash. Everything else is already collected via bank cards or apps.”

Mobile apps have become the main way to pay for parking in Ghent. Officials say 70% of all parking payments are now made through apps. 5 years ago, only 20% of drivers used this method, according to the city’s alderman for mobility notes. 

Because of this change, the city has decided to remove all cash-accepting machines. Staff will no longer need to collect and empty money from the machines. The alderman says handling cash is no longer worth the effort. 

For years now, Ghent has been working to allow for cashless parking. In 2016, the city offered mobile payment options alongside traditional coin-operated parking meters. By 2021, digital payment methods were used more often than cash payments. In 2022, all underground parking garages started updating their systems to offer cashless options.