Tamper-resistant QR codes for parking payments
Scam stickers on parking meters send drivers to cloned payment pages. The FBI and many city governments have warned about it. You cannot stop someone sticking a label on a meter, but you can make the genuine code recognisable and find out quickly when one is covered.
Bare domains are written in capitals inside the code, which makes it smaller. Paths keep their case.
Enter the web address the code should open.
Style and logo
Stays in your browser. Error correction switches to H automatically.
We recommend a dynamic code for this
Change the destination after printing, see scans by placement, and get an alert if the code gets covered. It keeps working even if you stop paying.
How to set it up
- 1
Create one dynamic code per meter or zone and set the placement (for example 'Meter 12, Elm St').
- 2
Turn on the verified check screen: drivers see your organisation's name and the payment site before continuing.
- 3
Print the human-readable code and 'Pay only at yourdomain.com' next to the QR.
- 4
Leave tamper monitoring on. If a meter that normally gets scans goes silent, you get an alert naming it.
Recommended size
40-60 mm, at eye level, behind a clear protective cover where possible.
What works
- Print the payment domain in large text so drivers can compare it with the page they land on.
- Use a tamper-evident laminate or frame that makes an added sticker obvious.
- Publish your verify link (kizmo.io/verify/your-code) on signage and your website.
Mistakes to avoid
- Using a generic short link that looks like any other short link and trains drivers to trust unknown domains.
- Relying on a code that stops working when a subscription ends: a dead official code pushes drivers toward the fake one.
Related
How does Kizmo detect a covered code?
Each monitored code learns its normal scan rate by weekday. When a code that usually gets scanned records none over a day, the probability of that happening by chance is tiny, so we alert you with the placement name.
Can Kizmo stop someone placing a sticker?
No software can prevent a physical sticker. Kizmo shortens the time a fake code goes unnoticed, and helps drivers spot a genuine code before they pay.