The Mander Centre in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, will stop taking cash payments at its car park from March 31, 2026. The change affects the multi‑storey car park on Bell Street, which has over 500 parking spaces; drivers will need to pay using debit/credit cards or mobile payment methods rather than coins or notes.
Mander Centre management (managed by Catella APAM) said the cashless move is intended to speed up exit times, reduce machine maintenance and improve security by removing physical cash from the site. The decision follows the opening in 2025 of a leisure hub at the Mander Centre anchored by Superbowl UK — a bowling and leisure venue — which has increased visitors staying at the centre for longer periods.
The City of Wolverhampton Council previously moved toward similar ticketless and cashless systems when it upgraded the Civic Centre car park in March 2025; local reporting at the time said the upgrades were intended to provide faster, ticketless entry and exit and to help traffic flow around the city centre (Express & Star, Mar 14, 2025).
The site operator will integrate existing ANPR (automatic number‑plate recognition) technology with card‑only kiosks and mobile payment options, but the change has prompted concerns on local community forums. Residents have complained that parking apps such as RingGo can add small convenience charges (often cited locally as around 20p) and that some older drivers prefer to use cash.
The transition comes after a period of rising parking costs in Wolverhampton. In November 2024, BBC News reported some city parking daily charges had nearly doubled, increasing sensitivity around further parking changes.
About this article: This story was put together with the help of AI tools and checked by a real person on our team. We're a small crew trying to cover as much of the UK as we can on a limited budget. We're getting better every day - but we're not perfect yet. If something looks off, let us know. You're part of the process.
