Frequently Asked Questions

🚗 For Customers

Complete guide to finding and booking parking

Getting Started

How do I create an account?

  1. Click "Sign Up" in the navigation menu
  2. Enter your name, email address, and create a password
  3. Click "Create Account" to complete registration
  4. You'll be automatically logged in and redirected to your dashboard

Note: Your email must be unique and you'll use it to log in each time.

Searching & Booking Parking

How do I find and book a parking spot?

  1. Click "Find Parking" in the navigation or go to the Search page
  2. Enter your destination city or ZIP code
  3. Browse available parking locations with photos, amenities, and pricing
  4. Click "View Details" on any location to see full information
  5. Select your booking type: Hourly, Daily, or Monthly
  6. Choose your start date/time and end date/time
  7. Select a vehicle from your saved vehicles (or add a new one)
  8. Review the total cost and click "Proceed to Payment"
  9. Enter your payment information (powered by Stripe)
  10. Receive instant confirmation with a QR code via email

Tip: Locations show real-time availability, so you can see exactly how many spots are available before booking.

Managing Your Vehicles

How do I add and manage vehicles?

  1. Go to Dashboard → My Vehicles
  2. Click "Add Vehicle" button
  3. Enter vehicle details: Year, Make, Model, Color, License Plate, State
  4. Optionally set this as your default vehicle for faster bookings
  5. Click "Add Vehicle" to save

Setting a Default Vehicle:

Click "Set as Default" on any vehicle card. Your default vehicle will be automatically selected when making new bookings.

Editing or Deleting Vehicles:

Click "Edit" to update vehicle information or "Delete" to remove a vehicle from your account.

Using QR Codes

How do I use my booking QR code?

  1. After booking, you'll receive a QR code via email
  2. The QR code is also available in Dashboard → My Bookings
  3. When you arrive, display the QR code on your phone to the parking attendant
  4. They'll scan it to verify your booking and grant access
  5. Alternatively, you can print the QR code and place it on your dashboard

Important: Keep your QR code secure. Anyone with access to it can use your parking spot.

Payments & Billing

What payment methods are accepted?

We accept all major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover), debit cards, and digital wallets through our secure payment processor, Stripe. Your payment information is encrypted and never stored on our servers.

How is pricing calculated?

  • Hourly: Based on the number of hours between start and end time
  • Daily: Flat rate per day (24-hour periods)
  • Monthly: Flat rate for 30-day access

Pricing varies by location. Always review the total cost before confirming your booking.

Managing Bookings

How do I view my bookings?

Go to Dashboard → My Bookings to see all your past, current, and upcoming bookings. Each booking shows the location, dates, vehicle, QR code, and total cost.

Can I cancel or modify a booking?

Cancellation and modification policies vary by location. Contact the parking location directly using the contact information provided in your booking confirmation.

🏢 For Parking Organizations

Complete guide to listing and managing parking spaces

Setting Up Your Organization

How do I create an organization?

  1. Create an account and log in
  2. Click "List Your Space" or go to Dashboard → Create Organization
  3. Enter your organization details:
    • Organization Name (e.g., "Premium Parking Downtown")
    • Subdomain (e.g., "premium-parking" becomes premium-parking.claimmyspot.com)
    • Contact Email and Phone
    • Business Address
    • Description of your parking business
  4. Upload your organization logo (optional but recommended)
  5. Click "Create Organization"

Important: Choose your subdomain carefully - it becomes your public landing page URL and cannot be easily changed later.

Adding Parking Locations

How do I add a new parking location?

  1. Go to Dashboard → My Locations
  2. Click "Add Location"
  3. Fill in Basic Information:
    • Location Name (e.g., "Downtown Parking Garage")
    • Description
    • Total Number of Parking Spots
  4. Enter Full Address (Street, City, State, ZIP)
  5. Optionally add GPS coordinates (Latitude/Longitude) for mapping
  6. Set Pricing for different booking types:
    • Hourly Rate ($/hour)
    • Daily Rate ($/day)
    • Monthly Rate ($/month)
  7. Configure Operating Hours (or check "Open 24/7")
  8. Select Amenities (Covered, Security Cameras, EV Charging, etc.)
  9. Add Access Instructions for customers
  10. Upload Photos (first photo becomes primary image)
  11. Click "Add Location"

Tip: High-quality photos and detailed descriptions increase bookings. Show entrance, parking area, and key features.

Managing Your Locations

How do I edit or update a location?

  1. Go to Dashboard → My Locations
  2. Click on any location to view details
  3. Click "Edit Location"
  4. Update any information (pricing, amenities, photos, etc.)
  5. Click "Update Location" to save changes

Managing Photos:

In the edit screen, you can delete existing photos by clicking the "✕" button, or upload new photos. The first photo is automatically set as the primary image shown in search results.

Deactivating a Location:

Locations can be marked as inactive if you need to temporarily stop accepting bookings. Contact support for this feature.

Managing Bookings

How do I view and manage customer bookings?

  1. Go to Dashboard → Bookings
  2. View all bookings across all your locations
  3. See booking details: Customer info, vehicle, dates, payment status
  4. Filter by location, date range, or status

Note: All bookings are automatically confirmed upon payment. Customers receive immediate email confirmation.

QR Code Scanner

How do I verify customer bookings with QR codes?

  1. Go to Dashboard → QR Scanner
  2. Allow camera access when prompted
  3. Hold the camera up to the customer's QR code
  4. The system instantly verifies and displays:
    • Customer name and contact
    • Vehicle information (make, model, plate)
    • Booking dates and times
    • Location details
  5. Grant access if booking is valid

Tip: You can also manually enter a booking code if the QR scanner isn't working.

Customizing Your Landing Page

What is a subdomain landing page?

Every organization gets a public-facing landing page at your-subdomain.claimmyspot.com. This page showcases your locations, branding, and allows customers to book directly.

How do I customize my landing page?

  1. Go to Dashboard → Customize Landing
  2. Customize the Hero Section:
    • Hero Title (main headline)
    • Hero Subtitle (descriptive text)
  3. Configure Branding & Colors:
    • Primary Color (buttons, backgrounds)
    • Secondary Color (gradients, accents)
    • Toggle feature cards on/off
    • Show/hide "Powered by ClaimMySpot" branding
  4. Set About Section:
    • About Title
    • About Text (your business story)
  5. Configure Footer:
    • Footer Text
    • SEO Meta Description
  6. Click "Save Customization"
  7. Click "Preview Landing Page" to see your changes

Advanced: Custom CSS

For advanced users, you can add custom CSS to further style your landing page. A reference guide showing all available CSS classes is provided below the CSS editor.

Available CSS Classes Include:

  • .hero-section, .hero-title, .hero-subtitle
  • .stat-item, .stat-number, .stat-label
  • .location-card, .location-image, .availability-badge
  • .feature-card, .amenity-tag, .pricing-info
  • And many more listed in the customization panel

Using Custom Domains

Can I use my own domain instead of the subdomain?

Yes! You can point your own domain (e.g., parking.yourcompany.com) to your ClaimMySpot landing page.

How to set up a custom domain:

  1. Go to Dashboard → Customize Landing
  2. Scroll to "Custom Domain" section
  3. Enter your custom domain (e.g., parking.yourcompany.com)
  4. Click "Save Customization"
  5. A DNS configuration box will appear showing:
    • CNAME → claimmyspot.com (or your configured domain)
  6. Go to your domain registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc.)
  7. Add a CNAME record pointing to the provided domain
  8. Wait 24-48 hours for DNS propagation
  9. Your landing page will be accessible at your custom domain!

Note: Both your subdomain and custom domain will work simultaneously. You can use whichever you prefer.

Organization Dashboard

What can I see in my organization dashboard?

  • Overview: Key metrics, recent bookings, revenue summary
  • My Locations: All your parking locations with quick stats
  • Bookings: All customer bookings with search/filter
  • QR Scanner: Quick access to verify customer bookings
  • Customize Landing: Edit your public landing page
  • Organization Settings: Update business information, logo, contact details

💡 General Questions

Common questions for all users

Security & Privacy

Is my payment information secure?

Yes. All payments are processed through Stripe, an industry-leading payment processor. We never store your credit card information on our servers. All data is encrypted in transit and at rest.

How is my personal information used?

We only use your information to process bookings and communicate about your reservations. We never sell your data to third parties. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

Support

How do I get help?

Contact us at support@claimmyspot.com or use the Contact page. We typically respond within 24 hours during business days.

What if I have a problem at a parking location?

Contact the parking location directly using the phone number or email provided in your booking confirmation. For urgent issues, you can also reach out to ClaimMySpot support.