FAQs about book-n-use

book-n-use is a reservation platform for parking spaces. Through book-n-use, the operators of parking spaces allow them to be booked and therefore used for a limited time. Access to the spaces – for example opening smart parking barriers or barriers – is handled by book-n-use. No additional access cards, fobs, etc. are needed.

For users who want to reserve parking spaces, the book-n-use reservation and booking portal is free of charge. There may be a charge for reserving a space, but any fees are clearly shown before you complete a reservation.

At book-n-use registration you can sign up free of charge. Once you have registered, you can log in on the login page and make a reservation straight away.

book-n-use works on all internet-enabled devices with an up-to-date browser – desktop PCs running Windows or macOS, or iOS and Android tablets and smartphones. book-n-use is a web app for Firefox, Chrome, Safari or Edge. There is nothing to install from an app store.

In the Reserved spaces menu, select the Reserve a space button and press NEXT. Once you have chosen the day, time and location, all the details are shown again in a clear summary. Click Complete reservation and you are done. You will receive a confirmation email, and the reservation is shown in the portal.

In the My reservations menu, find the reservation that comes closest to the time or location you want. Clicking the button in the Repeat column creates a new reservation. You can still adjust all the details before completing it.

During the reserved time, you can release the booked space yourself. Either click the Open button under Reserved spaces in the portal, or use the link in the reservation email. Within a maximum of 2 seconds, the barrier or smart parking barrier opens the way.

Yes. Reserve the space you want and forward the reservation link by email, text message or messenger. The space can be unlocked with this link, without the person you invite having to sign up to book-n-use or install an app.

In the Reserved spaces menu, choose the extra menu for your reservation (the 3 lines at the top right). Click Resend confirmation to receive your confirmation email again.

The smart parking barrier detects automatically when you leave the space and closes after about 1 minute – enough time to manoeuvre. During your reserved time, you can open it again whenever you like.

Try to book a follow-on reservation in the portal. If your space is booked by someone else, please let our support team know before your parking time ends so that the next users can be informed. Under the terms and conditions, a penalty fee may be charged.

The My reservations menu shows all your reservations. For past ones, switch the Past filter ON. For every paid reservation, you can download your invoice using the icon in the Receipt column.

Some spaces are visible only to closed user groups, e.g. company staff parking. To book them, you need an access code from the operator. Once you have entered the code (Private locations menu), the space appears in the list of locations.

When you click your reservation in the web portal, a menu with two tabs opens. On the “Details” tab you will find the red button for cancelling your reservation.

On the login page, press the Forgot password button. You will receive an email with a link for setting a new password.

When you close your account, all your user and reservation data is deleted. Any remaining credit is paid out to you. You should save your invoices beforehand. If you sign up again later, none of your old data will be available.

book-n-use protects parking spaces from unauthorised use, above all from people parking without permission. Use by authorised drivers can be limited to set times. Booking, optional payment, management and release are all handled conveniently by smartphone or PC.

book-n-use has several features that set it apart from competitors’ solutions:

• The automatic smart parking barriers run for a very long time: up to 2 years, thanks to a solar panel and optimised power consumption, before the battery needs recharging.
• They can be controlled not only by drivers with their smartphone but also centrally by the operator – for scenarios with a hotline, reception or support desk.
• book-n-use can be extended in modules and is an all-inclusive solution: no software of your own, no payment processes of your own, and updates are available automatically in the browser.

The following licences are available: SmartRemote, SmartRemote+, SmartCampus, WhiteLabel.

A licence gives you access to the book-n-use portal as a Reservation Manager, where you run your mobility management. Depending on the licence, you can:

• control your parking access devices (smart parking barriers, barriers, bollards, barrier chains, …) centrally,
• create reservation links for your customers (eTicket),
• allow reservations for closed user groups (booking only after entering a password),
• allow reservations for all book-n-use users,
• restrict reservations by time (e.g. by day of the week or time of day),
• attach prices to reservations,
• manage additional Reservation Managers,
• structure your parking areas according to location and organisational requirements.

Included in every licence:

• Support by email or phone
• Application hosting in German data centres
• GDPR-compliant processes
• Simple, regular updates
• Monitoring of the required communication infrastructure
• Proactive notification by our support team when battery levels are low or other problems occur

SmartRemote is the entry-level licence. It lets you open and close any number of smart parking barriers at one location. The number of users is unlimited, and users can be invited and removed. Reservations through the portal are not possible – that requires the upgrade to SmartRemote+.

Useful for: parking outside residential and commercial buildings, small businesses such as law firms and medical practices, or families.

SmartRemote+ includes all the functions of SmartRemote. In addition, you can create reservations for your spaces (eTicket) and send them to friends, visitors or customers. The holder of the eTicket can release the space by smartphone without being signed up to book-n-use.

Useful for: allocating parking along with appointments at law firms, medical practices, hospitals, banks and companies with customer parking in areas with high parking pressure.

You need SmartCampus if any of the following apply:

• time restrictions on reservations (e.g. weekdays only, or only from 8 am to 6 pm)
• payment options (e.g. PayPal)
• restriction to email addresses (e.g. only employees with a company address) or number plate as a required field
• overview of parking space utilisation
• assignment of spaces to several locations or departments

Useful for: companies with several sites or distributed responsibilities, and companies with external use (visitor/customer bookings, paid bookings, multi-storey car parks).

The WhiteLabel licence provides an interface for controlling book-n-use parking access devices such as smart parking barriers, barriers or bollards. The interface is accessed via a JSON REST API. For smart parking barriers, the current status of the space (free, car parked, barrier raised) can also be retrieved.

Useful for: citizen apps, visitor management applications or booking apps for EV chargers that need to control book-n-use devices directly.

The parking operator’s staff log in to the book-n-use portal with the Reservation Manager user role. Depending on the licence model, a Reservation Manager manages the parking access devices and users:

• Master key: opening and closing all assigned parking access devices, including remotely
• Overview of all reservations
• Managing the reservation options for their parking areas
• Inviting and removing other Reservation Managers

Yes. As a Reservation Manager, you have access to your devices at all times. Through the SmartRemote menu, you can open and close all your devices whenever you like – like a virtual master key.

Yes. Our offer is currently aimed mainly at business customers, but our licence and pricing model also includes attractive options for private customers. Just ask for a quote using our contact form or by phone.

Yes. The book-n-use portal lets you combine ALL book-n-use devices. For example, your users can choose whether to book an individual parking space or drive into an area controlled by a barrier.

Create a reservation (as host, office, reception, …) for the planned time and location. Send the reservation link (eTicket) to your visitors – they can open the space and drive in straight away. The eTicket works on any device with a browser, without signing up.

No problem. When you release parking spaces, you can restrict their visibility. Private means that only users to whom you have sent an access code you created yourself can see the spaces (menu Access times → Step 1 → Visibility: Private).

Yes. When you release parking spaces, you can choose the permitted days of the week under Access times → Step 2, set start and end times and limit the maximum reservation length.

book-n-use handles all the billing for you. For paid spaces, drivers pay online with PayPal. At the end of the month, you receive one transfer to an IBAN account, including a breakdown of individual bookings. book-n-use also handles cancellations and payment processing.

A Reservation Manager can block users in the “Reservations” menu. The user is informed of the exclusion and shown contact details they can use to apply to be readmitted.

Pricing is entirely up to you. Under Access times → Step 3 → Prices, you set the prices yourself and can change them at any time. Changed prices apply only to future reservations.

Free of charge

Fixed price levels

• Base price: one-off price per reservation (optional)
• Price per unit of time (e.g. €1 per hour)
• Maximum price: maximum price per reservation

Prices per flexible unit of time – example:

• Parking for 0–1 hour: €1
• Parking for 2–5 hours: €3
• Parking for 5–10 hours: €10

Yes. book-n-use provides an interface through which existing applications (citizen app, visitor management, EV charger management, etc.) can open and close book-n-use devices. The interface is called over the internet (JSON REST API). Documentation and a test environment are provided through the portal; this requires the WhiteLabel licence.

No. The book-n-use hardware and software scale from a single parking space to locations spread across Europe. You can start small and adapt the solution flexibly to your requirements.

There are solutions for individual spaces (e.g. smart parking barriers) and for parking areas (e.g. barriers, bollards, barrier chains). You will find an overview on our products page.

No. The smart parking barriers are controlled via an IoT radio protocol that covers longer distances than Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Depending on the conditions, a book-n-use gateway providing internet access has to be installed nearby.

Experienced installers fit a smart parking barrier in 15–45 minutes, depending on the surface. The connection to the book-n-use portal is made automatically – the smart parking barrier is available in the portal about 2 minutes after installation is complete.

The automatically folding smart parking barriers have their own independent power supply – no power cables need to be laid. The battery is rechargeable and replaceable and lasts up to 2 years, thanks to a solar panel and optimised power consumption (at around four parking events per day).

Battery life refers to the battery-powered devices, above all the smart parking barrier. It runs for up to 2 years without recharging the battery, thanks to a solar panel and optimised power consumption (at around four parking events per day).

Yes. The smart parking barriers are designed for retrofitting to existing parking spaces. How they are fitted depends on the surface – on a solid surface, four wall plugs are enough.

The smart parking barrier itself, which communicates with a book-n-use gateway. The gateway needs power (230V) and internet access via LAN, Wi-Fi or a managed router that we can supply. It is controlled through the book-n-use portal, which you can open on a smartphone, tablet or PC. A book-n-use licence is required for management (software as a service) – no computers of your own or software installation are needed.

A designated contact person is told by our support team when the battery voltage is low. Replacing the battery takes about 2 minutes and can be done by anyone, with no prior knowledge. The batteries are interchangeable between devices, so a battery that has been removed can be recharged at leisure and fitted as a spare at the next replacement.

book-n-use is implemented as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution, so it can be used on any internet-enabled device – without installing software or apps. Full functionality is available as soon as your account is activated. There is also no need to buy, run or maintain your own servers.

The SaaS solution is developed continuously. New features are available automatically the next time you open it in your web browser. book-n-use gmbh monitors the devices (e.g. barriers, cycle lockers, smart parking barriers) and informs the operator if one fails.