Kensington QR Code Parking Scam Warning — How to Pay Safely in 2026
RBKC still does not use QR codes for parking. Pay with PayByPhone only. 2026 tariffs, official numbers, and how to report fake stickers.
Holiday Inn London – Kensington Forum
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The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea does not use QR codes for parking. If you scan a sticker on a lamp-post or a pay-and-display sign, you are paying a scammer, not the council. That was the official line in 2024, restated in a January 2025 RBKC warning, and it is still the rule on the council's PayByPhone page (updated May 2026).
Last verified: 20 August 2026.
What the scam is
Criminals stick QR-code labels on official parking signs. The sticker looks like a council payment shortcut. It opens a fake site that takes card details, and you still get a Penalty Charge Notice because the session was never paid.
Stickers have been found around Kensington High Street, Sloane Square and the King's Road. Officers remove them when reported; new ones appear. Treat any QR code on a parking sign in this borough as fake.
Cllr Cem Kemahli, RBKC lead member for planning and place, on the 2025 warning: "If you use a QR code to pay for parking in Kensington and Chelsea, I guarantee that you are paying scammers instead of the Council. Our parking system does not use QR codes at all." Source: RBKC Newsroom · BBC News.
How to pay in 2026
Use PayByPhone only:
- App — PayByPhone (also listed for RBKC at paybyphone.co.uk/locations/royal-borough-of-kensington-and-chelsea)
- Phone —
020 7023 9078 - Text —
65565 - Web — paybyphone.co.uk
- Cash — authorised PayPoint shops, if you have no card
There are no visitor paper vouchers and no uncontrolled bays in the borough. Source: RBKC guide to parking (June 2026).
On-street tariffs (PayByPhone, March 2026 card)
Per hour, from the RBKC PayByPhone page:
| Tariff zone | Electric / zero-emission | Petrol and petrol hybrid | Diesel and diesel hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | £1.90 | £2.50 | £2.90 |
| Low | £3.10 | £4.10 | £4.70 |
| Medium | £4.40 | £5.90 | £6.60 |
| High | £5.60 | £7.40 | £8.40 |
Maximum stay and zone maps change; check the location code on the sign in the app before you pay. Bank holidays: pay-by-phone bays are free — RBKC bank holiday parking (updated April 2026). Carnival Monday 31 August 2026 is a Bank Holiday.
Hotel parking
Holiday Inn Kensington Forum has on-site parking at £35 per day, reserved in advance. See the FAQ. That is usually cheaper than a full day in a High tariff on-street bay, and it avoids the QR stickers altogether.
The borough is inside the ULEZ (24/7). It sits west of the congestion charge zone. Those are separate charges from the PayByPhone session. Our guide to whether Kensington is in the congestion zone has the 2026 charges and an area-by-area check.
Spotted a fake sticker?
- Police non-emergency:
111 - Council parking: enquiries@rbkcparking.com (RBKC asks for email reports of scam codes)
Do not scan it "to check". Photograph the sign and the location if you report it.
Sources
- RBKC — Warning to drivers of QR code parking scam (January 2025)
- RBKC — PayByPhone (May 2026) and Guide to parking (June 2026)
- BBC News — Scammers target drivers with 'cruel hoax' QR codes
Last verified 20 August 2026.
Travel Team
Getting around Kensington from 97 Cromwell Road: stations, parks, driving, parking, the ULEZ and where to leave luggage. Part of Holiday Inn London – Kensington Forum.
How we check: Every guide shows the date its facts were last checked. Prices, opening times and closures link to their official source. Walking times start at 97 Cromwell Road; guides checked since October 2026 measure them with OpenStreetMap's walking router.
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