Starbucks Drive-Thru to Introduce ParkingCloud Unmanned Payment System

Secured AI Unmanned Parking Solution Orders for 130 Stores

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] ParkingCloud announced on the 4th that it has secured an artificial intelligence (AI) unmanned parking control solution contract for 130 Starbucks drive-thru stores.

This drive-thru store contract is the largest scale in the parking industry. The entry and exit environment and order payment technology accumulated through the AI unmanned parking solution iParking service will be implemented at Starbucks drive-thru stores.

ParkingCloud first introduced the 'iParking Parking Pass' in 2015, the first in Korea to enable non-stop automatic payment in parking lots similar to Hi-Pass. It is a video recognition payment service where an AI camera at the parking lot entrance recognizes the vehicle number and matches it with pre-registered vehicle information and cards in the cloud.

The iParking Parking Pass is a 'Just Drive Out' technology commercialized ahead of Amazon's unmanned store 'Amazon Go' Just Walk Out, introduced in 2018, and holds a significant share in Korea's drive-thru system.

ParkingCloud, which introduced Korea's first AI parking control in 2015, has established iParking zones in 4,500 locations nationwide, including Lotte World Tower, Haeundae LCT, Kyobo Tower, Yeouido IFC, and Yeongdeungpo Times Square. The daily parking volume of iParking is 1 million vehicles, exceeding the traffic volume of the Gyeongbu Expressway (770,000 vehicles).

In August, it launched the subscription-based parking control 'iParking 365 Package,' providing AI unmanned parking control solutions for 365,000 KRW per month, the first in the parking industry.

Since last year, recognizing the advancement of parking space ICT, it has formed a partnership with Hyundai Motor Group and supports parking lot information and payment services embedded in Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis 'Car Pay.'

A ParkingCloud official said, "We are pleased to apply mobility space technology to Starbucks, a cultural space representing the world," adding, "As a partnership between two companies representing space services, we will provide differentiated services to all drivers visiting Starbucks."