NCP is in talks to set up affinity deals via its Gateway car parking card, mirroring its model in France.

The first deal with a fuel card provider is “three to six months away”, according to Joanne Cooper, NCP commercial director but could lead to deals with multiple fuel cards.

Breakdown recovery is another area NCP is looking at over the next six-12 months.

“One card should be able to do everything so people don’t have to carry a lot of cards,” Cooper said.

She expects the affinity deals to attract more fleets to the Gateway car parking card, which was officially launched at Greener CCIA this month.

Gateway is effectively a credit card for NCP car parks aimed at fleet drivers like reps (Fleet News May 28).

During a year-long ‘soft launch’, 450 companies have signed up to use the card. NCP quotes ThyssenKrupp Elevators, which is saving £3,000 per month on a trial of 92 cards in London through fewer parking fines and un-receipted claims, as an example of typical savings.

Around 5,000 cards are in circulation; around half are in active use. NCP invoices weekly or monthly, with the bills directed to the appropriate company department.

It is looking to grow the number of cards in use to 10,000-15,000 this year.

By the end of next year it hopes to have 45,000.

The next development will be to introduce volume-based discounts, initially at invoice level.

Eventually, when the technology is upgraded, the discounts will be automatically applied when the card is swiped at each NCP car park.