A version of the following article appeared in the August 24, 2026, edition of The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter with local business-y news and insights for Charlotte, N.C.
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Charlotte-based Preferred Parking discloses June data breach involving thousands of customers
Preferred Parking is disclosing a data breach in June. The precise scope is unclear, but it appears to involve thousands of customers. (Photo: Tony Mecia/The Charlotte Ledger)
by Tony Mecia
Preferred Parking Service, the Charlotte-based manager of parking lots and garages, has indicated that it suffered a data breach involving customers’ credit card information.
In documents filed with the states of Vermont, South Carolina and Massachusetts, Preferred Parking said earlier this month that it had suffered a data breach. Those states list such notifications online. North Carolina does not.
The filings said the breach affected about 5,200 South Carolinians, 142 Massachusetts residents and 11 Vermonters, but the number of Charlotte and North Carolina residents affected is probably far higher, as the company operates much more in North Carolina. Preferred Parking’s website says it operates more than 240 parking locations in 15 Southeast cities, including nine cities in North Carolina.
The company did not return emails from The Ledger this weekend seeking more information about the data breach.
In a filing with South Carolina, Preferred Parking said that an “unauthorized actor” accessed its database on June 7 and 8 and took files containing customers’ names and credit card information.
It is advising people potentially affected by the breach to monitor their financial statements for unauthorized charges and to dispute any with their banks. It also said it has “implemented additional measures to enhance the security of our IT network.”
Over the weekend, several people on the online discussion forum Reddit said they had received letters from Preferred Parking that explained what happened but didn’t seem to offer much help. “I’m less concerned about the data breach and more so annoyed at their seemingly nonchalant attitude toward it,” wrote a user named “barfnation.”
The company is occasionally criticized online for aggressive parking enforcement.
Data breaches can lead to class-action lawsuits that allege companies were negligent in allowing personal information to be accessed.
Other Charlotte companies that have reported suffering data breaches in recent years include Bojangles, Krispy Kreme, Belk, Duke Energy and LendingTree.