Is this the first time you\u2019re hearing about the Heathrow drop-off charge? Not sure what it means for you when you drop-off at London\u2019s airport? Well thankfully for you, you\u2019ve come to the right place.<\/strong><\/p>\n In this guide we\u2019ll provide you with the answers to all your questions regarding this drop off charge: How does it work? Do you need to pay the charge? What happens if you don\u2019t pay? How are taxi drivers impacted?<\/p>\n All these questions and many more will be answered down below, so what are you waiting for? Read on to find out more about the Heathrow drop off charge!<\/p>\n Yes. As of 1st January 2025, Heathrow\u2019s Terminal Drop-Off Charge has increased from \u00a35 to \u00a36 per visit.<\/strong> You\u2019ll always<\/strong> need to pay<\/a> a \u00a36 charge every time you and the vehicle you\u2019re driving enters one of the Heathrow Airport terminal drop-off areas.<\/p>\n This charge was introduced back in November 2021, in response to the impact the pandemic had on the airport. On the Heathrow Airport website<\/a>, it states: \u201cThe charge allows us to continue investing in congestion-reducing, Surface-Access projects, and protecting jobs at Heathrow\u201d. The airport uses Automatic Number Plate<\/a> Recognition (ANPR) to identify your vehicle and mark it as needed to pay the drop-off charge.<\/p>\n As well at that, from August 2023, it was announced that any \u201cnon-compliant vehicles using Heathrow\u2019s Terminal Drop Off areas will also have to pay a \u00a312.50 daily charge as part of the expansion of Transport for London\u2019s Low Emission Zone<\/a> (ULEZ)\u201d.<\/p>\n There\u2019s not currently any information around whether this is a permanent change made by Heathrow Airport or whether it could be removed in the future, so for now, be sure to be prepared to pay the charge when you drop off passengers at the charging zones!<\/p>\n There\u2019s numerous ways you can pay a Heathrow Drop Off charge:<\/p>\n To pay for a Heathrow Terminal Drop Off charge online, you need to visit this page<\/a> on the Heathrow Airport website.<\/p>\n On that page, you\u2019ll be asked to provide the registration number of the vehicle that\u2019s entered, or will enter, the drop-off zone. Once you\u2019ve confirmed the vehicle, you\u2019ll be asked for your email, and how many drop offs you plan to make. The more drop offs you make, the more you\u2019ll be expected to pay (e.g., 1 drop off = \u00a36, 2 drop offs = \u00a312 etc.), and your final total price will be displayed before you make your payment.<\/p>\n Rather than paying through the Heathrow website, you can instead pay via the automated telephone service. The number to call is: 0330 008 5600. This service will take you through the same process as the website.<\/p>\n The final way you can pay for your Heathrow Terminal Drop Off charge is via AutoPay<\/a>. Registering to this service allows you to the airport to automatically debit your payment card for each drop-off charge you make. \u00a0<\/p>\n AutoPay is operated by APCOA parking, and it allows anyone to add a vehicle or multiple vehicles to their account and set up an automated payment system. This system ensures that whenever a driver enters a terminal drop off zone in a vehicle they\u2019ve registered through their account, they will be charged automatically and on time, meaning they wouldn\u2019t be fined by the airport for a late payment.<\/p>\n AutoPay essentially removes the hassle of having to manually pay for each time you drop off a passenger at a terminal drop-off zone, which can be extremely beneficial for taxi drivers<\/a>, for example, who make regular trips dropping passengers off to the airport.<\/p>\n The drop off charge needs to be paid by midnight<\/strong> on the day after<\/strong> you\u2019ve made your visit to Heathrow Airport. There\u2019re no exceptions for this deadline all year round, and as soon as you enter the drop-off zone, you become immediately liable to pay, depending on the vehicle you\u2019re driving.<\/p>\n Alternatively, you can also choose to pay for one or multiple drop offs online in advance if you like, but be aware that there is no airport ticket machine at Heathrow that can be used to pay this charge.<\/p>\n If you were to fail to pay the drop off fee before the midnight deadline we\u2019ve just mentioned, you would become susceptible to a fine.<\/p>\n You\u2019d receive a \u00a380 Parking Charge Notice (PCN) from Heathrow Airport, which would be halved to \u00a340 if you pay the fine within 14 days of receiving it. You can view evidence relating to the fine, pay it, or challenge it via APCOA\u2019s dedicated payment page<\/a>.<\/p>\n No, you\u2019re not allowed to pay the Heathrow Terminal Drop Off Charge late. However, you can always try to get in touch with Heathrow Airport or APCOA and see if there\u2019re any circumstances where you can delay when you need to pay your terminal drop off charge.<\/p>\n If you feel you\u2019re undeserving of being charged for the drop off or receiving a fine, and require a refund, you can email the team at APCOA<\/a> or call their customer service support on 0333 200 7459.<\/p>\n Currently at Heathrow Airport, there\u2019s no time limit in place that states how long you can stay in the terminal drop off zones. This means that, technically, you can stay in the drop off area as long as you like, as you pay the charge before or after you make the drop off. Heathrow Airport is quite unique in this case, whilst other London airports do have time limits ranging from 10 to 15 minutes.<\/p>\n We would warn you though that even though there is no time limit, you might get some frustrated or concerned looks from members of staff or security at the airport if you hang around in the drop off zone too long. What\u2019s more, any vehicles left unattended in one of the zones will be removed by the police, so make sure you always stay in your vehicle!<\/p>\n Heathrow Airport have outlined some individuals and vehicles which are deemed to be exempt <\/strong>form the terminal drop off charge. These are as follows:<\/p>\n Blue badge holders<\/a> are eligible to apply for 100% discount on their drop off charge, regardless of whether they drive or own a vehicle. This means a family member, friend or taxi driver could drop you off for free if you have the Blue Badge<\/a> discount.<\/p>\n You do need to apply for your Blue Badge discount though, and each drop off requires a new application which you can do up to three months before the drop off, or by midnight the day after the drop off. You can start submitting your Blue Badge holder discount application by clicking here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Exemptions will be automatically applied to emergency service vehicles, such as fire engines, ambulances or police cars, and military vehicles<\/a>. Drivers of these vehicles need not apply for a charge exemption.<\/p>\n Heathrow permitted operational vehicles are also exempt from the drop off charge.<\/p>\n If the DVLA (Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency)<\/a> deems your vehicle to fall under one of the following categories, you\u2019ll automatically be discounted for 100% of the drop off charge:<\/p>\n \u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Buses and coaches<\/p>\n \u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Two-wheeled motorbikes<\/p>\n \u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Roadside recovery vehicles<\/p>\n There\u2019s also a lot of talk out there around the eligibility of electric vehicles for charge exemption, but the truth is, electric vehicles are not exempt from the drop-off charge<\/strong> and their drivers will not benefit from any discount.<\/p>\n There was a time when taxis were exempt form the Heathrow Drop Off charge, but that is now no longer the case. Since 2022, all taxis<\/a> and private hire vehicles that enter terminal drop off zones will be charged will a \u00a35 charge.<\/p>\n Heathrow Airport recommends that black cab and private-hire vehicles drivers register for a APCOA parking business account, because this allows these drivers to benefit from the AutoPay function and better manage their drop offs.<\/p>\n Click here<\/a> to sign up for a business account.<\/p>\n The best free, drop-off alternative to the terminal zones at Heathrow Airport is the Park & Ride car parks. Previously known as Long Stay car parks<\/a><\/strong>, they allow for 29 minutes of free parking, and from there, arriving passengers can jump on a free shuttle bus to get to their terminal.<\/p>\n These buses are also free, and make for a great way to get around the airport. Depending on which terminal you need to get to, the shuttle should take between 5 to 20 minutes. They even have free Wi-Fi!<\/p>\n To learn more about Heathrow\u2019s Long Stay car parks and how to get a parking quote, visit the Long Stay parking guide<\/a> on the Heathrow Airport website.<\/p>\n No, you\u2019re not able to pick up any passengers from the airport\u2019s drop off zones. However, you won\u2019t be charged for any passenger pick-ups which take place at the airport\u2019s car parks, so that\u2019s worth bearing in mind.<\/p>\n You can find out more about the rules around pick-ups at Heathrow Airport here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Sadly, Heathrow Airport is not the only airport in the UK that charges for drop offs. Recently, almost all UK airports have introduced a drop off charge, and this is for several reasons:<\/p>\n How justifiable these charges is still up for debate, but nevertheless, take a look below at all the drop off charges at the UK\u2019s biggest airports.<\/p>\nDo you need to pay to drop off at Heathrow?<\/h2>\n
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How to pay Heathrow Drop Off charges<\/h2>\n
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Online<\/h4>\n
Automated telephone service<\/h4>\n
Autopay<\/h4>\n
How does Heathrow Drop Off AutoPay work?<\/h3>\n
When to pay Heathrow Drop Off charges<\/h2>\n
What happens if you don\u2019t pay Heathrow drop off charge?<\/h3>\n
Can you pay the Heathrow Drop Off charge late?<\/h3>\n
How to appeal Heathrow drop off charge?<\/h3>\n
What is the Heathrow Terminal Drop Off zones time limit?<\/h3>\n
Who is exempt from the Heathrow Terminal Drop Off charge?<\/h2>\n
Blue Badge Holders<\/h4>\n
Emergency and Military services<\/h4>\n
Certain public vehicle categories<\/h4>\n
Are taxis exempt from Heathrow Drop Off charge?<\/h3>\n
Where is Heathrow Drop Off free?<\/h2>\n
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Can you pick up from the terminal drop off zones at Heathrow Airport?<\/h3>\n
Other UK Airport drop off charges (2025)<\/h2>\n
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\n \nUK Airport<\/th>\n Time Period<\/th>\n Drop Off Fees (2024)<\/th>\n Further Information<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n \n Aberdeen<\/td>\n 15 mins<\/td>\n \u00a35.50<\/td>\n Additional \u00a31 charge for each extra minute that you stay.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Belfast City<\/td>\n 30 mins<\/td>\n \u00a35<\/td>\n \u00a315 for up to 60 mins.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Belfast International<\/td>\n 10 mins<\/td>\n \u00a33<\/td>\n \u00a35 for up to 20 mins, \u00a310 for up to an hour.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Birmingham<\/td>\n 15 mins<\/td>\n \u00a36<\/td>\n Free for first 10 minutes.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Bournemouth<\/td>\n 30 mins<\/td>\n \u00a35<\/td>\n \u00a37.50 for stays up to an hour.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Bristol<\/td>\n 10 mins<\/td>\n \u00a36<\/td>\n \u00a38 for 20 mins, \u00a312 for up to 40 mins, \u00a325 for an hour-long stay.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Cardiff<\/td>\n 5 mins<\/td>\n Free<\/td>\n \u00a33 charge for every 10 minutes after free stay period.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n East Midlands<\/td>\n 15 mins<\/td>\n \u00a35<\/td>\n Additional \u00a31 charge for each extra minute that you stay.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Edinburgh<\/td>\n 10 mins<\/td>\n \u00a36<\/td>\n Additional \u00a31 charge for each extra minute that you stay.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Glasgow<\/td>\n 15 mins<\/td>\n \u00a35.50<\/td>\n Additional \u00a31 charge for each extra minute that you stay. Electric vehicles get free access.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Inverness<\/td>\n 10 mins<\/td>\n Free<\/td>\n Charges \u00a33.50 for stays up to 30 mins, \u00a39.50 for up to an hour<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Leeds Bradford<\/td>\n 10 mins<\/td>\n \u00a37<\/td>\n Charges \u00a39 for up to 20 minutes, \u00a312.50 for up to 30 minutes.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Liverpool<\/td>\n 10 mins<\/td>\n \u00a35<\/td>\n \u00a310 for 20 mins, \u00a325 for up to an hour.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n London City<\/td>\n No confirmed time limit.<\/td>\n Free<\/td>\n \u00a0\u00a36.90 for up to 20 minutes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n London Gatwick<\/a><\/td>\n 10 mins<\/td>\n \u00a36<\/td>\n Additional \u00a31 charge for each extra minute that you stay. Max stay is 30 mins.\u00a0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n London Luton<\/td>\n 5 mins<\/td>\n \u00a35<\/td>\n Additional \u00a31 charge for each extra minute that you stay for up to 20 minutes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n London Stansted<\/td>\n 15 mins<\/td>\n \u00a37<\/td>\n Costs \u00a325 for stays over 15 minutes.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Manchester<\/td>\n 5 mins<\/td>\n \u00a35<\/td>\n \u00a36.20 for up to 10 minutes, \u00a325 for any longer stays.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Newcastle<\/td>\n 10 mins<\/td>\n \u00a35<\/td>\n \u00a38 for up to 30 mins, \u00a311 for up to 30 minutes.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Southampton<\/td>\n 20 mins<\/td>\n \u00a36<\/td>\n Via Express Drop Off.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>