Since November 2021, all Heathrow terminals have instituted a drop-off fee.
When you enter the drop-off zone, number plate reading cameras will capture your car registration number, and you must pay the cost online the same day or by 11:59 p.m. the following day.
You also can pay over the telephone by dialing 0330 008 5600. The drop-off zones are immediately adjacent to the terminals, and the drop-off fee is £5.
Blue Badge holders are eligible for discounts, and you can request a discount online.
Every time you enter the drop-off zone, your car will be recorded by the cameras, and you will be required to pay the drop-off fee each time.
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How Do I Pay The Drop-Off Charge?
Each time a motorist enters a terminal drop-off zone, they must pay £5. It is enforced 24 hrs a day, 365 days a year. However, utilizing this service through a machine is free.
Instead, individuals must pay for the fee in advance online with a credit or debit card. Alternatively, you can pay by an automated phone service or automatically once autopay has been set up.
You have the option to pay in advance, on the day of return, or by midnight the following day.
Please be advised that the fee cannot be paid at airport ticket machines or at terminal drop-off zones. It can only be paid online, through automated phone service, or automatically.
Create a personal account on the Heathrow airport terminal website to register your PCO vehicle. You can then set up auto-payment.
What If I Fail To Pay The Heathrow Drop Off Charge?
If you fail to pay the Heathrow drop-off charge by midnight the following day, an £80 PCN will be issued, which will be reduced to £40 if you pay it within 14 days.
How To Make Heathrow Drop Off PCN Payments
If you failed to pay the drop-off charge, you would be charged £80 in parking fees (PCN). This will be mailed to the registered address of your vehicle.
Once you have received the PCN, proceed as follows:
- Navigate to the Heathrow PCN payment website.
- Enter the PCN number and car registration number, and then pay the associated cost.
- We advise paying the drop-off PCN within fourteen days to lower the fee to £40.
What Is The Drop-Off Charge For?
Heathrow’s new sustainable transportation efforts, like as measures to relieve congestion and improve surface access, are funded in part by drop-off fees.
The airport decided to establish a drop-off fee instead of implementing a Heathrow Vehicle Access Charge (HVAC) and a Heathrow Ultra-Low Emissions Zone (HULEZ).
Are There Any Free Drop Off Areas?
According to the Heathrow terminal, free drop-offs are offered in the Long Stay terminal parking lots, from which travelers can board a free bus to the terminals.
The Long Stay parking lots are designated as you approach the airport and the first 30 minutes are free. The transfer buses run every fifteen minutes.
Blue Badge holders can simply punch their Blue Badge number into the call point at the entry gate to obtain up to two hours of free parking in Heathrow’s Long Stay car parks.
You must again use the call point to register your exit. Alternatively, Blue Badge holders may ask for a discount to access the drop-off zone.