The service drop-off rates at Heathrow can be a little confusing, especially for drivers who are not familiar with the ride-hailing service. However, it should be noted that the drop-off zones within the terminal are charged £5 per vehicle upon entering the location. The drop-off zones are situated outside the terminal for the convenience of your passengers.
With this beginner’s guide, CarX aims to clarify any confusion about the drop-off fees at Heathrow. It will provide a comprehensive understanding of each fee and instructions on how to pay the drop-off terminal charges. This will spare you from unplanned expenses, and all your efforts will go towards ensuring that your passengers have a pleasant journey.
When you take one of the Heathrow airport terminal drop-off points, you will always be charged a £5 fee. This charge was introduced in November 2021 to ensure that the airport adequately addressed the impact of the pandemic.
Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) will scan for your car and tell you through an LED that a drop-off fee is required.
Heathrow Airport will start charging non-compliant vehicles £12.50 per day to use its terminal drop-off sites on August 29, 2023. This price is in addition to any additional costs related to airport entry.
It only applies to vehicles operated inside the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), which includes most automobiles, vans, and motorcycles. Cars parked at Heathrow or other stationary vehicles are exempt from the fee.
If you don’t pay the fee before midnight the following day, you’ll receive a Parking Charge Notice (PCN). If paid within 14 days, the PCN is £40; if not, it rises to £80.
If you enter a drop-off area a second time or at any point after that, you will also be required to pay the fee again.
Payments can be made in advance, on the day of drop-off, or by midnight the following day. Please be aware that the fee cannot be paid at the terminal drop-off zones or at an airport ticket machine. It can only be paid for online, through autopay, or by automated phone services. Visit the Heathrow airport terminal website to register your car. After creating a personal account, you can enable autopay.
After the first time, you will have to pay the price each time you visit a drop-off location. As of 2024, Heathrow Airport’s drop-off charge can be paid online, by autopay, or by calling an automated telephone service:
The Heathrow terminal indicates that terminal long-term parking lots permit free drop-offs offs that patrons can get a bus transfer to terminals. For more information about Heathrow’s long-stay car park, go to Heathrow’s official website. For PHV drivers, there is no 100% discount on the terminal drop-off charge.
Heathrow was the last major UK airport to introduce a passenger drop-off charge from now in 2024. Here’s how drop-off charges break down across the top 9 most used UK airports:
No. | Airport Terminals | Charges You will Pay |
1 | London Heathrow | £5 for every terminal drop-off entry |
2 | London Gatwick | £1 for every minute you stay |
3 | Manchester | £25 Charges will apply after 60 minutes |
4 | London Stansted | £20 charge for re-entering within 30 minutes |
5 | London Luton | £1 per stay for a minute |
6 | Edinburgh | £5 for a 10-minute drop-off |
7 | Birmingham | £5 Charges will apply after 15 minutes |
8 | Glasgow | charged at £5.50 to stay for up to 15 minutes |
9 | Belfast International | £3 for 10 minutes in the drop-off zone |
However, to avoid misfortune and various additional costs, it is necessary to familiarise oneself with the fees for dropping off a car at Heathrow. Thus, our guidelines for the £5 fee and payment methods can help avoid problems in this sphere, and additional expenses can also be avoided.
For additional help and other details, it is always recommended that you visit the Heathrow official website or consult their customer care.
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