Heathrow & Gatwick Drop-Off Charges Explained: How Much They Cost and How to Pay
There's no barrier, no ticket machine, and no one waving you through — which is exactly why so many drivers don't realise they owe anything until a penalty notice turns up weeks later.
📍 All Heathrow & Gatwick Terminals | 🕐 Charges Apply 24/7, Year-Round |
If you've driven a friend, partner or colleague to Heathrow or Gatwick recently and pulled straight up to the terminal for a quick goodbye, there's a fair chance you've already triggered a charge without realising it. Both airports now bill every vehicle that enters their forecourt drop-off zones — including a thirty-second stop — and because the system runs entirely on cameras rather than barriers, it's easy to drive away with no idea a payment is expected at all.
This guide sets out exactly what the heathrow drop off charge and gatwick drop off charge currently cost, how the payment deadline works, what happens if you miss it, and the free alternatives most drivers never think to use.
The Heathrow Drop-Off Charge
Heathrow charges a flat £7 per visit to enter any terminal drop-off zone, across Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5. That rate rose from £6 on 1 January 2026, and it applies the moment your vehicle enters the zone — there's no per-minute meter for a short stop, but there is now a strict 10-minute maximum stay, introduced alongside the price rise. Overstay that window and you can face an additional charge on top of the standard fee.
The system works entirely through automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras — there's no barrier to lift, no ticket to take, and no booth to pay at on site. Your registration is simply logged the moment you enter, which is precisely why so many drivers don't realise a charge is due until it's too late to catch the deadline easily.
You have until midnight the day after your visit to pay. Miss that window and Heathrow issues a Parking Charge Notice (PCN) for £80, reduced to £40 if you settle it within 14 days.
The charge applies to private cars, taxis and private hire vehicles alike — there's no blanket exemption for professional drivers. Blue Badge holders can get a full exemption, but only if registered with Heathrow in advance; it isn't automatic. Motorbikes are also exempt. There's currently no discount for electric vehicles specifically for this charge, though a separately calculated ULEZ charge can apply on top if your vehicle doesn't meet emissions standards, regardless of the drop-off fee.
The Gatwick Drop-Off Charge
Gatwick's charge follows a similar structure but currently costs more. As of 6 January 2026, dropping off at either the North or South Terminal forecourt costs £10 for the first 10 minutes, with additional per-minute charges if you stay longer — this was the single largest one-off increase of any UK airport's drop-off fee, up from £7 previously.
Like Heathrow, there are no barriers or ticket machines — ANPR cameras log your vehicle as it enters and leaves the zone, and your stay is calculated from those two readings. Payment is due by midnight the day after your visit. Miss it and you'll face a Parking Charge Notice of £100, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days.
Blue Badge holders can be exempt from the Gatwick charge too, but again only with advance registration through the operator managing the scheme on Gatwick's behalf. As with Heathrow, taxis and private hire vehicles aren't automatically exempt from the charge itself.
How to Pay Either Charge
Both airports use the same basic process, even though the platforms are separate:
Pay online through the airport's official drop-off payment page, entering your vehicle registration and the date of your visit
Pay by phone through an automated payment line, with your registration and visit date ready
Set up AutoPay if you're a frequent visitor to either airport — this links your registration to a card and deducts the charge automatically every time you enter the zone, removing the need to remember a deadline at all
All payments are by card — neither airport accepts cash, and there's no way to pay at a machine or booth inside the drop-off zone itself, since none exist.
One detail worth flagging clearly: if you leave the drop-off zone and re-enter shortly afterwards — perhaps circling back after a wrong turn, or dropping a second passenger separately — both airports' ANPR systems typically log this as two separate visits, meaning two separate charges. It's worth getting your terminal and drop-off point right the first time.
What Happens If You Forget to Pay
Because there's no barrier stopping you and no ticket in hand to remind you, forgetting is genuinely common — the charge is entirely dependent on the driver remembering after the fact, with no prompt at the point of entry.
If the payment deadline passes unpaid, both airports issue a Parking Charge Notice automatically based on the ANPR record, with no exceptions for "I didn't realise" as a defence. The reduced early-payment rate (£40 at Heathrow, £60 at Gatwick) is available for a limited window after the notice arrives, so acting quickly once you spot it matters.
The Free Alternative Most Drivers Miss
Both airports offer a way to avoid the forecourt charge entirely: their Long Stay car parks, which typically include a free period — commonly around two hours — along with a free shuttle bus to the terminal. This isn't as convenient as pulling straight up to departures, since it involves parking, waiting for a shuttle, and the walk in from the drop-off point, but for anyone happy to trade a few extra minutes for a free option, it's there.
A Quiet Point Worth Making
If you're the one behind the wheel, remembering the charge, watching the ten-minute clock, and paying online before the deadline all fall on you. When you book a transfer instead, none of that admin exists for the passenger — the driver handles their own arrangement with the airport as part of getting you to the terminal, so there's no separate charge to track, no deadline to remember, and no chance of a penalty notice landing through your door weeks later for a thirty-second goodbye you'd already forgotten about.
Driving Yourself vs Booking a Transfer With Us
It's worth being honest about what "just driving them yourself" actually involves once you add it all up, next to what booking with us removes from the equation entirely.
If you drive yourself, the drop-off charge is only one part of the admin. You're also responsible for:
Knowing the current price and the ten-minute window before you set off, since neither is signposted at the zone itself
Getting the right terminal and drop-off point correct the first time, since circling back can mean a second charge
Remembering to pay online or by phone before midnight the following day, with no prompt or reminder from the airport
Checking the post for a Parking Charge Notice if you did forget, and acting fast enough to catch the reduced early-payment rate
The drive itself — getting yourself there and back, often at an early hour before a long flight, or a tired drive home after a delayed one
When you book a transfer with UK Airport Transfer Services, none of that sits with you. Your driver's arrangement with the airport is handled as part of getting you to the terminal — there's no separate charge for you to track, no ten-minute clock to watch, and no possibility of a penalty notice landing through your door for a stop you'd already forgotten about. The price you're quoted at booking is fixed and confirmed before you travel, so it isn't affected by how long a drop-off takes or which terminal you're using. On arrivals, your driver tracks your flight and waits inside the terminal with your name on a board, with 30 minutes of free waiting time built in — so a delayed landing doesn't turn into an extra cost the way an overrun at the forecourt would.
The honest comparison isn't just about the £7 or £10 charge itself — it's about who's carrying the admin, the deadline, and the risk of a fine, versus who's just being dropped at the door.
Frequently Asked Questions
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£7 per visit across all terminals, up from £6 as of 1 January 2026, with a 10-minute maximum stay.
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£10 for the first 10 minutes at either terminal, up from £7 as of 6 January 2026, with additional per-minute charges beyond that.
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Until midnight the day after your visit, at both airports.
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Heathrow issues an £80 Parking Charge Notice (£40 if paid within 14 days). Gatwick issues a £100 notice (£60 if paid within 14 days).
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No — both airports apply the charge to all vehicles entering the drop-off zone, including taxis and private hire vehicles, unless a specific exemption applies.
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Yes at both airports, but registration in advance is required — the exemption isn't automatic just because a Blue Badge is displayed.
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Yes — both airports' Long Stay car parks typically offer a free period (commonly around two hours) with a free shuttle to the terminal, avoiding the forecourt charge entirely.
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No — neither airport has barriers, ticket machines or payment booths in the drop-off zone. Payment is online, by phone, or via AutoPay only.
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