If you use Heathrow’s terminal drop-off areas, you will need to pay the charge either by phone, online, or through AutoPay. The drop-off charge is £7 and applies every time your vehicle enters the terminal drop-off areas. If you are paying the drop-off charge after using the zone, payment must be made by midnight the next day. Heathrow Airport allows you to pay for a single drop-off, or pre-pay multiple drop-offs online or by phone.
Ways to you pay the Heathrow Airport drop-off charge?
If you’ve used the designated drop-off zones at Heathrow, the key thing to know is this: you must pay by midnight the day after your visit.
Heathrow Airport gives you three main ways to pay:
- through an AutoPay account set up in advance
- online after you leave the drop-off zone
- by phone using the automated payment line on 0330 008 5600
The Heathrow Airport drop-off terminals are as follows:
- Terminal 2
- Terminal 3
- Terminal 4
- Terminal 5
That deadline matters. If you miss it, you will receive a Parking Charge Notice (PCN) of £80 instead of being able to pay the original charge. The £80 PCN Is reduced to £40 if paid within 14 days.
Please note: There are no payment machines or barriers in the terminal drop-off zones, so you cannot just turn up and pay on the spot.
Every entry counts as a separate visit, even if it’s on the same day. If you go into the drop off zone three times in one day, you will incur three separate £7 charges.
What happens if you forget to pay the Heathrow drop-off charge?
This is one of the biggest worries for drivers, and for good reason.
If you fail to pay the charge, the Parking Charge Notice (PCN) is:
- £40 if paid within 14 days
- £80 after that
If you do Heathrow runs often, this is where AutoPay becomes very helpful as it reduces the risk of lost earnings. Once you have set up your account you will automatically be charged the drop-off fee so, using this option relives the worry of forgetting to pay once you have left.
If you have received a PCN for failing to pay the drop off charge you can pay it here.
For tips on how you can avoid PCNs, you can read our full guide here.
Can you pay at the Heathrow Airport drop-off terminal?
No. Heathrow uses automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras to monitor the terminal forecourts. These cameras read your vehicle registration number as soon as you drive into the drop off zone. Once your plate is recorded, the system logs a visit and the £7 drop off fee becomes due.
Is there a free Heathrow Airport drop-off alternative?
You can avoid paying Heathrow’s £7 terminal drop‑off fee by using the Park & Ride car parks available at each terminal. These areas, which used to be called Long Stay car parks, allow you to park free of charge for up to 30 minutes.
After the first half hour, parking costs £9.40 for stays of up to two hours. If you remain for longer than two hours, the charge is £46.80 for the first 24 hours and £37.40 for each additional day.
Although these car parks are situated some distance from the terminal forecourts, Heathrow provides a free shuttle bus service, which typically takes around 10 minutes to carry passengers between the car parks and the terminals.
Picking Up Passengers at Heathrow
To stay compliant:
- Do not pick up passengers from the terminal forecourt or drop-off zone.
- Use short stay car parks for quick pick-ups near the terminal.
- Use the long stay car park only if agreed in advance and practical for the passenger.
Explaining this to your passengers in advance can help avoid confusion and last-minute requests to be collected from the wrong place.
More information about passenger pick-ups can be found here.
Quick Heathrow Airport reference table
| Question | Answer |
| How much is the charge? | £7 every time you enter the drop-off zone |
| How can you pay? | Online, by automated phone service, or AutoPay |
| When is the deadline? | By midnight the day after your drop-off inshur.com |
| Can you pay at the terminal? | No, there are no ticket machines in the drop-off zone |
| What happens if you do not pay? | A Parking Charge of £80 will be issued. This is reduced to £40 if paid within 14 days. |
Check out our other Airport Drop Off Charge Blogs
· How to pay the Gatwick drop off charge
· How to pay the Luton Airport drop off charge
· What is the London City Airport drop off charge?
· How to pay the London Stansted drop off charge
Heathrow drop-off charge round up
Heathrow’s drop-off system is straightforward once you know the rules, but it is easy to make a mistake if you are rushing.
The safest approach is to treat payment as part of the journey itself, not something to remember later. If you go there regularly for private hire work, AutoPay is the best option to protect your earnings from unwanted PCNs.
As always, airport rules can change, so it is sensible to check the latest Heathrow guidance before you travel.
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