The short answer
Pay the Gatwick Airport drop-off charge (£10) by midnight the day after you use the zone: online at postpay.dropoff.gatwickairport.com, by automated phone on 0330 174 4503, or automatically with an autopay account. Nothing is paid at the zones — cameras record your number plate and you pay afterwards. Unpaid visits become a Parking Charge Notice, issued and enforced by Gatwick's parking partner Times24.
Charges and deadlines change without notice — reconfirm on the day.
Key facts: paying the Gatwick drop-off charge
- Charge
- £10 for up to 10 minutes
- If you stay longer
- £1 per additional minute up to 20 minutes; 30-minute maximum stay, £30 maximum daily charge
- Pay by
- By midnight the day after you use the zone
- Pay online
- postpay.dropoff.gatwickairport.com
- Pay by phone
- 0330 174 4503
- Pay at the airport
- No — nothing to pay at the zones; ANPR cameras log your plate
- Autopay / account
- Yes — register an account and each visit is charged automatically, so there is no deadline to remember
- If you don't pay
- Unpaid visits become a Parking Charge Notice, issued and enforced by Gatwick's parking partner Times24.
- Exemptions
- Blue Badge holders are exempt from the drop-off charge, but must register with Times24 before travelling.
- Verified
- 25 Aug 2026, against www.gatwickairport.com
How to pay the Gatwick drop-off charge, step by step
- Drop off as normal. There is no barrier and no ticket at Gatwick's drop-off zones — ANPR cameras record your registration on entry.
- Pay by midnight the day after you use the zone. Go to postpay.dropoff.gatwickairport.com, or call the automated line on 0330 174 4503. You'll be asked for your vehicle registration so the system can match your visit, then you pay by card.
- Keep the confirmation. Hold on to the payment reference or email until well after the deadline has passed, in case of a query or a notice sent in error.
- Regular user? Set up autopay. Gatwick offers an account that charges each visit automatically, with no deadline to remember — worth it if you make this run more than a couple of times a year.
When is the deadline to pay?
Pay by midnight the day after you use the zone. The deadline runs from the visit, not from when you remember it, and because nothing is paid on site the trip can feel free — that is exactly how people get caught. The habit that works: pay from the car park before you drive off, or as soon as you get home.
What happens if you don't pay?
Unpaid visits become a Parking Charge Notice, issued and enforced by Gatwick's parking partner Times24. Gatwick does not publish the amount of the notice in the material we checked, so treat the deadline as firm — the notice sets out the amount, the payment route and how to challenge it.
Can you pay at the airport?
No. There are no barriers, tickets or machines — cameras record your plate and you pay afterwards. There is no card reader and no attendant to pay, so don't wait for one — the visit only looks free. Pay from the car park, or as soon as you're home.
Is there an autopay or account option?
Yes. Online at Gatwick's post-pay site (postpay.dropoff.gatwickairport.com), by automated phone on 0330 174 4503, or automatically with an AutoPay account. With an account in place each visit is charged automatically and the deadline stops mattering — the sensible default for anyone who does the Gatwick run regularly, including taxi and private-hire drivers.
Who doesn't have to pay?
Blue Badge holders are exempt from the drop-off charge, but must register with Times24 before travelling. How each UK airport treats Blue Badge holders varies enormously — the Blue Badge drop-off guide compares all 29.
How to avoid the charge next time
You don't have to use the charged zones at all: Long Stay car parks — 2 hours free, shuttle to terminal. Allow 15–25 extra minutes for the transfer. Details in the London Gatwick drop-off guide, and every airport's free option is in the free drop-off guide.
Collecting someone is a different transaction — see the pick-up rules for Gatwick and the UK pick-up charges guide.
If you're the one flying next time
No drop-off charge, no collection car park, no deadline to remember: park.
Pre-booked parking at Gatwick means nobody pays the £10 forecourt charge on the way out, nobody sits in a car park waiting for your bags on the way back, and there is nothing to settle by midnight the next day. The car is waiting when you land.
Affiliate link — we may earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. It never affects our charges data.
Sources
- London Gatwick Airport — drop-off charge terms: https://www.gatwickairport.com (checked 25 Aug 2026)
- Official payment site: https://postpay.dropoff.gatwickairport.com
- Our full entry for this airport, with location, pick-up rules and fee history: London Gatwick drop-off charge
Paying at Gatwick: your questions
How do I pay the Gatwick Airport drop-off charge?
Pay the Gatwick Airport drop-off charge (£10) by midnight the day after you use the zone: online at postpay.dropoff.gatwickairport.com, by automated phone on 0330 174 4503, or automatically with an autopay account. Nothing is paid at the zones — cameras record your number plate and you pay afterwards. Unpaid visits become a Parking Charge Notice, issued and enforced by Gatwick's parking partner Times24.
When do I have to pay the Gatwick drop-off charge by?
Pay by midnight the day after you use the zone. Nothing is paid at the zones — settle it online or by phone afterwards.
What happens if I forget to pay the Gatwick drop-off charge?
Unpaid visits become a Parking Charge Notice, issued and enforced by Gatwick's parking partner Times24. Gatwick does not publish the amount of the notice in the material we checked, so treat the deadline as firm — the notice sets out the amount, the payment route and how to challenge it.
Can I pay the Gatwick drop-off charge at the airport?
No — There are no barriers, tickets or machines — cameras record your plate and you pay afterwards.
Is there a phone number to pay the Gatwick drop-off charge?
Yes — the automated payment line is 0330 174 4503. You can also pay online at postpay.dropoff.gatwickairport.com.
Can I pay the Gatwick drop-off charge in advance or automatically?
Yes. Online at Gatwick's post-pay site (postpay.dropoff.gatwickairport.com), by automated phone on 0330 174 4503, or automatically with an AutoPay account. An account charges each visit automatically, so there is no deadline to remember.
Do Blue Badge holders pay the Gatwick drop-off charge?
Blue Badge holders are exempt from the drop-off charge, but must register with Times24 before travelling.
How much is the Gatwick drop-off charge?
£10 for up to 10 minutes; £1 per additional minute up to 20 minutes; 30-minute maximum stay, £30 maximum daily charge. Where the zones are, the free alternative and the pick-up rules are in the London Gatwick drop-off guide at https://airportdropoffcharges.co.uk/gatwick/.
Method & corrections
Every figure on this page is checked against the airport's own published charges and stamped with the date we checked it. We re-verify the full dataset quarterly, and after any reported change — see how we work and who maintains it.
Spotted an error? Email hello@airportdropoffcharges.co.uk — corrections are made visibly and dated. The dataset behind this page is free to reuse with attribution: JSON · CSV (CC BY 4.0).