The short answer
Pay the Heathrow Airport drop-off charge (£7) by midnight the day after you use the zone: online at heathrowdropoff.apcoa.com, by automated phone on 0330 008 5600, or automatically with an autopay account. Nothing is paid at the zones — cameras record your number plate and you pay afterwards. Non-payment brings an £80 Parking Charge, reduced to £40 if paid within 14 days.
Charges and deadlines change without notice — reconfirm on the day.
Key facts: paying the Heathrow drop-off charge
- Charge
- £7 — per entry to terminal forecourt; no free period, no waiting
- Pay by
- By midnight the day after you use the zone
- Pay online
- heathrowdropoff.apcoa.com
- Pay by phone
- 0330 008 5600
- 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
- Non-payment brings an £80 Parking Charge, reduced to £40 if paid within 14 days.
- Exemptions
- Blue Badge holders can register for a 100% discount — it applies in any vehicle carrying the badge holder, including taxis, but you must apply at least 7 days ahead. Motorbikes, buses and roadside-recovery vehicles are also exempt; electric vehicles are not.
- Verified
- 25 Aug 2026, against www.heathrow.com
How to pay the Heathrow drop-off charge, step by step
- Drop off as normal. There is no barrier and no ticket at Heathrow's drop-off zones — ANPR cameras record your registration on entry.
- Pay by midnight the day after you use the zone. Go to heathrowdropoff.apcoa.com, or call the automated line on 0330 008 5600. 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. Heathrow 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?
Non-payment brings an £80 Parking Charge, reduced to £40 if paid within 14 days. If a notice does arrive, pay it inside the 14-day window for the reduced amount; the notice itself sets out how to challenge it if you believe it was issued in error.
Can you pay at the airport?
No. There are no barriers or pay machines at the zones — ANPR cameras log your visit and you pay afterwards, or in advance with an account. 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 heathrowdropoff.apcoa.com, by automated phone on 0330 008 5600, or automatically with a prepaid personal or business account (autopay). With an account in place each visit is charged automatically and the deadline stops mattering — the sensible default for anyone who does the Heathrow run regularly, including taxi and private-hire drivers.
Who doesn't have to pay?
Blue Badge holders can register for a 100% discount — it applies in any vehicle carrying the badge holder, including taxis, but you must apply at least 7 days ahead. Motorbikes, buses and roadside-recovery vehicles are also exempt; electric vehicles are not. 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: Park & Ride car parks (former Long Stay) — Free drop-off with free bus transfer to terminal. Allow 15–25 extra minutes for the transfer. Details in the London Heathrow 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 Heathrow 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 Heathrow means nobody pays the £7 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 Heathrow Airport — drop-off charge terms: https://www.heathrow.com/transport-and-directions/terminal-drop-off-charge (checked 25 Aug 2026)
- Official payment site: https://heathrowdropoff.apcoa.com
- Our full entry for this airport, with location, pick-up rules and fee history: London Heathrow drop-off charge
Paying at Heathrow: your questions
How do I pay the Heathrow Airport drop-off charge?
Pay the Heathrow Airport drop-off charge (£7) by midnight the day after you use the zone: online at heathrowdropoff.apcoa.com, by automated phone on 0330 008 5600, or automatically with an autopay account. Nothing is paid at the zones — cameras record your number plate and you pay afterwards. Non-payment brings an £80 Parking Charge, reduced to £40 if paid within 14 days.
When do I have to pay the Heathrow 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 Heathrow drop-off charge?
Non-payment brings an £80 Parking Charge, reduced to £40 if paid within 14 days. If a notice does arrive, pay it inside the 14-day window for the reduced amount; the notice itself sets out how to challenge it if you believe it was issued in error.
Can I pay the Heathrow drop-off charge at the airport?
No — There are no barriers or pay machines at the zones — ANPR cameras log your visit and you pay afterwards, or in advance with an account.
Is there a phone number to pay the Heathrow drop-off charge?
Yes — the automated payment line is 0330 008 5600. You can also pay online at heathrowdropoff.apcoa.com.
Can I pay the Heathrow drop-off charge in advance or automatically?
Yes. Online at heathrowdropoff.apcoa.com, by automated phone on 0330 008 5600, or automatically with a prepaid personal or business account (autopay). An account charges each visit automatically, so there is no deadline to remember.
Do Blue Badge holders pay the Heathrow drop-off charge?
Blue Badge holders can register for a 100% discount — it applies in any vehicle carrying the badge holder, including taxis, but you must apply at least 7 days ahead. Motorbikes, buses and roadside-recovery vehicles are also exempt; electric vehicles are not.
How much is the Heathrow drop-off charge?
£7 for each entry, with no free period. Where the zones are, the free alternative and the pick-up rules are in the London Heathrow drop-off guide at https://airportdropoffcharges.co.uk/heathrow/.
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).