£Airport Drop-Off Charges.co.uk

How to pay the London City Airport drop-off charge

£8, payable by midnight the day after your visit — online, by phone, or by autopay. Nothing is paid at the zone: cameras log your plate and it's on you to settle up.

Verified: · airports' own published charges

By · How we check

The short answer

Pay the London City Airport drop-off charge (from £8) by midnight the day after your visit: online at dropoff.londoncityairport.com, by automated phone on 0344 332 1237, or automatically with an autopay account. Nothing is paid at the zone — cameras record your number plate and you pay afterwards. Miss the deadline and a Parking Charge is issued for the visit: APCOA's help centre says you can pay it at the discounted rate of £60 within 14 days of the issue date, or appeal, with the full rate due in the following 14 days.

We don't take payments. Airport Drop-Off Charges is an independent guide, not London City Airport or its parking operator. Pay only on the airport's own payment site, dropoff.londoncityairport.com. For a Parking Charge Notice, an appeal or a refund, contact the airport or its operator: we can't see, take or change your payment.

Charges and deadlines change without notice — reconfirm on the day.

London City or Belfast City? Check which City Airport you used

Searching for the "City Airport" drop-off charge? There are two, and they work differently. London City, this page, charges £8 for up to 5 minutes, and you pay afterwards, online at dropoff.londoncityairport.com or by phone.

Belfast City charges £4 for the first ten minutes in its Express Drop Off and Pick Up area, and you pay on the way out, by contactless card or digital wallet at the exit, rather than online afterwards. See the Belfast City drop-off guide.

Key facts: paying the London City drop-off charge

Charge
£8 for up to 5 minutes (£1.60 a minute)
If you stay longer
£1 per minute beyond 5 minutes; maximum stay 10 minutes
Pay by
By midnight the day after your visit
Pay online
dropoff.londoncityairport.com
Pay by phone
0344 332 1237
Pay at the airport
No — nothing to pay at the zone; ANPR cameras log your plate
Autopay / account
Yes — set up an account with your vehicle and a card before your visit, and each visit is charged automatically, so there is no deadline to remember
If you don't pay
Miss the deadline and a Parking Charge is issued for the visit: APCOA's help centre says you can pay it at the discounted rate of £60 within 14 days of the issue date, or appeal, with the full rate due in the following 14 days.
Exemptions
Blue Badge holders (UK or EEA badge) can get a 100% discount, for whichever vehicle drops them off, a taxi or a friend's car included, by registering on the payment portal with photos of the front and back of the badge; approval can take up to five working days, so pay the normal charge if you travel before then. Once approved you log in and confirm each visit, unless you set up AutoPay, which applies the discount automatically until the badge expires.
Verified
25 Oct 2026, against londoncityairport-helpcentre.apcoa.com

How to pay the London City drop-off charge, step by step

  1. Drop off as normal. There is no barrier and no ticket at London City's drop-off zone — ANPR cameras record your registration on entry.
  2. Pay by midnight the day after your visit. Go to dropoff.londoncityairport.com, or call the automated line on 0344 332 1237. You'll be asked for your vehicle registration so the system can match your visit, then pay.
  3. 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.
  4. Regular user? Set up autopay. London City 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 your visit. 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 before you leave the airport, or as soon as you get home.

What happens if you don't pay?

Miss the deadline and a Parking Charge is issued for the visit: APCOA's help centre says you can pay it at the discounted rate of £60 within 14 days of the issue date, or appeal, with the full rate due in the following 14 days. London City's operator publishes only the discounted amount, not the full one, so treat the deadline as firm — the notice sets out the full amount, how to pay and how to appeal.

Can you pay at the airport?

No — no barriers and nothing to pay on site: you pay afterwards, online or by phone. Black cabs are different: since 25 April 2026 a taxi driver charged the drop-off fee by the airport can add up to £6 to the meter. There's nothing to pay at the zone itself, so the visit only looks free: pay before you leave the airport, or as soon as you're home.

Is there an autopay or account option?

Yes. Set up an account with your vehicle and a card before your visit, and each visit is charged automatically, so the deadline stops mattering — the sensible default for anyone who does the London City run regularly, including taxi and private-hire drivers.

What you need to pay, and paying for someone else's car

The payment site asks for your vehicle registration; if it can't find the visit, you enter the date and time yourself. Check the registration before you pay: the site says you must be the vehicle's registered keeper or authorised by them, so if you drove a hire car or a company car, check with whoever owns it.

Each visit is paid separately, so two drop-offs in a day means two payments. To pay by phone, call the automated line on 0344 332 1237 with the card and registration to hand. APCOA's refund guidance mentions payments by Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay as well as cards.

Setting up AutoPay, step by step

The help centre doesn't say whether AutoPay costs anything or exactly when the card is charged. If you hold a Blue Badge, AutoPay also applies the discount automatically once it's approved.

Forgot to pay? The Parking Charge, refunds and appeals

If payment hasn't arrived by midnight the following day, a Parking Charge is issued for the visit and a letter follows. APCOA, which runs the zone for the airport, says you can pay it at the discounted rate of £60 within 14 days of the issue date, with the full rate due in the following 14 days. Pay at payments.apcoa.co.uk with the Parking Charge reference and registration; if you don't have the reference, APCOA's customer service centre is on 0345 901 3318.

To appeal, use the same site or write to APCOA Parking, PO Box 5767, Dingwall IV15 0AX, within 28 days of the charge being issued; APCOA says it replies within 28 days. Paid twice or by mistake? Refund requests go to refunds.lcydropoff@apcoa.com and are reviewed case by case. We can't see, change or refund your payment.

Taxis, Uber and lifts from friends

Payment is required for every visit, whoever is driving. In a black cab, since 25 April 2026 the driver can add up to £6 to the meter when the airport charges them the drop-off fee, so you pay up to £6 of it in the fare; TfL says Blue Badge holders who have an exemption from the airport mustn't be charged it. TfL's 2026 fares review says taxi drivers now pay the airport £7 each time and proposes raising the meter extra to £6.80.

Uber tells its drivers that all drop-offs must be on the forecourt, all pick-ups in the Short Stay car park, and that it won't pay a fine from the airport on their behalf. If you're travelling by private hire, ask the firm how it handles the charge. In a friend's car, the charge is theirs to pay, so make sure they know.

Who doesn't have to pay?

Blue Badge holders (UK or EEA badge) can get a 100% discount, for whichever vehicle drops them off, a taxi or a friend's car included, by registering on the payment portal with photos of the front and back of the badge; approval can take up to five working days, so pay the normal charge if you travel before then. Once approved you log in and confirm each visit, unless you set up AutoPay, which applies the discount automatically until the badge expires. 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

London City publishes no free drop-off alternative, so the £8 applies however brief the stop. The free drop-off guide lists the airports that still offer one.

Collecting someone is a different transaction — see the pick-up rules for London City 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 London City means nobody pays the £8 forecourt charge on the way out, nobody sits in a car park waiting for your bags on the way back, and there's no payment deadline to remember. The car is waiting when you land.

Pre-book London City parking →

Affiliate link — we may earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. It never affects our charges data.

Sources

Paying at London City: your questions

How do I pay the London City Airport drop-off charge?

Pay the London City Airport drop-off charge (from £8) by midnight the day after your visit: online at dropoff.londoncityairport.com, by automated phone on 0344 332 1237, or automatically with an autopay account. Nothing is paid at the zone — cameras record your number plate and you pay afterwards. Miss the deadline and a Parking Charge is issued for the visit: APCOA's help centre says you can pay it at the discounted rate of £60 within 14 days of the issue date, or appeal, with the full rate due in the following 14 days.

When do I have to pay the London City drop-off charge by?

Pay by midnight the day after your visit. Nothing is paid at the zone — settle it online or by phone afterwards.

What happens if I forget to pay the London City drop-off charge?

Miss the deadline and a Parking Charge is issued for the visit: APCOA's help centre says you can pay it at the discounted rate of £60 within 14 days of the issue date, or appeal, with the full rate due in the following 14 days. London City's operator publishes only the discounted amount, not the full one, so treat the deadline as firm — the notice sets out the full amount, how to pay and how to appeal.

Can I pay the London City drop-off charge at the airport?

No. No barriers and nothing to pay on site: you pay afterwards, online or by phone. Black cabs are different: since 25 April 2026 a taxi driver charged the drop-off fee by the airport can add up to £6 to the meter.

Is there a phone number to pay the London City drop-off charge?

Yes — the automated payment line is 0344 332 1237. You can also pay online at dropoff.londoncityairport.com.

Can I pay the London City drop-off charge in advance or automatically?

Automatically, yes: set up an autopay account before your visit and each visit is charged to it, so there is no deadline to remember. Without one, pay after each visit, by midnight the day after your visit.

Do Blue Badge holders pay the London City drop-off charge?

Blue Badge holders (UK or EEA badge) can get a 100% discount, for whichever vehicle drops them off, a taxi or a friend's car included, by registering on the payment portal with photos of the front and back of the badge; approval can take up to five working days, so pay the normal charge if you travel before then. Once approved you log in and confirm each visit, unless you set up AutoPay, which applies the discount automatically until the badge expires.

How much is the London City drop-off charge?

£8 for up to 5 minutes; £1 per minute beyond 5 minutes; maximum stay 10 minutes. Where the zone is, the free alternative and the pick-up rules are in the London City drop-off guide at https://airportdropoffcharges.co.uk/london-city/.

How do I set up AutoPay for the London City Airport drop-off?

Create an account at dropoff.londoncityairport.com with your email address, add your vehicle under Vehicle Details, then add a card under Manage Account and AutoPay. It has to be set up before you use the drop-off zone. To stop, delete the account with the Forget Me option.

I paid the London City drop-off charge twice. Can I get a refund?

Ask APCOA, which runs the zone: refund requests go to refunds.lcydropoff@apcoa.com and are reviewed case by case. We're an independent guide and can't see or refund payments.

Is the Belfast City Airport drop-off paid the same way?

No. Belfast City charges £4 for the first ten minutes and you pay on the way out, by contactless card or digital wallet at the exit, rather than online afterwards.

Is there a free way to drop off at London City Airport?

Not in the drop-off zone: every visit is charged. Blue Badge holders can register for a 100% discount, and the DLR stops at the terminal.

Method & corrections

Every charge 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 check every figure and who maintains the site.

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) — about the data.