Heathrow drop off charge: How to pay in 2024
Are you travelling to Heathrow airport for a job, or have you previously dropped off a passenger at the terminal?
You can expect a £5 charge whenever you enter the terminal drop-off areas, but how do you pay and how do they work?
Rapid PCO have put together this guide to help drivers navigate the Heathrow terminal drop off areas and to avoid being handed any Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs).
You can also check out our other blogs on How to pay the Gatwick drop off charge in 2024 and How to pay the Luton Airport drop off charge in 2024.
Let’s begin.
How much is the Heathrow drop off charge?
The Heathrow drop off charge is £5 whenever you enter either of the 4 terminal drop-off areas. This means that if you are entering the terminal drop-off areas more than once in a day, you will be charged for every time you enter.
Upon entering the drop off areas, you will not be able to pay the charge at a ticket machine. Please note there are no barriers, so it is important that you look for any signs.
Heathrow airport uses an automatic number-plate recognition (ANPR) camera to enforce the charges, and it applies 24 hours, 365 days a year.
How to pay the Heathrow drop off charge?
All payments must be made online, with auto pay, or by phone (0330 008 5600).
You have an option to pay the Heathrow drop off charge in advance, on the day, or by midnight the next day.
Rapid PCO recommend setting up an auto pay account, as you will be able to automatically pay every time you enter the drop off areas and avoid any PCNs.
To create an auto pay account you will first need to register your PCO vehicle with Heathrow by creating a business account. This then allows you to set up and autopay with your PCO vehicle and card details.
What happens if you do not pay the Heathrow drop off charge?
You will receive a PCN of £80 if you fail to pay the Heathrow drop off charge by midnight the next day.
This can be reduced to £40 if you pay the PCN within 14 days.
If you have received a PCN for failing to pay the drop off charge you can pay it here.
Here at Rapid PCO we do not register your PCO vehicle details with Heathrow Airport and this is something that you will need to do yourself.
Are there any free drop off options available at London Heathrow?
London Heathrow state that free drop-off options are available at their Long Stay car parks. Passengers can take a free bus transfer to the terminal.
You can find more information about Heathrow long stay parking here.
Please note that this may not be as convenient for the passenger as the drop off zones due to time.
When was the Heathrow drop off charge introduced?
With 79,180,434 passengers in 2023, London Heathrow Airport is undoubtedly the busiest airport in London.
In an attempt to reduce airport-related traffic, and also help prevent car-lead recovery, the drop off charge was implemented in 2021 as part of Heathrow’s updated Surface-Access and sustainability plans.
Further information
Business Account
London Heathrow strongly advise that taxi drivers (black cab), private-hire vehicle drivers and operators register for a business account.
By setting up your business account with London Heathrow Airport you can view all of your previous drop-offs and reconcile registered blue-badge drop-offs by passengers.
Authorised Vehicle Area
If you are a private-hire driver and would like to wait for a passenger before picking them up from a short-stay car park you can do so at the Heathrow Authorised Vehicle Area (AVA).
More information can be found through clicking the link: Authorised Vehicle Area.
Picking up passengers
Passenger pick-ups should only be made from Heathrow Airport’s Short or Long Stay car parks. They should not be made from any of the dedicated areas for drop-offs on the terminal forecourts. More information about passenger pick-ups can be found here.
About Rapid PCO
Here at Rapid PCO we have over a decade of experience in the industry and have established ourselves as the smart choice for anyone looking for a quality and affordable PCO rental service.
Our vehicles come with:
- Same day collection
- Comprehensive Insurance
- 24/7 Roadside support
- No credit checks
Select, Reserve and collect your vehicle here or call us on 01732 280726 to obtain a no-obligation, hassle-free quotation.
Speak with our Rapid PCO team today to find out more about our top of the range PCO vehicles.
