How to Pay The Gatwick Airport Drop-off Charge in 2025

Written by Shehrez Riaz, Operations Associate at Ayan.

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Table of Contents

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1. Understanding the Drop-Off Fee
2. How to Pay the Gatwick Drop-Off Charge
   AutoPay
   PostPay
   By Phone
3. Free Options: How to Avoid the Fee
   Long-Stay Car Park Shuttle
   Blue Badge Holders
   Local Commuter Scheme
4. What If You Don’t Pay the Fee?
   Penalty Charges & Fine Appeals
5. Can You Drop Off at the Train Station for Free?
6. Why the Fee Increased in 2025
7. Conclusion
   
   

Understanding the Drop-Off Fee

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In 2025, Gatwick Airport increased its drop-off charges to help manage congestion and encourage the use of public transport. The drop-off fee applies to both the North Terminal and South Terminal.

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It’s important to familiarise yourself with these numbers so that you know if you were to get overcharged.

Current Fee Structure (as of May 2025)

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There are no pay machines on-site, you must pay the fee online or by phone. And you can pay before or after, the same rates apply, the drop-off zones have an automated system which scans your licence plate.

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How to Pay the Gatwick Drop-Off Charge

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There are three simple ways to pay the fee, each with its pros and cons depending on how often you visit.

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AutoPay

This is ideal for PCO drivers, couriers, and private chauffeurs.

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It’s pretty simple, firstly, create an account at NCP Gatwick Drop-Off. Once you do that, all you need to do is register your vehicle once. And boom, payment is automatically taken after every visit, as you set up your payment method during registration.

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This ensures you never forget to pay, or worry about making the payment in case you have a quick change of plans, which helps avoid fines.

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PostPay

Don’t want to create an account or set up a mandate? That’s totally fine. Visit the payment portal at ncp.co.uk. Enter your vehicle registration. Pay by midnight the day after your drop-off. It’s as easy as that.

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This is the best choice for one-time or occasional drivers.

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By Phone

Luckily for those that like the old-school way of doing things, you can also just call 0330 174 4503 and pay over the phone. I’m sure you’ve guessed it by now, but all you need is your vehicle registration number and your debit or credit card handy, and you’ll be able to make the payment with a team member from NCP over the phone.

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This is useful for drivers who aren’t confident with online portals, and is completely understandable.

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Free Options: How to Avoid the Fee

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If you're not in a rush, or have time to plan ahead of going, and want to avoid paying altogether, there are free alternatives available.

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Long-Stay Car Park Shuttle

They have a long-star car park in the North Terminal and South Terminal. Once you get there, you park your car at a bay, grab a ticket, and then a shuttle bus takes you directly to the terminal. It runs every 10 minutes, so you don’t need to plan too early in advance.

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You can stay for up to 2 hours for free, which should be more than enough, so just make sure you don’t exceed this as per the time on your ticket. After those 2 hours, standard rates would apply.

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This is ideal if you're saying a longer goodbye or picking someone up.

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Blue Badge Holders

If you or someone you’re dropping off/picking up has a Blue Badge, you may be eligible for free drop-off. The Blue Badge enables those with certain impairments to be able to park closer. Click here to find out if you’re eligible to become a Blue Badge holder.

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To get free parking when you go to Gatwick, you must pre-register online at least 24 hours in advance. So you will have to plan in advance. But it’s important to note you can also apply using someone else’s badge - granted they’re coming with you.

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To pre-register, you need to first make an account on NCP Gatwick's online portal. Once you have an account, navigate your way through the portal to book a free spot. All you need is your vehicle registration number, your Blue Badge number and the date/time of drop-off.

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This will enable you to get 30 minutes free parking, within 3 hours of the chosen date and time, again giving you some breathing space. And again, this applies at both North Terminal and South Terminal.

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Local Commuter Scheme

While it’s not necessarily free, residents in nearby postcodes (RH6 0, RH6 9, RH11 0) can apply to join the scheme, with a £50 annual membership fee that allows two free drop-offs per day at the South Terminal only. Pretty good bang for your buck if you ask me.

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You can register through Gatwick’s community programme. All that’s required is proof of residence and proof of car ownership and you’re good to go.

What If You Don’t Pay the Fee?

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Many drivers forget or don’t know they need to pay, and end up receiving a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) days later.

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If you do receive a PCN, and pay it within 14 days, they charge you at a discounted rate of £60. However, if you don’t manage to pay it before then, the standard £100 fine applies. Regardless, we’d obviously recommend not forgetting to pay. Hopefully with all the tips you’ve got from this blog you’ll be able to always avoid this fine.

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There could be a case where you might believe you were fined unfairly (e.g., you never entered the drop-off zone, or are a Blue Badge holder who registered in time), you can appeal online via NCP. Appeals typically require a PCN number (this can be found on your notice), your vehicle details, and some supporting evidence. Whilst not mandatory, it would be good practice for regular goers to always take screen grabs - everyone makes mistakes and it’s better to be safe than sorry).

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Can You Drop Off at the Train Station for Free?

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Gatwick’s train station is inside the South Terminal, so using it still means passing through the drop-off fee zone. There’s no separate exemption for dropping passengers at the train station.

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However, you can drop off at the Long Stay car park for free and have your passenger take the free shuttle to the terminal/train station entrance.

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Why the Fee Increased in 2025

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Gatwick joined other UK airports in raising the drop-off charge to help manage congestion, offset infrastructure costs, and encourage passengers to use public transport or car-sharing. All reasonable grounds if you ask us.

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Other major airports such as Heathrow, Luton, and Manchester have made similar moves, as councils push for more eco-conscious travel solutions.

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Conclusion

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The Gatwick drop-off fee isn’t going anywhere, and with the 2025 increase, it’s more important than ever to know how to pay, when to avoid it, and what to do if you're fined.

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Whether you're a PHV driver, a parent dropping your kids, or a Blue Badge holder, following the right process will save you time, money, and stress.

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