What Is the Heathrow Drop-Off Fee?

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As of 2025, all vehicles using the terminal forecourts at Heathrow Airport are subject to a £6 fee per drop-off, covering: Terminal 2, Terminal 3, Terminal 4 and Terminal 5.

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Which is pretty fair if you ask us. But the author of this blog used to always wonder, where do these kinds of charges go? As in, where does the revenue they make from these charges directly go to? Salaries of airport employees? Development of the airport? Or do they just do it for fun?

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Turns out, they don’t just do it for fun, they actually have calculated and reasonable explanations (who would’ve thought huh?). Keep reading to find out why.

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There is no option to pay on-site (all payments must be made either online, via AutoPay, or over the phone) so there's no ticket barrier. But don’t be thinking you can just avoid it by pretending it’s not there. Not only do cameras automatically capture your number plate as you enter the forecourt area, but there are fines for not paying, also discussed later in the article. 

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How to Pay the Heathrow Drop-Off Fee

AutoPay

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Given that there’s no in-person form of payment, you’d be surprised how many people forget to pay, or just don’t know they have to.

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Specifically, if you’re on a first-name basis with Heathrow’s drop-off zone, you should sign up for AutoPay. AutoPay is a way to register your car's plate with Heathrow, meaning every time you make a trip, it already has your payment details saved, and can charge you automatically. This ensures you don’t forget, and saves you from the hefty fines we discuss later in this blog. 

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Just pop over to the Heathrow dropoff website, create an account, add your number plate(s), and set up your payment method. From there, the magic happens: every visit gets charged automatically… no fuss, no fines, no "oops-I-forgot-again" moments.

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It’s practically built for PHV drivers, but honestly, anyone who makes regular trips can benefit from it. 

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Post-Payment Online Option

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Of course, if you’re not comfortable setting up a payment method preemptively, or you don’t go to Heathrow often enough to care, you can always just pay after your trip to Heathrow online.

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Again, head over to the Heathrow dropoff website, put in your number plate, and pay before midnight the day after your trip.

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Make sure you do pay before midnight the day after your trip, otherwise you’ll be handed a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN). The deadline is obviously quite open so that you have plenty of time to make the payment, but it also leads drivers into putting it off to the last minute, and then possibly not paying in time. Therefore, it’s probably best to pay well in advance to make sure you aren’t slapped with one of those hefty fines.  

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By Telephone

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Finally, if neither of those options work for you, or you just like a little human touch with your payments you can just call 0330 008 5600 and make the payment over the phone. The trend continues; make sure you've got your vehicle reg and payment card handy, and settle the fee before midnight the next day.

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But that is actually it, no other options. It’s phone, online, or bust.

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Free Drop-Off Alternatives

Use Long Stay + Shuttle for Free

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Everybody loves freebies. At the end of the day why would you pay for something when you can get it for free and reap the same exact benefits. Unfortunately, given the social and economic state of the world (shoutout Jaden Smith), freebies also aren’t very easy to come by. So the list of free alternatives are short, specific, and of course come with a caveat.

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The first option is the long stay car park. You get 30 minutes of free parking, meaning you’re in no rush to get in and out. And yes, for the entire 30 minutes it’s free. Now I know what you’re wondering, why is it free if you get to stick around longer - sounds like a party right? Wrong. The long stay parking means you need to drop your car off, and get a shuttle to Terminal 2, 3, 4, or 5. The caveat in this option being the obvious; it’s a lot more effort than just dropping someone off and going about your merry day.

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Nevertheless, if you’ve got the time, or this happens to actually work out better for you, it’s a great way to avoid the cost of parking. All you have to do is park your car, grab a ticket, and hop on a shuttle that runs regularly and gets you to the terminal in minutes. But remember, that ticket is important. You’ll need to scan it as you leave, and any time past 30 minutes since you take out the ticket, standard parking charges are applied - so make sure you plan to leave a couple minutes before just to be on the safe side. 

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Blue Badge Exemptions

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The only other free option relies on your eligibility. More specifically, if either you or your passenger is a Blue Badge holder. For those that don’t know, the Blue Badge enables those with certain impairments to park closer. But you can’t just show up and try to claim it, the first step is to check if you're eligible to become a Blue Badge holder. 

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If you are eligible, you’ll need to register in advance online - either you, or your passenger. Fun fact, you can also register on someone's behalf, but only if they’re actually coming with you to the airport.

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To register, all you need to do is head over to the Heathrow dropoff website. There, once you have got your Blue Badge number, you can also book your free parking at Heathrow. On the same portal, provide your Blue Badge number, vehicle registration number, and date/time you’re planning to go. Again, remember to do this in advance, as retroactive claims aren’t accepted - as cool as that would be.

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Thankfully the exemption works for Terminals 2 to 5 so you should be covered for almost all Heathrow trips. 

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What Happens If You Don’t Pay?

Penalty Charges and Fine Appeals

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Now, we’re going to assume the reason you’re even wondering about this consequence is because you’re forgetful, and you’re scared you might forget to pay the parking charge 🤨.

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Regardless of whether you have the memory of a goldfish or have a criminal record, we would obviously advise you not to forget to pay the parking charge - you will get caught. Heathrow’s parking lots use cameras which automatically scan your number plate as you enter and leave, and we’ll be honest as cool as your brand new Kia might look, it’s got nothing on robots.

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In the unfortunate situation, however, you do get caught up and forget to pay the parking ticket - you’ll receive a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) by post. The standard fine is £80, however, if you pay it within 14 days, they reduce it to £40. If you think you’ve been issued one incorrectly, you are also able to appeal a PCN. Valid reasons for a fine appeal might include:

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• You paid the charge, but the system didn’t register it
  
  
• You had an active Blue Badge exemption
  
  
• Your vehicle never entered a charge zone
  
  

Always provide supporting documents and screenshots if applicable.

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Why Did the Fee Increase in 2025?

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Similar to Gatwick, Heathrow raised the parking fee in 2025 from £5 to £6. Speaking of which, in case you tend to go to Gatwick more than Heathrow, you should check out our other blog on how to pay the Gatwick airport drop off charge in 2025.

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The reason for the increase is to push the motives behind the fee in the first place - that being to ease the congestion at terminal forecourts, encourage car sharing or taking public transport in the interest of sustainability targets, and to offset infrastructure costs. 

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Conclusion

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Paying the Heathrow drop-off charge is easy - if you remember to do it. Whether you’re headed to Terminal 2, 3, 4, or 5, the £6 fee applies.

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To keep things smooth, there are a few smart moves to follow. Frequent Heathrow visitor? Set up AutoPay and let the charges handle themselves. Making a quick trip? The Long Stay car park plus free shuttle combo gives you 30 minutes free and avoids the drop-off fee altogether. Got a Blue Badge? Register it online before your trip to claim an exemption.

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If none of those apply, just don’t forget to pay by midnight the day after your visit. Life happens, so if something slips through the cracks and a fine lands on your doormat, you still have the right to submit an appeal - just make sure it’s timely and well-documented.

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