Heathrow Drop-Off Charges
What does it cost to Drop-Off at Heathrow Airport?
Did you not read the contents of the pink box above? Heathrow Airport charges a £5 drop-off fee at all terminals for every visit to a drop-off zone.
The most important thing to remember: The charge cannot be paid in cash at the airport and MUST be paid online or be telephone by midnight on the day after yout visit!
Heathrow Drop-Off Charges - Good To Know:
If you are using any of the Heathrow Airport drop-off areas, the contents of this pink box could save you a lot of trouble, read them!
1. Heathrow drop-off areas charge £5 per visit
If you leave and come back in, that will be £10. The price is £5 per visit. Every. Single. Visit.
2. The Drop-Off Zones are at ALL termials
No matter whether you are dropping off at Terminal 2, Terminal 3, Terminal 4 or Terminal 5, there is a drop-off zone in front of each terminal and the same rules apply for each!
3. You cannot pay at the airport. You must pay online (or by phone).
The system uses cameras that read your number plate when you enter the drop-off zones.
To avoid getting a PCN, a parking fine (of sorts), you MUST pay before midnight the day after your visit.
So be sure to set a reminder, write a note on the back of your hand, or better still, pay online in advance (more on that below).
4. DO NOT leave your vehicle unattended!
How do I pay Heathrow Drop-Off Charges?
Fortunately, the airport have made it easy to pay the charge either online or by phone.
Click here to visit the payments portal, powered by APCOA Parking.
All you need to do is enter your registration numnber and hit the 'Find my registration' button.
How does Drop-Off at Heathrow Airport work?
Heathrow Airport have streamlined the drop-off zone system as much as possible and to avoid hold ups and the frustration that tends to ensue when queue form, the airport have removed all barriers to entry (literally).
When you arrive at the drop-off zone, you drive straight in, no need to take a ticket, no need to speak to anybody. As we said, there’s no barriers.
As soon as you enter the drop-off area, you incur a £5 charge. The system uses ANPR cameras to register when you enter and exit the drop-off zone. It is important to stress that you will be charged for every, single, visit.
Reminder: It is not possible to pay your drop-off charge at the airport!
For those who drop-off on a regular basis, it is also possible to setup a Business Account where you can add all the vehicles in your fleet, review your usage history and setup an auto-pay function to avoid any penalty charges.
Can I pay Heathrow Drop-Off Charges in advance?
Yes, and we recommend that you do! To eliminate the chance of forgetting to pay your parking charge by midnight the day after your visit, the airport allows you to pay in advance by visiting this page
You can make your payment in advance of your trip at any time by visiting the website linked to above. Prepayments are valid for 12 months, after which time they will expire!
I have a PCN relating to the Drop-Off Zone at Heathrow Airport
If you have received a PCN relating to the Drop-Off Zone you should go here to pay or challenge the ticket.
PCN’s are issued for non-payment and the amount demanded will be £80 with a 50% reduction to £40 if paid within 14 days.
Free Drop Off at Heathrow Airport
If you want to avoid the £5 charge, you could use the Long Stay Car parks.
If you drop-off in the Official Long Stay car parks, your passenger will be able to catch the transfer shuttle (free of charge) and you will avoid paying a parking charge providing you leave within 29 minutes!
If you know you are going to be longer than this, expect to be charged £9 for stays of up to 1 hour 59 minutes - still a reasonable fee for those who need to accompany their passengers to the terminal.
Exemptions to the Drop Off Zone Charges
It is really only military, police and airport staff vehicles that are immune to the parking charges.
Blue Badge Holders
If you hold a Blue Badge, you are entitled to a full 100% discount on the cost of the drop-off zone.
The discount belongs to the person with the Blue Badge, not the car they are travelling in. This means that the discount can apply to any vehicle, including a taxi that the Blue Badge holder may be travelling in.
If you are a Blue Badge Holder and you wish to apply for discounted use of the drop-off zone, you can do so up to three months in advance.
You will need to use the form located here.
Have the following ready: -The registration of the vehicle you will be travelling in -Drop off date -The number from your Blue Badge -Email address -Flight Number -Photo of the front and reverse of your Blue Badge
You can also make your application by midnight the next day.
Who runs the Heathrow Drop-Off System?
APCOA Parking who can be contacted by:
Telephone: 0333 200 7459
Email: generalenquiries.heathrowdropoff@apcoa.com
Or by post: APCOA Parking UK Limited, PO BOX 1010, Uxbridge, UB8 9NT
Parking Options at Heathrow Airport
At Cheap Airport Parking we compare a wide range of options at Heathrow Airport including Short Stay, Valet Parking, Meet & Greet, Long Stay, Pod Parking and a range of unofficial parking options.
For up to date pricing and for more information, just scroll to the top of this page and pop your dates into our search engine and we will do the rest!