Forgot to pay an airport drop-off charge?
At 8 UK airports, cameras read your number plate and you pay afterwards. Here's each one's deadline and what not paying costs.
| Airport | Pay by | If you don't | Pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heathrow | by midnight the day after | £80 Parking Charge, cut to £40 if paid within 14 days | Official page |
| Gatwick | by midnight the day after | £100 Parking Charge if paid within 28 days, cut to £60 if paid within 14 days | Official page |
| Stansted | by midnight the day after | £100 Parking Charge Notice, cut to £60 if paid within 14 days | Official page |
| Luton | by midnight the day after | Stay past 30 minutes and it's a £95 enforcement charge, cut to £55 if paid within 14 days. Luton's page doesn't state the charge for paying late | Official page |
| Manchester | by midnight the day after | £100 Parking Charge Notice, cut to £60 if paid within 14 days | Official page |
| Birmingham | within 24 hours of leaving the car park | A Parking Charge if you don't pay within 24 hours (Birmingham's page doesn't state the amount) | Official page |
| East Midlands | by midnight the day after | £100 Parking Charge, cut to £60 if paid within 14 days | Official page |
| London City | by midnight the day after | Stay past 10 minutes and it's a £100 enforcement charge, cut to £60 if paid within 14 days | Official page |
If the deadline has passed
A Parking Charge is sent to the registered keeper of the car, so it may land on the driver's doorstep, not the traveller's. Most airports here cut the charge if you pay within 14 days. You can appeal using the instructions on the letter.
Questions
I forgot to pay the airport drop-off charge. What now?
If the deadline hasn't passed, pay now on the airport's own website or phone line. If it has, you'll get a Parking Charge in the post, sent to the registered keeper. Pay it within 14 days to get the reduced amount, or appeal it using the instructions on the letter.
Can I still pay the drop-off charge after the deadline?
Once the deadline has passed, the airports here say a Parking Charge will be issued. Check the airport's payment page anyway: if your visit still shows as unpaid, it's worth contacting the operator named on its page.
How do I stop this happening again?
Most of these airports let you set up AutoPay: register your number plate and a card, and the charge is taken automatically after each visit. Heathrow and London City also let you prepay.
Sources
Each airport page lists the airport's own pages we used, checked on 15 October 2026.