WhatsApp2026 Guide to Heathrow drop-off charge for PCO drivers
Lots of PCO drivers operating in London will end up regularly doing airport journeys to and from the capital city. These longer journeys provide a substantial sum in a single ride, which can be a nice break from multiple pick-ups and drop-offs on shorter rides in the city.
Most airports charge a drop-off fee nowadays, and it’s important to be aware of how these operate, so that you aren’t hit with any unexpected fines or fees.
Below, we provide an in depth guide on how they work at the UK’s largest airport, Heathrow, covering everything from how much the drop-off fees cost to how they compare to other London airports.
How much it costs
As of early 2026, the drop-off charge has increased from £6 to £7. This fee applies each time you go through the drop-off zone, rather than being a one-off fee that you pay for the whole day.
That means that if you did two journeys to Heathrow in a single day, you would have to pay the fee twice. Even if you get the wrong turn and have to circle back around on the same journey, you may end up having to pay the fee twice.
How long you get
Each drop-off is capped at 10 minutes. If you overstay that 10-minute maximum limit, you will receive an £80 fine in the mail, although this will be reduced to £40 if you pay it within 14 days of receiving the notice.
Unfortunately, there is no grace period, meaning that you will receive a fine even if you stay for one minute over the 10-minute limit.
If your passengers have a lot of luggage, or you’ve been held up in traffic while getting to the drop-off point, you may wish to advise them that there is a time limit on how long they can stay, to try to avoid getting a fine.
Setting up autopay
If you plan on doing drop-offs at Heathrow, then it is absolutely worth setting up an autopay account. You can register either a personal or business account, and once registered, it will automatically deduct the visit fee each time you go into one of the 4 terminal forecourts.
Given how easy it can be to miss manually paying the fee at the end of a long day driving, setting up an autopay account really is a good idea. It doesn’t cost you any more, and massively reduces the chances that you’ll get a fine for not paying.
Pay as you go
If you fail to register your vehicle with autopay on time, or if you decide not to use it for another reason, you can also use the pay-as-you-go service.
With the pay-as-you-go option, you have to make sure that you pay the fee by midnight the next day, to avoid a fine.
Fines
If you fail to pay before midnight the following day, you will have to pay an £80 fine. If this is paid within 14 days, the amount payable is reduced to £40.
How Heathrow compares to other airports
Unfortunately, most other airports charge similarly high fees to Heathrow, some even higher. Gatwick charges £10 for 10 minutes, with £1 extra for every minute over, up to a maximum of 20 minutes.
Stansted charges £10 for up to 15 minutes, which goes up to £28 if you stay over 15 minutes. There is also an additional £28 charge if you re-enter the parking area within 30 minutes of your first entrance.
How will Heathrow know you have dropped someone off?
Heathrow now use ANPR cameras that record your vehicle registration when you enter the drop-off zone. This means that you don’t have to manually register at a machine, but it also makes it slightly easier to forget to pay. This is one of the main reasons why it’s so important to register for autopay, so that you’re not hit with that fine.
Is it included in the customer’s price?
Thankfully, you don’t have to ask each person you drive to pay the fee separately, or take it out of your own earnings. With most PCO apps, including Uber and Bolt, the fee is included in the price from the very beginning.
Are there any cheaper alternatives?
There is an alternative, free drop-off point at Heathrow’s Park & Ride car parks, where passengers can then take a free shuttle bus to the terminal. It will add time to their journey, however, and substantially reduce the convenience of getting a private hire vehicle in the first place.
The amount of money they save also won’t be very substantial compared to the rest of their fare. That being said, if this is the option they want, they will have chosen this as their drop-off location when they initially ordered the ride.
Pick-ups and waiting
It’s important to note that the drop-off area is not the same as the pick-up or waiting areas. If you need to wait somewhere until someone books a ride back to the city, you can use the Heathrow Authorised Vehicle Area (AVA). There is also a fee, but it is much cheaper, just £1 per hour for the first 5 hours, with a maximum stay time of 12 hours.
At the authorised vehicle area, there are a range of facilities for drivers to use between journeys. You’ll find a small cafe and canteen area, where you can get a coffee and a snack, and toilets. There is also a multi-faith prayer room, and a dedicated covered smoking area.
To pick passengers up, you will need to go to the dedicated private hire pick-up area in the multi-storey car parks next to the terminal. You will need to arrange with your passenger exactly where you’ll meet them.
Heathrow drop-offs are a great way to access well-paid, regular jobs as a private hire driver in London. It’s important that you understand where to drop off, wait for and pick up passengers before you do your first job, and that you set up autopay so you’re not hit with any unexpected fees.