Dropping someone at a Heathrow terminal forecourt is not free. Every vehicle that stops at the "kiss and fly" set-down area at Terminals 2, 3, 4 or 5 is charged £7 per visit, capped at a 10-minute stay. The simplest way to avoid it entirely is to skip the forecourt and use the Park & Ride instead, where the first 29 minutes are free. If you do use the forecourt, the charge only becomes a fine if you forget to pay it afterwards — so the real risk isn't the £7, it's missing the payment deadline.
Is there a charge to drop off at Heathrow?
Yes. Heathrow's Terminal Drop-Off Charge applies at all four terminal forecourts and covers private cars, taxis, private hire vehicles and ride-hailing drivers alike. It rose from £6 to £7 on 1 January 2026, when Heathrow also introduced a hard 10-minute maximum stay in the drop-off zone — paying the charge does not buy extra time. Two-wheeled motorbikes are not subject to the charge. Prices checked 2026; confirm the current rate on the drop-off page or Heathrow's official pricing page before you travel.
How to pay
You don't need to pay before you arrive. The charge can be settled online or via the Heathrow app any time up to 23:59 on the day after your visit, which gives some breathing room if you're rushing to catch a flight. Number-plate recognition cameras log the vehicle automatically, so there's no barrier or ticket machine to deal with at the kerb — which is exactly why so many drivers forget to pay afterwards.
What happens if you don't pay
Miss the payment window and Heathrow issues a Penalty Charge Notice, not a polite reminder. The penalty is £80, reduced to £40 if you pay within 14 days. That's a steep multiple of the original £7 charge for what is usually simple forgetfulness rather than deliberate avoidance. If you know you're prone to forgetting, set a reminder the moment you leave the forecourt, or pay immediately on your phone before you drive off.
The free alternative: Park & Ride
The straightforward way to avoid the charge altogether is to use Heathrow's Park & Ride car parks instead of the terminal forecourt. The first 29 minutes are free at all terminals, with a shuttle bus running to and from the terminals roughly every 15 minutes. That's enough time to park, ride the shuttle in, meet your passenger, and ride back out, provided you don't dawdle. Stay beyond 29 minutes and a further period up to 1 hour 59 minutes is charged, but even that is often cheaper than short-stay parking.
The Park & Ride is especially worth using if you're collecting someone rather than dropping them off. Flights don't always land on time, and the forecourt's 10-minute cap leaves no margin for a delayed arrival. Waiting for free at Park & Ride until the passenger has landed and cleared the arrivals hall, then meeting them at the terminal, avoids both the £7 charge and the risk of overstaying the 10-minute limit.
Blue Badge holders
If you hold a valid Blue Badge, you can apply for a 100% discount on the Terminal Drop-Off Charge and you're exempt from the 10-minute stay limit. This isn't automatic at the barrier, though — Heathrow requires the exemption to be registered on its official website in advance, so a Blue Badge on the dashboard alone won't stop the charge or penalty being applied. Register ahead of travelling rather than assuming it will be waived on the day.
A note on app pickups
Uber, Bolt and FreeNow cannot collect passengers from the terminal forecourt at all, charge or no charge. App-based pickups happen in the short-stay "Terminal Parking" car parks instead — for example, T5 Level 1 Row R. At Terminal 4, the short-stay car park closed on 23 June 2026 and app and private-hire pickups moved to the T4 Park & Ride. If you're being collected by app, check the current pickup point for your terminal before you land — see the taxis page for more on meeting a pre-booked or app driver.
Getting it right in one pass
- Dropping off quickly (under 10 minutes)? The forecourt and its £7 charge is the simplest option — just pay online or via the app the same day or the next, before 23:59.
- Collecting an arriving passenger? Use Park & Ride and its free 29-minute window rather than risking the forecourt's tight time limit.
- Meeting an Uber, Bolt or FreeNow driver? Head to the terminal's short-stay car park pickup point, not the forecourt.
- Blue Badge holder? Register your exemption on Heathrow's website before you travel, don't rely on showing the badge on the day.
- Already missed the payment window? Pay as soon as you remember — the penalty steps up the longer it's left, and £40 within 14 days is far better than £80 after.
For the fuller breakdown of every drop-off tariff band and the exact Park & Ride terms, see the drop-off page, and for more on where cars and taxis meet passengers, see parking and taxis.