Dropping someone at a Heathrow terminal forecourt costs £7 per vehicle per visit, with a 10-minute maximum stay, at all four terminals. It rose from £6 to £7 on 1 January 2026 and applies to private cars, taxis, private hire and ride-hailing. The free way round it is the Park & Ride, where the first 29 minutes cost nothing. Prices checked August 2026.
The forecourt charge
The £7 "kiss and fly" charge applies at every terminal forecourt (T2, T3, T4 and T5) and covers up to 10 minutes. You pay online or by app by 23:59 the day after your visit. Miss that and there's an £80 penalty, reduced to £40 if you pay within 14 days, so it's worth paying promptly. Many drivers get caught out by forgetting.
| Where | Charge | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal forecourt (all four terminals) | £7 per vehicle per visit | 10-minute maximum |
| Park & Ride, first 29 minutes | Free | Free window, shuttle to terminals |
| Park & Ride, 30 min to 1h59 | from £9.40 | For longer waits |
The free alternative
The money-saving option is the Park & Ride, which gives you the first 29 minutes free at all terminals, with shuttle buses running to the terminals every 15 minutes or so. If your timing is tight and you can meet at the forecourt in under 10 minutes it may still be simpler to pay the £7, but for anyone waiting on a delayed arrival the Park & Ride avoids the charge and gives more time. Compared with short-stay Terminal Parking, which starts at £8 for up to 29 minutes, the Park & Ride's free window is the cheaper choice for a pickup.
Pick-up advice
If you're collecting an arriving passenger, the Park & Ride is the natural place to wait, since flights don't always land on time and the forecourt only allows 10 minutes. It also matters that Uber, Bolt and FreeNow can't collect from the kerb at all, so app pickups happen in the short-stay "Terminal Parking" car parks instead (for example T5 Level 1 Row R). At T4, the car park closed on 23 June 2026 and app and private-hire pickups moved to the T4 Park & Ride (Zone A, Scylla Road, TW6 3XL). For the full parking price list, see the parking page, and for meeting a driver by app, see the taxis page.
Drop-off FAQs
Is drop-off free at Heathrow? No. It costs £7 per vehicle per visit at all four terminal forecourts, with a 10-minute maximum. The free alternative is the Park & Ride, where the first 29 minutes are free.
How do I avoid the drop-off fee at Heathrow? Use the Park & Ride instead of the forecourt. The first 29 minutes are free, with a shuttle bus to the terminals.
How do I pay the Heathrow drop-off charge? Online or by app, by 23:59 the day after your visit. If you don't pay, the penalty is £80, reduced to £40 if paid within 14 days.
Where do I get picked up by Uber at Heathrow? Not at the forecourt. App pickups are in the short-stay Terminal Parking car parks, and at T4 they moved to the T4 Park & Ride on 23 June 2026.
More: Overview, Taxis, Public transport, Parking, Routes, FAQs.
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Last verified August 2026 by the Heathrow Airport Guide editorial team. Prices and timetables change, so confirm the specifics on the official Heathrow Airport website before you travel.