The £7 Heathrow drop-off charge.

What is the Heathrow drop-off charge?

It's a £7 fee paid by any vehicle entering Heathrow's terminal forecourts to drop a passenger off or collect one. Introduced in 2017 at £5 to fund clean-air zone infrastructure; raised to £7 in subsequent years.

Cameras at the forecourt entrances log the registration. Payment is made by the operator (or driver) via Heathrow's online portal or app, typically within 24 hours. Unpaid charges incur a £40-80 penalty.

Who pays: passenger or driver?

The vehicle operator pays Heathrow. What happens between operator and passenger varies:

• Kings: built into the published fare. You see one price; you pay one price.
• Aggregators (minicabit, Booking.com taxis): typically added as a "service fee" or "airport surcharge" line on the confirmation email, sometimes only visible after you've clicked "book".
• App-based (Uber, Bolt): baked into the surge-adjusted base price; visible in fare breakdown.
• Black cabs: exempt: licensed Hackney Carriages aren't charged.

Why has Heathrow introduced this?

Two reasons publicly stated: fund clean-air investment (electric airside vehicles, cleaner ground operations), and reduce forecourt congestion. Critics argue it's revenue-raising: Heathrow collects ~£40 million/year from the charge across all four terminals.

Whatever the motive, the charge exists and will likely keep rising. Gatwick has copied it (£6); Stansted (£7); Luton (£5); Birmingham (£5). Most major UK airports now charge.

Are there any exemptions?

Yes, two:

• Blue badge holders: register the vehicle reg in advance via Heathrow's portal; exemption applied automatically.
• Licensed black cabs (Hackney Carriage): exempt by agreement with TfL.

Private hire (PHV) operators, including Kings, pay the full £7 per entry.

How long can I stay on the forecourt?

Only as long as it takes to drop off. The forecourt zones are for dropping passengers off; Heathrow does not allow pick-ups there, and unattended vehicles are removed. This is why Kings collects arriving passengers from Terminal Parking rather than the kerbside.

See why Terminal Parking pickup wins on cost and time for the full background.

Is the £7 fair?

It's a real operating cost we live with. The question for customers is whether the operator hides it in a quote-then-add-it dance, or absorbs it into a transparent published fare. The price you actually pay is what matters, not what you saw on the click-through.

The £7 + tolls + fuel are always inside the single fixed fare on the published price list.