If you are driving someone to their flight, the Gatwick drop off charge is worth sorting out before you set off rather than after. Since 6 January 2026 it costs £10 to pull into the forecourt drop off zone at either the North or South Terminal, and payment is due by midnight the day after your visit. Leave it later than that and a Parking Charge Notice follows.
At Wallington Cars and Couriers we have been driving passengers to Gatwick for over 40 years from Wallington, Sutton, Croydon and Carshalton. Our drivers use those forecourts daily, so this guide covers what the charge includes, how payment works, and the legitimate ways to pay nothing at all. If you would rather avoid the admin altogether, our Gatwick airport taxi service quotes a fixed fare with the airport zone charges already built in.
What the Gatwick Drop Off Charge Actually Is
The charge applies to any vehicle entering the designated drop off zones on the forecourts outside the North and South Terminals. These are the bays closest to check in and departures, which is why they carry a fee.
There are no barriers and no ticket machines. Cameras using automatic number plate recognition read your registration as you drive in and again as you drive out, and your stay is calculated from those two readings. Nobody takes payment at the kerb, so the whole transaction happens afterwards. The tariff applies 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and part of it funds a public transport levy at the airport.
How Much Is the Gatwick Drop Off Charge in 2026?
The Current Tariff at Both Terminals
The rates are identical at North Terminal and South Terminal. According to the official London Gatwick drop off, the charges are:
- £10 for the first 10 minutes
- £1 for each additional minute, up to 20 minutes
- A maximum daily charge of £30
- A maximum stay of 30 minutes
Ten minutes goes faster than most drivers expect once luggage, a pushchair or a child seat is involved, and queueing to reach the forecourt eats into it as well. If the goodbye is likely to run long, the Short Stay car parks usually work out better.
One detail catches people out regularly: every entry counts separately. Arrive at the wrong terminal, then drive round to the right one, and you have paid twice. Check the terminal on the boarding pass rather than going from memory, because airlines do move between them.
Why the Charge Increased in January 2026
The fee rose from £7 to £10 on 6 January 2026. Gatwick has pointed to rising operating costs, including higher business rates, alongside an aim of reducing the number of cars arriving at the terminal entrances.
Every major London airport now charges for terminal drop offs, so this is no longer a Gatwick quirk. If you are weighing up the full cost of reaching the airport, compare the forecourt fee against a door to door fare on our airport transfers, as the gap is often narrower than people assume once fuel and parking are counted.
How to Pay the Gatwick Drop Off Payment
There are three official ways to settle the fee, and all of them happen after you have left the zone.
Paying Online or by Phone
Most drivers use the online payment portal, entering their vehicle registration and the date of the visit. There is also an automated telephone line on 0330 174 4503.
Card and contactless payments only, as there is no cash option anywhere in the system. You also cannot pay while still sitting in the bay, because the system needs to log your exit before it can work out what you owe. Drive out first, then pay.
Setting Up an AutoPay Account
If you use Gatwick more than once or twice a year, an AutoPay account registered against your number plate charges your card automatically after each visit. This removes the midnight deadline entirely and is the surest way to avoid an accidental penalty.
The one thing to stay on top of is card expiry. When your bank issues a replacement, update the account that week rather than waiting for the next airport run.
What Happens If You Do Not Pay on Time
You have until midnight on the day after your visit. Miss it and a Parking Charge Notice is issued at £100, reduced to £60 if you pay within 14 days of issue. Leaving it beyond that can add recovery costs.
The double red lines on the roads around the airport are enforced separately from the forecourt charge. Stopping on them at all, even briefly to let someone out with a suitcase, carries its own penalty.
Appeals go through Times24, which administers the scheme on the airport’s behalf, with details printed on the notice. A misread plate or a payment that did not register are worth pursuing. Simply forgetting is not usually accepted, and appealing rather than paying loses the reduced rate if it fails.
Where the Drop Off Zones Are at Each Terminal
Both zones sit on the lower level of the forecourt, a short walk from check in.
For North Terminal, leave the M23 at junction 9 following the airport signs, continue straight ahead at the J9a roundabout, then take the first exit at the next roundabout. The drop off area sits between the Sofitel hotel and the multi storey car park.
For South Terminal, leave the M23 at junction 9, use the filter lane and turn left at J9a, then follow the signs marked Drop Off.
Traffic around both terminals builds sharply during the early morning departure peak and through the summer holidays. Anyone travelling from the areas we cover across Sutton and Croydon should allow extra time, particularly for flights leaving before 8am.
How to Avoid the Gatwick Drop Off Charge Legally
Use the Long Stay Car Parks for Free
The simplest free option is the Long Stay car park at either terminal, which gives you up to two hours at no cost with a free shuttle bus to the terminal building. For anyone with time to spare, that turns a £10 charge into nothing.
It is also the sensible choice for collections, since pick ups use the same forecourt tariff as drop offs. Waiting at the kerb for a delayed bag reclaim gets expensive quickly.
Blue Badge Exemptions
Blue Badge holders are exempt, but the exemption is not automatic. The vehicle must be registered in advance through the airport’s Blue Badge system, and it covers a single visit rather than an open permission. Turning up unregistered means paying the standard rate and reclaiming it later.
If a family member may be eligible but does not yet hold a badge, applications are made through your local council via GOV.UK.
The Local Commuter Scheme
Residents in a small number of postcodes very close to the airport, with limited public transport access, can join a Local Commuter Scheme. It carries an annual fee and allows a set number of daily visits to the South Terminal forecourt. Few households qualify, but it is worth checking.
Does the Charge Apply to Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles?
Yes. Licensed taxis and private hire vehicles are not exempt, and the charge is passed on to the passenger as part of the fare.
What differs between operators is transparency. At Wallington Cars and Couriers, all airport drop off fares include the zone charges the airport imposes on us, and your final fare is confirmed by email beforehand, so nothing is added on arrival. Our private hire vehicle service runs around the clock with DBS checked drivers and vehicles licensed by TfL, Reigate and Banstead, and Epsom and Ewell.
For business travellers, our executive car service offers the same fixed fare structure with a luxury fleet and real time tracking.
Working Out What the Journey Really Costs
Add the £10 forecourt fee to fuel, round trip mileage and the hour spent driving there and back, and the gap between doing it yourself and booking a car narrows considerably. That shifts further for a 5am flight or a family group needing two cars.
The same maths applies elsewhere. Our guide to a taxi to Heathrow Airport from South London breaks down routes, times and costs the same way.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the drop off charge at Gatwick Airport?
It is £10 for the first 10 minutes at both the North and South Terminal forecourts, then £1 for each additional minute up to 20 minutes. The maximum stay is 30 minutes and the maximum daily charge is £30.
How do I pay the Gatwick drop off charge?
Pay online through the airport’s payment portal, by calling the automated line on 0330 174 4503, or automatically through a registered AutoPay account. Payment is due by midnight the day after your visit, and there is no cash option.
Is there anywhere to drop off at Gatwick for free?
Yes. The Long Stay car parks at both terminals are free for up to two hours and run a free shuttle bus to the terminal. This is also the recommended option for picking passengers up.
What happens if I forget to pay the Gatwick drop off fee?
A Parking Charge Notice is issued for £100, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days of the issue date. Appeals go through Times24 and the details are printed on the notice.
Does the drop off charge apply to pick ups as well?
Yes. The forecourt zones are charged the same way in both directions, so waiting for an arriving passenger costs at least £10. The free Long Stay car park is cheaper for collections.
Are Blue Badge holders exempt from the Gatwick drop off charge?
Yes, provided the vehicle is registered in advance through the airport’s Blue Badge system. The exemption covers a single visit, so it needs renewing each time you travel.
Skip the Forecourt and Book a Fixed Fare Transfer
The drop off charge is manageable once you know the rules, but it is one more thing to remember on a morning already full of passports, boarding times and M23 traffic.
If you would rather hand the journey over, Wallington Cars and Couriers has served Wallington, Sutton, Croydon, Carshalton and Cheam for more than four decades. We run 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, our fares are fixed and confirmed by email in advance with airport zone charges included, and our drivers know both terminals inside out.
Get a quick quote and book your Gatwick transfer online, call our passenger team on 0208 401 6000, or get in touch to set up a business account.