Congestion Charge

You can pay the congestion charge prior to, or up to midnight on the day you travel into the zone at a cost of £8. Alternatively you can pay up to midnight the following day for £10.

You can pay online, by phone, via text message, in person at various outlets, by post, or at BT Internet kiosks.

When you pay, you need your vehicle details,
the date(s) you want to pay for and a card/cheque or cash to make the payment.

Online

Payment online can be made by credit or debit card via the Transport for London (TFL) website.

By Phone

You can pay over the phone by calling the following numbers :

• TFL 24hr call centre on  0845 900 1234.
• Minicom users should dial   020 7649 9123.
• International callers should dial  +44 207 649 9122.

Pay in Person

You can pay in cash at any of the 16,000 PayPoint outlets throughout the UK, including many convenience stores and petrol stations.

There are over 400 outlets within the charging zone and western extension and over 2,700 within the M25.  Just look for the PayPoint sign.

You can pay the charge via Paypoint

You can also pay by credit or debit card at self-service machines at car parks inside the zone and other selected locations.

By text message

To pay by text message you will need to register for a fast track account. Do this by logging onto www.cclondon.com. or call the TFL call centre on 0845 9001234.

You need to register your registration number, and credit card details. Once registered you simply text the last four digits of your credit card to 81099. This will automatically take a payment.

You will then receive back a text (which means your payment has been made). This text counts a receipt.

Fast track can also help speed up other methods of payment.

Paying by post

To pay by post you will need to either send a cheque, making it payable to: 'Congestion Charging London' and send it to:

Congestion Charging
PO Box 2985
Coventry
CV7 8ZR
Do not send cash through the post.

Or fill in your credit card details on the TFL payment form, via the following link.

When can you pay?

You can pay the Congestion Charge beforehand, on the day of travel or by midnight the following charging day.

The charge is £8 if you pay by midnight on the day of travel or £10 if you pay by midnight the following charging day (you can pay the following charging day via the call centre and website only).

When buying in advance you can pay daily, weekly, monthly or yearly. There are incentives for bulk buying too, a monthly pass gets you three days free, a yearly pass 40 days free of charge.

Refunds

If you've paid the charge but know in advance you are not going to use it you may be able to get a refund.

Refunds are only available to those using the monthly or annual payment scheme. If this is you then you can apply for a refund for unused days in the future.  However, there is a £10 administrative charge.

Changing your car

If you've paid the charge in advance, but then change your car you will need to let TFL know and transfer your payment onto the new vehicle.

Just call the Contact Centre on 0845 900 1234 and TFL willl amend the details on your file.

Or you can write to TFL at:

Transport for London
Congestion Charging
PO Box 2982
Coventry
CV7 8ZR

You will need a copy of your receipt, or your receipt number and details of your new vehicle.

There’s a £2.50 administration charge for amending the vehicle details on a charge.

Hire Cars

If you are going to use a hire car in the congestion zone you will still need to pay the charge. However, some hire car firms include the cost of the charge in their fees, so it's worth checking this with the firm you go with.

Exceptions

If you are diverted into the congestion charge zone then you do not have to pay the charge. It is your responsibility to leave the zone as directed, or at the first available opportunity.

If you do receive a penalty notice and you think this is unjust, you will be able to make a representation, giving details of your route to avoid being penalised.

If you don't pay

If you forget to pay the charge on the day of travel you have until midnight the next day to pay without receiving a fine. After that you can expect to be given a penalty of £120, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days.