Congestion charge: When and how to pay in London

The London congestion charge was first introduced in February 2003 to reduce the number of cars entering the city centre and tackle air pollution.
Since then, the congestion charge rules have gone through a public consultation and a number of changes have been made, including the reduction of operating times and the introduction of various discounts. So, if you’re planning on driving in London, here’s everything you need to know about the congestion charge:

Congestion charge is the fee you have to pay when you drive in and out of the Congestion Charging Zone (CCZ) in London.
It is a daily, £15 charge which means you can enter and exit the congestion charge zone as many times as you’d like, and the charge will remain the same for that single day. Remember, congestion charge is different from a low emission zone (LEZ) or ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) charge, so you’ll have to pay both charges if you enter a LEZ or ULEZ, as well as the congestion charge zone in a day.

The congestion charge is only applicable during certain hours of the day.
If you travel in the congestion charge zone between Monday – Friday, the charges are applicable between 7:00 am – 6:00 pm. If you travel on the weekend (Saturday and Sunday) or on a bank holiday except for Christmas day, Boxing day, and New Year’s bank holiday, the congestion charges run from 12:00 noon – 6:00 pm. It’s free to travel in the congestion charge zone at all times from 25th December till 1st January (inclusive) every year.

The congestion zone is applicable in most parts of Central London within the Inner Ring Road. Areas covered by the congestion charge zone are usually marked with a white ‘C’ road sign in a red circle, or you may notice a ‘C’ symbol in a white circle painted on the road.
You can see the exact area covered under the congestion charge zone in this map by the TfL. You can also enter a street name, postcode, or a landmark on TfL.gov.uk and find out if it’s part of the congestion charge zone or not.

If you pre-pay the congestion charges or pay on the day of entering the congestion charge zone, you’re charged £15.
If you don’t pay on the day of entering the zone (or before), you have up to midnight of the third day after you enter the congestion charge zone to pay the charges, and you’re charged £17.50 for it.

There are three ways of paying the congestion charge:
1. Pay online 2. Pay through TfL’s app 3. Pay by phone

You can pay the congestion charges online on Tfl.gov.uk by creating a ‘London Road User Charging account’.
Once you have an online account, you can make one-off payments or set up Auto Pay. When making a payment online, make sure you only use TfL’s official website to pay the charges – this is the only website through which you can pay online. Any other website claiming to be a congestion charge website may be a scam.

Congestion charge Auto Pay

Auto Pay automatically charges you whenever you enter the congestion charge zone so that you don’t forget to pay the charges, thus helping you avoid a penalty charge. You can set up the congestion charge Auto Pay account for personal- or business-use. To create an account, you’ll have to provide some basic details such as your full name, email address, and contact number. Then you’ll have to create a 6-digit pin which you can use to log in to your account. And finally, you can register up to five vehicles on the Auto Pay account by adding each vehicle’s registration number. Once your account’s fully set up, you’ll be charged automatically when you enter the congestion charge zone as the cameras will be able to detect your car’s registration number registered with TfL through your Auto Pay account.

TfL’s ‘Pay to Drive in London’ app lets you pay for congestion charges, as well as ULEZ and LEZ charges through the app.
You can make a one-off payment by selecting the day you’ll be driving through the congestion charge, and you can also set up and check your Auto Pay history and remaining balance. You can also check whether your car is ULEZ complaint or not, as well as the map for the congestion charge zone and ULEZ. To start using the app, you’ll need to sign in or create an account first. You can download the app on App Store or on Google Play.

You can also pay the congestion charges by phone. This service is available from Monday – Friday between 8 am – 8pm, except for bank holidays. Call charges you may apply.
If you’re calling from the UK, you can call on: 0343 222 2222. If you’re calling from outside the UK, you’ll need to add the UK’s calling code: +44 343 222 2222 If you need to use the textphone because of impaired hearing, you can call on: 020 7649 9123

If you forget to pay your congestion zone charges, you may be issued a penalty charge notice (PNC) of £180.
If you pay the penalty charges within two weeks, the fine is reduced by 50% to £90. If you fail to pay the charges within 28 days, the penalty increases to £270. You can pay the penalty charges online on TfL or through the TfL app.

You may be able to apply for an exemption for the congestion charge if your vehicle’s categorised as one of the following by the DVLA:
1. A two-wheeled motorbike or sidecar 2. A two-wheeled moped 3. An emergency vehicle, for example, an ambulance or a fire engine 4. An NHS vehicle that’s exempt from vehicle excise duty 5. A vehicle that has a vehicle excise duty disability exemption 6. A taxi licensed by London Taxi and Private Hire (TPH) 7. A private hire vehicle designated as wheelchair-accessible, licensed by TPH, and when they’re fulfilling a private hire booking 8. A vehicle used by services such as the armed forces, HM Coastguard and Port Authorities, Royal Parks Agency and breakdown organisations If you’re unsure about your vehicle’s category, you can find it on your car’s logbook (V5C), check it online using a licence check code or you can contact the DVLA to find out. If you don’t qualify for an exemption, you may be eligible for a discount, if: • You live in the congestion charge zone – you could get a 90% residents’ discount. Apply here • You hold a Blue Badge – you could get a 100% discount. Apply here • You drive for an accredited breakdown organisation – you could get a 100% discount. Apply here • You drive a vehicle with nine or more seats – you could be eligible for a 100% discount. Apply here • You drive a fully-electric vehicle or a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle – you could get a 100% discount till 24 December 2025. Apply here • You drive a motor tricycle that is one meter or less in width – you could get a 100% discount. Apply here • You drive a DVLA-registered roadside recovery vehicle – you could get a 100% discount. Apply here If you don’t fit any of the above criteria, you may be eligible to apply for a reimbursement of the congestion charge if – you’re an NHS patient or staff, you’re a local authority, a local charity or you’re a domiciliary car worker. You can find the full terms and conditions for eligibility online on Tfl.gov.uk.

If you’re planning to drive through the congestion charge zone and/or ULEZ, you could save £15 - £30 daily by driving an electric car instead.
Electric cars are exempt from paying congestion charges till 24 December 2025. There are also various scrappage schemes available from TfL and other manufacturers where you can scrap your old car and benefit from discounts on a new car. Browse through thousands of new and used electric cars on sale on Auto Trader, and start saving.