London Congestion Charge

The Congestion Charge costs £18 per day if you pay in advance or the same day as your journey through the zone. If you pay by midnight the following day the charge is £21.

The Congestion Charge is a Transport for London fee for driving in central London at certain times of the day. You can learn more about the charge on our London Congestion Charge page.

Motorbikes are fully exempt. Blue Badge holders are fully exempt if their vehicle has been registered for it.

Electric cars are no longer exempt. Since 2 January 2026, fully electric cars get a 25% discount if they're registered for TfL Auto Pay, so they pay £13.50 a day. Electric vans get a 50% discount.

Residents of the zone can apply for a 90% discount for their vehicle. You can see the full list on TfL's discounts and exemptions page.

Yes. Caura is the fastest way to pay for the London Congestion Charge. You can pay for London’s ULEZ and Congestion Charge with the same two-tap transaction.

Caura charges no additional fee to pay for the Congestion Charge, or to make any other transaction via the app. We don’t take any of the money for your payment and once it’s made it goes straight to the end provider.

Caura is the fastest and easiest way to pay the London Congestion Charge. Two taps and you're done, with no additional service charge or fees. Downloading the app and setting up your car takes a second, then you have all your car admin in one place, with quick access to payment receipts.

If you’ve paid for the wrong day, unfortunately we aren’t able to offer a refund. We don’t take any of the money for your payment and once it’s made it goes straight to the end provider (e.g. TfL). We’re unable to recover funds so we aren’t able to offer a refund.

The Congestion Charge applies from 7am to 6pm on weekdays and 12pm to 6pm at weekends. It's free on Christmas Day.

You can view any payments you’ve made by going to the History tab in Caura. Tap on any payment in the list to view more detail. From there, you can even export a receipt to your email.

The zone covers most of central London, roughly 21 sq km, including St. James's, St. Pancras, Euston, Barbican, Waterloo, Borough, the City of London, Clerkenwell, Covent Garden, Fitzrovia, Charing Cross, London Bridge, Holborn, Finsbury, Bloomsbury, Soho, Mayfair, Westminster, and parts of Marylebone, Lambeth and Southwark.

If you don't pay within 3 days of driving in the zone, you'll get a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) for £180. You have 28 days to pay it. It's reduced to £90 if you pay within 14 days.

If you don't pay the fine within 28 days, TfL issues a Charge Certificate for 50% more than the original fine. That takes it to £270.

Signs mark the edge of the zone. More signs warn you in plenty of time as you approach it.

There are no barriers. Cameras read number plates to record the vehicles that drive in.

TfL has put more money into public transport and cycle routes to support the charge. If you want to avoid paying, you can:

• Take the tube or bus, or walk
• Ride a bike, either your own or a shared bike such as a Santander bike
• Swap the car for a motorbike or scooter
• Share a ride with a friend to split the cost

Electric cars no longer travel free, but they get a 25% discount with TfL Auto Pay.