Congestion Charge: Times, Daily Charge, Auto Pay and Exemptions

If you're driving into central London for a meeting, a delivery or a day out, the Congestion Charge is the one bill that's easy to forget until a penalty notice turns up. Everything here comes from Transport for London's own Congestion Charge pages, and the amounts are the ones TfL shows as of Nov 2026, so you get the times, the charge, the ways to pay and the exemptions in one place.

Congestion Charge times and amounts at a glance

Question	What Transport for London says
Daily charge, paid on the day or in advance	18 pounds
Daily charge, paid after the day you drove	21 pounds, if paid by midnight of the third day after travel
Weekday charging hours	07:00 to 18:00, Monday to Friday
Weekend and bank holiday hours	12:00 to 18:00
Christmas break	No charge between Christmas Day and the New Year's Day bank holiday, inclusive
Easiest way to pay	Auto Pay, which is free to register
Vehicle that misses the ULEZ standards	Pays the ULEZ charge on top

That's the whole charging pattern in seven lines. The rest of this guide covers what catches drivers out, how to pay without overpaying, and where the discounts and penalty rules sit.

Weekend afternoons still count

It's easy to assume the weekend is free, but Transport for London charges on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays too, from 12:00 to 18:00. Going by TfL's hours, a weekend trip that's over before midday sits outside charging time, while anything in the zone between 12:00 and 18:00 is charged.

The only full break TfL lists is the stretch from Christmas Day to the New Year's Day bank holiday, inclusive. Outside that window, every day has charging hours of some kind, so it's worth checking the clock before you treat a trip as free.

The second thing worth knowing is the gap between paying early and paying late. Pay on the day or in advance and it's 18 pounds. Leave it until after the day you drove and it's 21 pounds, and only if you pay by midnight of the third day after travel. That three-day window is a safety net, not a plan.

How to pay the London Congestion Charge

1. Check whether your destination is inside the zone. TfL's 'where and when' page has a postcode and map search that tells you if an address is inside one or more of the charging zones.
2. Check your vehicle against the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) standards too, because TfL says a vehicle that doesn't meet them must also pay the ULEZ charge.
3. Pay through the official 'Pay to drive in London' service on the TfL website, on the day or in advance for the lower amount, or by midnight of the third day after travel at the higher one.
4. If you're in the zone regularly, set up Auto Pay. TfL calls it the easiest way to pay, it's free to register, and your charges are then paid automatically.
5. If you paid for the wrong day or the wrong vehicle, use the amend or refund a charge option in TfL's Congestion Charge section rather than paying twice.

Unofficial websites selling the charge

TfL's main Congestion Charge page carries a short warning that's easy to scroll past: be aware of unofficial websites selling the Congestion Charge. Those sites aren't Transport for London. The safe routes are the ones TfL itself points to, which are the 'Pay to drive in London' service and Auto Pay, both reached from the TfL website and its London road user charging account.

If you're not sure whether a payment page is the real one, start from TfL's own Congestion Charge page and follow its links rather than a search result or a link in a message.

Discounts, exemptions and reimbursements TfL lists

Transport for London says exemptions and discounts are available, and its Discounts and exemptions page is where you find out whether you can get a discount or drive in the zone for free. The detailed rules for each group sit on that page, so read it before you assume you qualify.

• Cleaner Vehicle Discount: TfL links to a page on the price increase and the new Cleaner Vehicle Discount, and has a 'Register your vehicle' page where you can check if you need to register your electric vehicle for that discount.
• Reimbursements: TfL lists reimbursement schemes for NHS patients, staff, charities and care home workers.
• Source London: for electric vehicle drivers, TfL points to Source London, the electric vehicle charging network, which you can register for.

TfL also notes that its Congestion Charge consultation is now closed and that it has published the consultation report, so the current charge and discount rules are the ones on its live pages.

If a penalty charge notice arrives

If you didn't pay, or paid for the wrong vehicle, you may get a penalty charge notice (PCN). TfL's position is simple: if you receive a PCN you can either pay it or challenge it, and its Penalties and enforcement page explains both routes. Don't ignore one. Read it, check the date, time and vehicle against your own records, and decide quickly whether you're paying or challenging.

Driving a car that is not compliant adds a second daily charge, so see how the ULEZ charge works.

How the Congestion Charge sits alongside ULEZ, LEZ and the tunnels

London has several road user charges, and TfL is clear that they're different schemes. Its 'where and when' page says ULEZ, the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) and the Direct Vision Standard (DVS) operate in the same area, which covers all London boroughs and the City of London. Each one runs to its own hours:

Scheme	Hours TfL gives
Congestion Charge	07:00 to 18:00 Monday to Friday, 12:00 to 18:00 weekends and bank holidays
Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels charge	06:00 to 22:00 every day of the year except Christmas Day (25 December)
ULEZ	24 hours a day, every day of the year except Christmas Day (25 December)
LEZ	24 hours a day, every day of the year
DVS and HGV Safety Permit	At all times, for lorries over 12 tonnes gross vehicle weight

So a single trip can involve more than one charge. If you're driving for work, it's worth building these into your planning alongside the best apps for drivers, and if driving is how you earn, see these apps that pay you to drive. Setting up a London business? This guide to starting a business in the UK covers the wider set-up spend.

My advice on paying the Congestion Charge

Set up Auto Pay with Transport for London if you drive into the zone more than now and then. It's free to register and it takes forgetting out of the picture. If you only go in occasionally, pay on the day or in advance at 18 pounds rather than relying on the three-day window, and always run the postcode search on TfL's 'where and when' page before you set off. And remember that weekend afternoons count.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the Congestion Charge?

Transport for London lists it at 18 pounds a day if you pay on the day or in advance, or 21 pounds if you pay by midnight of the third day after travel. Those are the amounts TfL shows as of Nov 2026.

What times does the Congestion Charge apply?

TfL's charging times are 07:00 to 18:00 Monday to Friday, and 12:00 to 18:00 on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays.

Do you pay the Congestion Charge at weekends?

Yes, between 12:00 and 18:00 on Saturdays and Sundays, and the same hours on bank holidays. Driving in the zone outside those hours on a weekend isn't charged.

Is there a Congestion Charge over Christmas?

TfL says there's no charge between Christmas Day and the New Year's Day bank holiday, inclusive.

Does ULEZ apply on top of the Congestion Charge?

If your vehicle doesn't meet the ULEZ standards, TfL says you must also pay the ULEZ charge. Check your vehicle with TfL's vehicle checker before you travel.

What should I do if I get a Congestion Charge PCN?

TfL says you can either pay it or challenge it. Its Penalties and enforcement page explains how to do each.