There are multiple ways you can pay for your ULEZ charge, which is excellent as there are payment methods that suit various individuals and situations.
You can pay your charge directly with TFL through their websites or apps that can help you manage your different driving fees.
Here’s a look at some of the best ways to pay for a ULEZ charge:
Paying for a charge after the fact directly on the TFL website is possible. You can either create an account or pay as a guest when you pay in this manner. Suppose you’re a regular London road user, such as someone who lives in the area or who commutes there regularly. In that case, it may be a good idea to create a London Road User charging account on the TFL website, as it allows you to track all the charges you can get and better manage your payments.
However, paying as a guest makes a lot of sense if you’re only paying for a one-off charge and won’t visit London in a while. When you do this, you will first need to enter your registration number. This is so that the system can check its records to see if your car is exempt from ULEZ or not.
Once you enter your details, you can select the day or days you’d like to pay for. This payment method allows you to pay for future trips or trips that you’ve already made. When paying this way, you also have the option to pay the London Congestion Charge. This separate scheme shares some of its boundaries with the ULEZ zone.
Once you select the days you want to pay for, you can input your payment details and finish the transaction like you would when paying for any other good or service online.
AutoPay is another payment method introduced by TFL that makes paying for your ULEZ charges more automatic and easier to manage and handle.
When you sign up for AutoPay, you will create an account registered for your vehicle. The ULEZ zone cameras will then track how often you drive within the area and bill you each month according to how many times you’ve been through the ULEZ zone.
These bills are taken automatically from your bank account, but you can also manage your charges and pay what you owe early when viewing your account.
AutoPay isn’t just designed for ULEZ but is also a tool that will allow you to automatically pay for the Congestion Charge and Low Emission Zone if your car isn’t compliant.
The benefits of AutoPay are that it will protect you from ever getting a penalty charge notice while you’re registered for the scheme, and it will ensure that you never forget to pay a charge again.
If you own a business and have multiple company vehicles entering the ULEZ regularly, you can get a Fleet AutoPay account to make paying for your business super easy.
Finally, if you want a payment method that’s a bit more direct, you can also phone TFL to pay for your charge that way. When on the phone, you will have to disclose your registration plate and card details, which can be a bit tricky if your signal isn’t too strong.
Also, note that when you pay by phone, you will likely be met with an automated system, which can be time-consuming if you’re in a rush and may be a bit awkward to navigate through.
To pay a ULEZ charge by phone, you will need to call:
From the UK: 0343 222 2222
From International Locations: +44 343 222 2222
The amount you have to pay for the ULEZ charge will alter depending on the type of vehicle that you’re driving.
If you’re driving a car, motorbike, or van under 3.5 tonnes, you will have to pay £12.50. This is a daily charge, meaning that if you drive multiple times in the ULEZ zone in one day, you will still only have to pay £12.50.
If you’re entering a ULEZ zone with a larger vehicle, such as a lorry or a van that weighs more than 3.5 tonnes, or a coach that weighs more than 5 tonnes, you don’t have to pay a ULEZ fee. Instead, you have to pay a Low Emission Zone Fee. The cost of this can range from £100 to £300.
This fee is so large because London wants to discourage these heavily polluting vehicles from entering this area.