Quick answer: The Stansted drop-off charge is £10 for up to 15 minutes in the Express Set Down outside the terminal, rising to £28 if you stay longer (30 minutes maximum) — rates in force since 19 March 2026. It is camera-enforced and paid afterwards online; the Mid Stay car park offers a free 1-hour drop-off with a 7-minute shuttle. A Rushxo fixed fare to or from Stansted has the charge handled, so there is nothing to pay or remember.
Charges checked against Stansted’s official pages on 6 September 2026. Airports change these fees, usually in January or March — the sources are listed at the end so you can re-check before you travel.
Quick answer
Drop-off cost: £10 for up to 15 minutes in the Express Set Down outside the terminal; £28 if you stay over 15 minutes (30 minutes is the maximum). New rates since 19 March 2026, up from £7.
How to pay: Barrier-free cameras read your plate. Pay online or on 03450 175046 by midnight the day after, or set up AutoPay. Unpaid: £100 Parking Charge Notice (£60 if paid within 14 days).
Free option: The Mid Stay car park is free for up to 1 hour, with a free shuttle bus (about 7 minutes) running 24/7.
Pick-up: Express Set Down is for pick-ups too at the same rates. Short Stay (Green/Blue): £13 up to 30 min, £21 up to 1 hour.
Booked transfer: With a Rushxo fixed fare the driver takes you to the terminal door and the charge is dealt with — nothing to pay at the airport.
Stansted has charged for kerbside drop-off for years, and the price went up again in March 2026. If you are driving a friend to their flight, meeting someone in arrivals, or wondering whether the taxi fare includes the fee, this page sets out exactly what the Stansted Airport drop-off charge is in 2026, how the payment works, what the penalty is if you forget, where the free drop-off is, and what a pick-up costs.
The charged area is the Express Set Down (often shortened to ESD) on the forecourt directly in front of the terminal. It is a pay-as-you-go zone with no barrier: cameras record when you enter and leave, and you pay afterwards. From 19 March 2026 the tariff is:
| Time in Express Set Down | Charge (2026) | Before 19 March 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 15 minutes | £10 | £7 |
| Over 15 minutes, up to the 30-minute maximum | £28 | £25 |
| Over 30 minutes | Overstay — a Parking Charge Notice can be issued; use Short Stay or Mid Stay instead | — |
The charge is per visit, not per day, so if you drop one passenger, leave and come back for another you pay twice. Fifteen minutes is enough to unload luggage and say goodbye at the kerb; it is not enough to walk into the terminal, so if you want to see someone through to check-in use the Short Stay car park or the free Mid Stay option below.
There is no barrier, ticket or card machine in the Express Set Down — Stansted’s system reads your number plate (ANPR) and it is your responsibility to pay afterwards. The airport does not accept cash or cheques for this charge.
Go to Stansted’s official Express Set Down payment page (pay.stanstedairport.com), enter your registration and pay by card. The visit is normally on the system within a few hours.
Call the automated line on 03450 175046 with your registration and card to hand.
Register your vehicle and a payment card once and each visit is charged automatically — the sensible choice if you drop off at Stansted regularly.
The deadline is midnight the day after your visit. Drop off on a Friday and you have until 23:59 on Saturday. Miss it and the registered keeper is sent a £100 Parking Charge Notice, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days; after 28 days the airport’s operator can add further charges and pass the debt to a recovery agent. If you were in a hire car, the hire company will be contacted first and will usually add an administration fee, so pay before you return the vehicle.
Yes. The Mid Stay car park has a free drop-off and pick-up area: you can park for up to 1 hour at no charge, and a free shuttle bus takes passengers to the terminal in about 7 minutes. The shuttle runs 24 hours a day, which matters at Stansted because so many departures are before 7am. Charges apply if you stay beyond the free hour.
It is the right choice if you are on a budget, have time to spare, or want to avoid the forecourt queue on bank-holiday mornings. It is the wrong choice if your passenger has heavy luggage, mobility needs or is running late for a flight — the bus transfer adds 15–25 minutes door to door once you allow for waiting and unloading. Stansted points drivers who want to come into the terminal with a passenger to the Mid Stay (free for an hour) or the Short Stay rather than the Express Set Down.
You have three options for collecting a passenger:
If a flight is delayed, the Short Stay is the safe option: you can see the arrivals board and the charge only climbs to the next band. A pre-booked Rushxo pick-up removes the problem entirely — your driver tracks the flight, waits inside with a name board if you choose meet and greet, and the fare does not change if the flight is late.
| Option | Cost | Where you end up | Time limit | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Express Set Down | £10 up to 15 min; £28 over 15 min | Terminal door | 30 min max | Quick kerbside drop-off with luggage |
| Mid Stay free drop-off | Free up to 1 hour | Free shuttle, about 7 min, 24/7 | 1 hour free | Saving the fee when you are not in a hurry |
| Short Stay (Green/Blue) | £13 up to 30 min; £21 up to 1 hr; £25 up to 2 hrs | 5–12 min walk | Pay per band | Meeting arrivals, seeing someone to check-in |
| Rushxo fixed-fare transfer | Fare fixed when you book — the drop-off charge is handled by your driver, nothing to pay at the airport | Terminal door | No time pressure — driver waits for you on pick-ups (flight-tracked) | Door-to-door, early flights, luggage, groups |
Yes: taxis, private-hire cars, coaches and hire cars all pay the Express Set Down charge; Stansted makes no exception for licensed vehicles. How you are charged for it depends on who you travel with. Metered taxis and app-based rides typically add the fee to the bill or the final price, and on a £10–£28 charge that is worth knowing before you compare quotes.
With Rushxo the fare you are quoted is the fare you pay. Your driver takes you to the terminal door in the Express Set Down, deals with the charge, and there is nothing to pay or register at the airport. Every journey is a fixed price agreed at booking, run by a TfL-licensed operator (licence 11588) with DBS-checked drivers, and airport pick-ups are flight-tracked so a late arrival does not cost you more. Vehicles range from saloons (4 passengers) and executive cars to MPVs (6) and V Class, with minibuses up to 16 for groups.
Fares as quoted by the Rushxo booking page on 6 September 2026 — one-way and return, per vehicle not per person, with the airport drop-off charge handled. Exact addresses and weekend peak times can change the price; get your exact fixed fare here.
| From | Saloon | Executive | MPV | V Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central London | £182 | £195 | £200 | £242 |
| Cambridge | £83 | £106 | £110 | £144 |
| Bishops Stortford | £65 | £91 | £91 | £117 |
| Chelmsford | £84 | £110 | £110 | £136 |
| From | Saloon | Executive | MPV | V Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central London | £327 | £351 | £361 | £436 |
| Cambridge | £150 | £191 | £198 | £260 |
| Bishops Stortford | £117 | £164 | £164 | £211 |
| Chelmsford | £151 | £198 | £198 | £245 |
Flight-tracked, fixed price, drop-off handled. Saloon seats 4, MPV 6, V Class for groups and luggage.
Terminal-door drop-off, drop-off charge handled, flight-tracked pick-ups and a price that does not change.
It is £10 for up to 15 minutes in the Express Set Down, rising to £28 if you stay longer than 15 minutes. The maximum stay is 30 minutes. These rates apply from 19 March 2026; before that it was £7 and £25.
Pay online at Stansted’s official Express Set Down payment site or by phone on 03450 175046, by midnight on the day after your visit. There is no barrier or machine on the forecourt. Regular users can open an AutoPay account so each visit is charged to a saved card automatically.
The registered keeper receives a £100 Parking Charge Notice, reduced to £60 if it is paid within 14 days. If it is still unpaid after 28 days further charges and debt recovery can follow. Hire-car drivers are usually billed by the rental company plus an admin fee.
Yes. The Mid Stay car park has a free drop-off and pick-up area where you can park for up to one hour at no charge. A free shuttle bus runs to the terminal around the clock and takes about 7 minutes.
Using the Express Set Down costs the same as dropping off: £10 for up to 15 minutes, £28 for 15–30 minutes. If you want to meet someone in arrivals, the Short Stay car parks charge £13 for up to 30 minutes, £21 for up to an hour and £25 for up to two hours. The Mid Stay area is free for the first hour.
Yes, pick-ups are allowed, but the 30-minute maximum is enforced by camera and arrivals often take longer than that from touchdown to the kerb. Wait in the Short Stay or the free Mid Stay area until the passenger is outside, then move to the forecourt if you use it at all.
Yes. Stansted states that all vehicles using the Express Set Down must pay, Blue Badge holders included. Blue Badge holders who need more than 15 minutes can ask a marshal for help; accessible parking is available in the airport car parks.
Yes, every taxi, minicab and private-hire vehicle pays to use the Express Set Down. With a Rushxo fixed fare the driver takes care of it and the price you were quoted at booking is the price you pay; metered and app-based rides often add it on.
The system is designed for payment after the visit: the cameras log your registration and you pay online or by phone up to midnight the following day. If you want to avoid remembering, set up an AutoPay account before you travel.
Use CM24 1RW for the airport and follow the signs for Express Set Down (forecourt) or Mid Stay (free drop-off). The Short Stay Green and Blue car parks are signed from the same approach.
Airport parking and forecourt tariffs are set by the airport operators and can change without notice; Rushxo is not affiliated with any airport. If you spot a change, tell us on WhatsApp and we will update this page.
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