Auto-pay Dart Charge, in one page
The official Dart Charge auto-pay is the pre-pay account. The gov.uk application form puts it in one line: accounts "are opened with an initial £15 deposit but you can pay more if you choose", "must have a minimum of £5.60 credit" and "top-up automatically when they go below £5.60 (or your chosen amount)". This page walks through the setup, the deduction, the top-up trigger, and how to cancel cleanly.
Figures on this page come from two official documents, both checked 4 October 2026: Apply for a Dart Charge Pre-Pay account (the gov.uk application form) and the Dart Charge general terms and conditions, taking the attachment headed "applying to account holders from 1 September 2025" rather than the superseded one beside it. On every figure below the two documents agree.
The five steps to active auto-pay
Three routes to the same account: online at gov.uk/dart-charge, by phone on 0300 300 0120, or on the postal form. The £2.80 pre-pay rate applies from the first crossing the account covers. National Highways says crossings do not appear on an account until after midnight of the day you cross, so open it before you travel.
- 1
Visit gov.uk
Go to gov.uk/pay-dartford-crossing-charge, click 'Start now' and choose 'Sign in or set up a Dart Charge account'.
- 2
Identity
Name, address, phone and an email address. The form notes you need an email to use the account online.
- 3
Number plates
Add one or more. The terms allow multiple vehicles on one account; the postal form has space for four.
- 4
£15 deposit
Debit or credit card. At £2.80 a car crossing that is balance for five, or two Class D crossings at £7.20.
- 5
Direct Debit
Optional. Sort code and account number. Auto top-up fires below £5.60, which is also the lowest trigger the terms let you choose, and each top-up must be £15 or more.
How the per-crossing deduction works
The crossing is read by Automatic Number Plate Recognition, which the Dart Charge terms define as "the system used by us to automatically record and identify your vehicle registration mark as you cross". gov.uk then states the deduction plainly: on a pre-pay account, "payment will automatically be taken from the money you have available in your Dart Charge account". The terms let Dart Charge "deduct from your Account all Charges (less the Discount) ... as they are incurred".
Two conditions attach to that. The terms make the discount conditional on funds being there: it "will not apply if your Account does not have enough credit to cover the Charge in question". And they put the plate itself on you, requiring you "to ensure that the number plate attached to your vehicle is clearly visible, not likely to be misread due to damage, deterioration or" obstruction. National Highways says crossings do not show on the account until after midnight of the day you cross, so a same-day balance check will look wrong.
| Vehicle class | Auto-pay deducts | Saved vs PAYG |
|---|---|---|
| Car (Class B) | £2.80 | 70p |
| Motorhome (Class B) | £2.80 | 70p |
| Van or 2-axle goods (Class C) | £3.60 | 60p |
| More than 2 axles (Class D) | £7.20 | £1.20 |
| Motorcycle / disabled tax | Free | n/a |
When the Direct Debit top-up triggers
You set the trigger threshold yourself, down to a floor. Dart Charge's general terms and conditions say you "can set the minimum balance threshold (subject to a £5.60 minimum) which will trigger an Auto-Top-Up payment" (clause 5.4). The application form states the same £5.60 as the standing trigger. Two separate floors get confused, so here they are side by side, each with the document it comes from. Read the attachment headed "applying to account holders from 1 September 2025": the other one on that gov.uk page expired on 31 August 2025 and carries lower figures.
- The trigger: £5.60, and £5.60 is also the lowest you may choose. The form says accounts "must have a minimum of £5.60 credit" and top up automatically below it; clause 5.4 sets the same figure as the floor on a threshold you pick yourself. Our arithmetic: at £2.80 a car crossing, £5.60 is two crossings of warning.
- The top-up amount: £15, in both documents. Clause 7.3(c) sets the Minimum Top Up, "whether by Auto-Top-Up or any other method", at £15.00, and says payments of less than £15.00 will not be credited to the account. Clause 5.7 applies the same £15.00 floor if you change the amount later, and the current application form asks for £15 or more. It was £10 under the terms that ran to 31 August 2025.
- Changing it is free and immediate. Clause 5.7 lets you change the Auto-Top-Up amount at any time through the website, or by giving at least 15 days written notice.
Leave headroom above one crossing rather than sitting on the floor. The terms make keeping the account in credit your responsibility (clause 7.3(a)) and withdraw the discount for any crossing the balance cannot cover, so an account that dips costs you the 20% as well as the hassle.
Manual top-up if you don't want Direct Debit
You can run auto-pay without a Direct Debit. The pre-pay rate still applies; you just top up manually. Three differences worth knowing:
- No auto top-up, so the discount is yours to protect. The terms define Manual-Top-Up as "the method of payment which requires you to manually top up your Account balance", and withdraw the discount on any crossing your balance cannot cover.
- The account can go dormant or be suspended. National Highways lists not having "enough money in your Dart Charge account to pay for a crossing" as a reason an account is marked dormant, and says a suspended account is unsuspended by topping it up to at least the minimum low-balance threshold. The terms allow closure after three consecutive dormant months.
- Top up by card, phone or post. The form lists topping up by logging in at gov.uk/dart-charge or calling 0300 300 0120; gov.uk also publishes a postal top-up route. The same minimum top-up applies: £10 under the terms, £15 on the current form.
Cancelling auto-pay cleanly
Two ways to wind it down, and they are not the same thing. The terms let you end the agreement on 30 days notice in writing, by telephone or online (clause 9.2), and gov.uk warns that switching an account between pre-pay and pay as you go is not an edit: "you will need to close your account and open a new one".
Option 1: cancel the Direct Debit, keep the account
Useful if you might cross again in 6 months. The account stays in pre-pay mode; you just spend down the balance and top up manually if needed. Account stays free.
Option 2: close the account entirely
Log in, go to Account management, choose "Close account". National Highways says the money held at closure is refunded by the same payment method it arrived on, and that card refunds can take up to 10 working days (longer by cheque). Future crossings then revert to the £3.50 one-off rate.
Related guides
Pre-pay account overview
The £15 deposit math, all in one place.
Direct Debit setup
The auto top-up trigger, in detail.
Is there an app?
No official app. Manage auto-pay at gov.uk on your phone.
All payment methods
Pay online, by phone or at Payzone.
Fleet auto-pay
Several vehicles on one balance.
If you missed the deadline
Decision tree for the next 28 days.
Auto-pay FAQ
Is there auto-pay for the Dartford Crossing?+
Yes. The Dart Charge pre-pay account is the auto-pay system. The gov.uk application form says accounts 'are opened with an initial £15 deposit but you can pay more if you choose'. Once a number plate is registered, every crossing is deducted automatically when the camera reads the plate. There is no separate auto-pay product.
What's the difference between auto-pay and a Direct Debit?+
Auto-pay is the experience at the crossing: gov.uk says payment 'will automatically be taken from the money you have available in your Dart Charge account', so the balance drops by £2.80 for a car and the driver does nothing. The Direct Debit is the back-end funding mechanism: it tops the balance up from your bank when the balance falls below a trigger level. The application form sets that trigger at £5.60 or an amount you choose, and clause 5.4 of the terms applying from 1 September 2025 floors a chosen threshold at the same £5.60. You can hold a pre-pay account without a Direct Debit and top up manually instead.
What do I need to set up auto-pay?+
Your vehicle registration number, a debit or credit card for the £15 opening deposit, and your bank sort code and account number if you want the Direct Debit auto-top-up. You can do it online at gov.uk/dart-charge, by phone on 0300 300 0120, or on the postal application form. National Highways says crossings do not appear on your account until after midnight of the day you cross, so set the account up before you travel rather than on the way.
Can I add multiple vehicles to one auto-pay account?+
Yes. The Dart Charge terms say you cannot register the same vehicle to more than one account but you can register multiple vehicles to one account. They do not publish a maximum, and the postal application form has space for four. All registered vehicles share the same balance and the same Direct Debit, which suits couples, families and small fleets.
What happens if my balance runs out mid-month?+
On auto-top-up, the Direct Debit fires when the balance falls below £5.60 or the lower trigger you set, so it should top up before you run dry. The terms also say the discount 'will not apply if your Account does not have enough credit to cover the Charge in question', so an empty balance costs you the discount, not just the convenience. National Highways says an account can be suspended for unsettled crossings and unsuspended by topping it up.
Can I cancel auto-pay and get my deposit back?+
Yes. Log into the Dart Charge account and choose 'Close account'. National Highways says any money held on the account at closure is refunded using the same payment method it came from, and that refunds to a debit or credit card can take up to 10 working days, longer by cheque. You can also keep the account open and cancel only the Direct Debit to switch back to manual top-up.