Road User Charging: General Terms and Conditions
These terms and conditions apply to the following schemes:
- the Congestion Charging (CC), which including the Emissions Surcharge where it applies to the Registered Vehicle;
- the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ Charge), which operates in the same central London area as the Congestion Charge until 24 October 2021; and
- the Low Emission Zone (LEZ Charge
By registering for a Road User Charging Account you agree to accept these terms and conditions.
Glossary of terms
In these terms and conditions, the following words and phrases in bold will have the meanings shown next to them.
Account Holder - Business Account means a senior employee of the company who will hold the necessary authorisation to accept these terms and conditions on behalf of the company, and those terms and conditions associated to any additional Services added. The account holder will also act as the senior contact point between TfL and the company, and will be responsible for account issue resolution and for the purpose of these terms and conditions, is referred to as you.
Account Holder - Personal Account means the person in whose name the account is created, who agrees to these terms and condition and is referred to as you. You will be responsible for any account issue resolution.
Account User - means a person who has been nominated by you (or an authorised representative), to act as an authorised representative, and has access to, and the ability to manage the account on your behalf.
Charging Day for the Congestion Charge - means every day of the year (between 07:00 and 22:00) except Christmas Day.
Charging Day for the Low Emission Zone Charge means every day of the year.
Charging Day for the Ultra Low Emission Zone Charge means every day of the year, except Christmas Day.
Charge - means (as applicable) any of the following:
- Congestion Charge (CC) and Emissions Surcharge (ES) as payable under Articles 4 and 6 of the Congestion Charging Scheme Order, or
- Low Emission Zone (LEZ) Charge and Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) Charge as payable under Article 7 of the ULEZ -LEZ Charging Scheme.
Congestion Charging Scheme - means the Charging Scheme in the Schedule to the Greater London (Central Zone) Congestion Charging Order 2004, as varied.
Customer - means the person we open a Road User Charging account for.
Customer Account - means the same as Road User Charging Account.
Discount and Discounted - refers to a reduced rate vehicle registered for the CC, under Article 9 of the Congestion Charging Scheme.
Detrimental change - means a change to these terms and conditions that we feel could reasonably be said to be detrimental to you.
Emissions Surcharge (ES) - also known as the "Toxicity/ T-Charge" - means the charge of that name payable under the Congestion Charging Scheme Order by vehicles that are subject to the ES. Between 8 April 2019 and 24 October 2021 this applies to the Congestion Charge Residents' Discount holders only.
Penalty Charge Notice - means a charge made under a Charging Scheme imposed by Regulation 4 of the Road User Charging (Charges and Penalty Charges) (London) Regulations 2001, as amended.
Road User Charging Account- means the Business Account or Personal Account containing your details for the purposes of registering for a discount, paying a charge or for registering a vehicle's compliance status. This is identified using your unique account number.
ULEZ-LEZ Charging Scheme - means the charging Scheme for the ULEZ and LEZ as set out in the London Emission Zones Charging Scheme set out in the Schedule to the Greater London Low Emission Zone Charging Order 2006 (as varied).
We, us, our - means Transport for London.
Working Days - means any day other than a Saturday or a Sunday, Good Friday, Christmas Day, New Year's Day and any other day that is a bank holiday or public holiday, in England and Wales.
You, your - means the person who agrees to these terms and conditions.
1.0 General
1.1 The full agreement
These terms and conditions, together with the information in our online Registration or postal Registration form make up the full agreement between you and us in relation to using your Road User Charging Account. You agreed to these terms and conditions by clicking the 'I accept' button when you registered online, by registering for an account over the phone or by sending us a Registration form by post. Nothing in these terms and conditions will replace or vary any of the terms, rights or responsibilities set out in either the Congestion Charging Scheme or the ULEZ-LEZ Charging Scheme.
1.2 Excluding the rights of anyone else
The Road User Charging account and the rights and responsibilities under these terms and conditions are for your and our benefit only and are not intended to benefit anyoneelse or be enforceable by anyone else. Both parties (TfL and you) can enforce the rights under these terms and conditions without the need for any permission from anyone else.
No person other than you or TfL shall have rights under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 to enforce any of these terms and conditions.
1.3 Changes to these terms and conditions
We may change these terms and conditions at any time. We will let you know beforehand (by email where possible) if we make a detrimental change or the circumstances are urgent, and we feel the impact of the change will not be adequately brought to your attention through separate TfL publicity or communications.
If the changes simply reflects an approved change to the Congestion Charging and/or ULEZ-LEZ Charging Schemes or where feel other changes to the terms and conditions are not significant, we will only provide information about the change on the TfL website.
1.4 If we fail to enforce a condition
If we fail to enforce any of our rights under these terms and conditions, it does not mean we will not enforce them in the future.
1.5 Security
We will not be legally responsible for any loss or damage you may suffer as a result of you revealing your account access information to anyone else not authorised to receive it.
1.6 Confidentiality
Both parties (you and TfL) agree that neither of us will pass on any confidential information to anyone else unless we have to do so by law or are allowed to if we both agree.
1.7 Cost of phone calls
Calls from landlines are charged up to 9p per minute; calls from mobiles cost between 8p and 40p per minute. Calls from landlines and mobiles are included in free call packages, inclusive minutes and discount packages.
1.8 Your responsibilities
1.8.1 You are responsible for:
- providing us with the correct details and notifying us of any changes to those details; reading and acting on all emails, letters, text and mobile app messages we send you;
- making sure that you set your mailbox settings for emails, including spam filters, so that you can receive emails from us; and
- making sure that you register the correct contact details with us and that you tell us if your contact details change.
We are not responsible if you fail to read and act on any messages, we have sent you.
1.8.2 You agree to receive communications from us electronically and, subject to your legal rights, agree that all agreements, notices, disclosures and other communications we send you electronically meet any legal requirement that they have in writing.
1.8.3 You agree not to send us material that are illegal, offensive, abusive, defamatory, menacing, or which would breach copyright, trademark, confidence, privacy or any other right. This also includes material which may contain software viruses, political campaigning, advertising for business, chain letters, mass mailings or 'spam'.
1.8.4 If you decide to register for any other Road User Charging service, for example by a discount or Auto Pay service to be linked to this Account, you agree that it is your responsibility to complete any additional registration processes or make any applicable payments.
1.9 Notices
1.9.1 Any notice we give under this agreement will be in writing to the address you have provided and include items delivered by hand, sent via the post and sent by email, or any other electronic transmission.
1.9.2 A notice or document will be deemed to be served in accordance with the following:
- delivered by hand, at the time of delivery
- posted, the ordinary course of posting by first- or second-class post
- Sent by email, if the email or other electronic transmission is sent on a business day before 4.30p.m., on that day; or in any other case, on the next business day after the day it was sent.
1.9.3 English will be the language for all communications between us and you.
1.9.4 All notices will include your Road User Charging account number.
1.9.5 Any reference to a notice or document in this section does not include a Penalty Charge Notice issued under Regulation 4 of the Road User Charging (Charges and Penalty Charges) (London) Regulations 2001, as amended.
1.10 Registering or using a payment card
We will make every effort to comply with the UK Card Association code of best practice.
1.10.1 You can register a payment card to an account. This means that we store the payment card details which will make it easier for you to pay the Charge.
1.10.2 To register a payment card you must sign in to your online account or contact the contact centre. You will need to provide the following payment card details:
- Card number
- Card expiry date
- Card valid from date [if applicable]
- CVV/CSC/CVV2 number
We will check to ensure that the card information you have given us is valid.
1.10.3 If the payment card is registered successfully via your online account you will be immediately informed by a success message.
1.10.4 If the payment card is registered successfully via the contact centre agent you will be informed by a message at the end of the Interactive Voice Recognition service. Confirmation will be sent via your preferred communication channel, if requested.
1.10.5 If there are any problems and the card details you have supplied online cannot be validated you will be informed by a rejection message and given the opportunity to try again.
1.10.6 If there are any problems and the card details you have supplied via the Interactive Voice Recognition service cannot be validated you will be informed by a rejection message and given the opportunity to try again.
1.10.7 If you choose not to register a payment card on your account you will need to provide the card details every time you make a payment [which ever payment channel is used].
1.11 Paying the Charge - payment card
1.11.1 You can purchase a CC Charge at any time during the 64 Working Days immediately before the Charging Day concerned and until midnight on the third charging day after the date of travel into the zone.
1.11.2You can purchase a LEZ Charge and/or ULEZ Charge at any time during the 64 Working Days immediately before the Charging Day concerned and until midnight on the third charging day after the date of travel into the zone.
1.11.3 When you make payment you are confirming that you are authorised to use that payment card.
1.11.4 If the card issuer refuses to authorise payment, we will tell you that the card has been rejected. However, we do not have to give you the reason for the refusal.
1.11.5 We may allow a payment to go ahead when we have not received authorisation from your card issuer (for example, if we cannot contact your card issuer at the time of the transaction). We will not be responsible if the card issuer then goes on to refuse to authorise the payment. We will not be responsible for your card issuer or bank charging you as a result of us processing the credit or debit card payment, or if the bank or card issuer refuses or delays their authorisation.
1.11.6 If you request a receipt,we will confirm that we have received your payment by sending an email, post or text message to you (whichever option you have chosen). If you do not receive a valid confirmation receipt, or have chosen not to receive a receipt, it is your responsibility to phone us or check the status of the payment online. If the payment has not been confirmed, you should pay the Charge in another way.
1.11.7 We can refuse your payment for any reason.
1.12 Paying the Charge - cheque
1.12.1 You can purchase a CC, LEZ or ULEZ Charge up to 64 Working Days immediately before the Charging Day concerned.
1.12.2 You must allow 10 Working Days before your date of travel to allow time for the cheque to clear with your bank.
1.12.3 If your bank returns the payment it will be invalid and you will have to make alternative arrangements to pay the Charge.
1.12.4 If you request a receipt, we will confirm that we have received your payment by sending an email, post or text message to you (whichever option you have chosen). If you do not receive a valid confirmation receipt, or have chosen not to receive a receipt, it is your responsibility to phone us or check the status of the payment online. If the payment has not been confirmed, you should pay the charge in another way.
1.12.5 We can refuse your payment for any reason.
1.13 Paying the Charge - Mobile App
1.13.1 You can purchase a Charge immediately before the Charging Day concerned, on the day of travel or until midnight on the third charging day after the date of travel into the zone.
1.13.2 When you make payment you are confirming that you are authorised to use that payment card.
1.13.3 If the card issuer refuses to authorise payment, we will tell you that the card has been rejected. However, we do not have to give you the reason for the refusal.
1.13.4 We may allow a payment to go ahead when we have not received authorisation from your card issuer (for example, if we cannot contact your card issuer at the time of the transaction). We will not be responsible if the card issuer then goes on to refuse to authorise the payment. We will not be responsible for your card issuer or bank charging you as a result of us processing the credit or debit card payment, or if the bank or card issuer refuses or delays their authorisation.
1.13.5 If you are paying via your Road User Charging Account, you will also receive a copy of your receipt in accordance with your account settings. As an anonymous payment we will confirm that we have received your payment by sending an email, or text message to you (whichever option you have chosen). If you do not receive a valid confirmation receipt, or have chosen not to receive a receipt, it is your responsibility to check the status of the payment. If the payment has not been confirmed, you should pay the Charge in another way.
1.13.6 We can refuse your payment for any reason.
1.14 Roles and responsibilities
1.14.1The Account Holder may assign roles to individuals as stated below:
- The Account Holder can add up to 5 Account Users to administer the account. It is the Account Holder's responsibility to ensure that the Account Users manage the account in accordance with the terms and conditions
1.15 Account Closure due to non-usage
1.15.1 Non-use of your Road User Charging Account for a continuous period of 25 months will be considered sufficient grounds on which your account may be closed.
1.15.2 The last date of activity will be determined by the last effective date of any discounts, payment services (Auto Pay) or paid charges associated with your account, or the last date on which you updated your personal details (whichever is latest).
1.15.3 If your last date of activity remains unchanged for a period of 25 months your account will be closed.
1.15.4 Once closed, there is no means of reactivating your account.
1.16 Penalty Charge Notice
1.16.1 If you do not pay the correct Charge [as detailed in the relevant CC or ULEZ-LEZ Scheme] you may incur a penalty charge notice.
1.17 Governing law
These terms and conditions will be governed by English law. Any disputes will be dealt with by the English courts.