Accounts and Auto Pay are supposed to stop penalties. TfL says Auto Pay protects you from PCNs for non-payment while the vehicle is registered. When a PCN arrives anyway, the cause is usually something on the account rather than the camera. Find which one before you write.
Common causes
| Problem | What to check | Usually |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle not on the account | The vehicle list on the date of travel | Hard to challenge; ask for discretion |
| Card expired or declined | Emails from the scheme about failed payments | Mitigation; show you fixed it quickly |
| Pre-pay balance ran out | Account statement for that date | Mitigation; top-up history helps |
| Discount lapsed (residents, LUDS, Blue Badge) | Renewal date and documents | Hard to challenge if not renewed |
| Scheme error: vehicle was on Auto Pay and the card was valid | Screenshot of the account showing the vehicle and card | Strong: the charge was paid or no penalty was payable |
How to put it
If the scheme failed to take a payment it was entitled to take, say the vehicle was registered for automatic payment and no penalty should arise, and attach evidence. If the problem was on your side, explain it and ask for cancellation as a compelling reason (outside London) or mitigation (TfL).
For the Congestion Charge, the electric vehicle discount only applies on Auto Pay, so an EV dropped from Auto Pay pays the full charge.
Can I challenge this charge? Free check
Free. Your answers stay on this device. Nothing is sent to us.
Get your letter written for you
Built from your checker answers, with the right grounds and regulation numbers for your scheme. You see the start of the letter before you pay, then edit it and download it as Word or PDF.
Representation letter
Your formal challenge to the authority, citing each ground that fits with its regulation number, the evidence you enclose and a request to cancel.
Start my letterFull pack
The representation, a tribunal appeal statement, replies at the charge certificate and debt registration stages, witness statement and out-of-time wording, and a bailiff fee check.
Start the full packOne penalty per purchase, usable for 6 months. Full refund within 14 days if you haven't downloaded a letter. Templates you send yourself, not legal advice. See sample letters
Questions people ask
Does Auto Pay cover ULEZ and the Congestion Charge together?
Yes. TfL's Auto Pay bills monthly for the Congestion Charge, the tunnels, ULEZ and LEZ charges that apply.
Sources
Last checked: 13 November 2026. Every fact on this page was checked against these official pages. How we check