M6 Toll Payment Notices and missed payments

What happens if you didn't pay the toll, how to fix it before extra charges are added, and how to appeal. The M6 Toll is privately operated by Midland Expressway Ltd, so the process is not a council-style Penalty Charge Notice. Calm, practical guidance.

Reassurance first

Don't panic. If you drove through without paying, you have 6 days from the date the trip was validated to pay the toll online at customers.m6toll.co.uk/payment-notice, at the normal price. ANPR captured your plate; the system is designed to catch up.

Payment Notice terms verified against m6toll.co.uk on 1 September 2026.

What happens, step by step

ANPR captures your number plate at the toll plaza in real time, both directions.
The system checks for a payment. Contactless cards and active accounts (Breeze, Lite) are matched immediately.
If no payment is found, a Payment Notice is raised against the registration. It appears online a few hours after travel and can take up to 48 hours to be uploaded.
You have 6 days following the date the trip was validated to pay the toll online or by phone. Nothing extra is charged in this window, and it is also the only window for an appeal.
After the 6 days, additional charges of at least £70 are added on top of the toll.
If still unpaid, the notice is passed to a third-party debt recovery agency.

How to pay a Payment Notice

Recommended

Online

Go to customers.m6toll.co.uk/payment-notice, enter the registration, find the trip and pay by card. Resolved in under 5 minutes once the trip is showing.

By phone

Call Customer Services on 0330 660 0790, Monday to Friday 08:30 to 17:00. They can also check whether anything is outstanding against a registration.

If the 6 days have passed

The additional charges already apply. Pay or call anyway: settling before the notice reaches the debt recovery agency keeps the agency's own costs out of it.

Common scenarios

Card declined at the barrier

Press the Call for Assistance button at the payment point. The operator issues a Payment Notice and you pay it online within 6 days. If you were waved through or the barrier lifted anyway, go online the same day and pay the trip against your registration.

Drove through an ANPR lane without an account

Common mistake. The system records the trip even if you have no account set up. Pay online within 6 days of the trip being validated or expect at least £70 to be added.

Forgot to top up Breeze balance

If your account cannot cover the toll, the trip can end up unpaid. Top up immediately, then check the account and the Payment Notice portal for any unpaid trip. Anything outstanding follows the normal 6-day rule.

Just realised, it has been more than a week

If more than 6 days have passed since the trip was validated, the additional charges of at least £70 already apply. Call 0330 660 0790 with your registration and dates of travel: Customer Services can tell you what is outstanding, and paying before it reaches the debt recovery agency is still the cheaper route.

Avoid this next time

The simplest fix is the free Lite account. Once your number plate is on file, ANPR handles the toll automatically and there is no risk of a missed payment.

Set up a Lite or Breeze account →

Already missed a toll? The missed-toll page walks through the 6-day window step by step.

Payment Notice FAQ

I drove through without paying. What happens now?

Don't panic. ANPR captured your registration and the operator raises a Payment Notice against it. The trip appears online within 48 hours at customers.m6toll.co.uk/payment-notice. Pay the toll there, or by phone on 0330 660 0790 (Monday to Friday 08:30 to 17:00), within 6 days following the date the trip was validated and nothing else is added. After 6 days, additional charges of at least £70 apply.

How much is the M6 Toll penalty?

The M6 Toll does not issue a fixed penalty or a Penalty Charge Notice. It issues a Payment Notice for the toll. If that is not paid within 6 days of the trip being validated, the operator adds additional charges of at least £70 on top of the toll. There is no published reduced rate and no 14-day discount. Unpaid notices are passed to a third-party debt recovery agency.

Can I appeal an M6 Toll Payment Notice?

Yes. The operator says an appeal must be made within 6 days following the date the trip was validated, by contacting Customer Services on 0330 660 0790 (Monday to Friday 08:30 to 17:00). Grounds typically include: the toll was actually paid (have your receipt or card statement ready), the wrong registration was matched, or the vehicle had been sold or stolen at the time of travel. Appeals not made within the 6 days go to the debt recovery agency with the notice.

What if I never received the notice?

The Payment Notice is matched to the registration and is held online; the operator does not describe posting a letter within the 6-day window. It is on the driver to check customers.m6toll.co.uk/payment-notice or call Customer Services after any trip they are unsure about. Once a notice is unpaid it is passed to a third-party debt recovery agency, which will write to the vehicle keeper, so keep your V5C address current so that any recovery correspondence actually reaches you.

How can I avoid this happening again?

Set up a free Lite account. Once your number plate is registered, ANPR cameras handle the toll automatically with no risk of a missed payment, no top-up balance to manage and no stopping at the barrier. It is the simplest insurance against an accidental missed toll.