A DART Charge, Dartford Crossing charge, or similar wording on a credit card, debit card, or bank statement may relate to payment for using the Dartford Crossing between Kent and Essex in England.
The transaction could be a one-off crossing payment, an automatic pay-as-you-go account charge, a pre-pay account top-up, or another Dart Charge account transaction. However, the word DART by itself is not enough to identify the merchant because unrelated transit systems and businesses also use that name.
What Is the DART Charge?
Dart Charge is the official road-user charging system for the Dartford Crossing.
The crossing connects Dartford in Kent with Thurrock in Essex and forms part of the M25 route around London.
A card transaction may represent:
- A one-off Dartford Crossing payment
- An automatic pay-as-you-go account payment
- A pre-pay Dart Charge account top-up
- A future crossing purchased in advance
- A local-resident account payment
- A payment made for another vehicle
- A payment submitted by another authorized card user
- A refund or account adjustment
- A pending authorization followed by a completed payment
- An actual duplicate completed transaction
- A payment to an unofficial third-party toll website
- An unauthorized use of the card or Dart Charge account
The statement may not show the number plate, crossing date, direction of travel, vehicle class, Dart Charge account, or person who submitted the payment.
Does Every DART Charge Come From the Dartford Crossing?
No.
The acronym or name DART may also refer to:
- A public-transit authority
- A bus or rail ticket
- A parking or transportation service
- An unrelated retailer, app, or business
The Dartford Crossing connection is strongest when:
- The descriptor says DART CHARGE or DARTFORD CROSSING.
- The amount is in British pounds.
- The cardholder or an authorized driver recently used the M25 crossing.
- The transaction matches a Dart Charge account or receipt.
- The statement contains UK road-charge or National Highways information.
A transaction in U.S. dollars connected with Dallas, Delaware, Des Moines, or another transit system may not involve the Dartford Crossing.
Common DART Charge Statement Variations
Banks and card networks may shorten or rearrange transaction information.
Possible or reported wording may include:
- DART CHARGE
- DARTCHARGE
- DARTFORD CROSSING
- DART CROSSING
- DART CHARGE UK
- DART CHARGE GOV UK
- NATIONAL HIGHWAYS DART
- DART CHARGE ACCOUNT
- DART CHARGE TOP UP
- CHECKCARD DART CHARGE
- CHKCARD DARTFORD CROSSING
- PENDING DART CHARGE
Not every variation has been independently confirmed as an official statement descriptor. Compare the complete wording with the vehicle, trip, receipt, and Dart Charge account.
When Is the Dartford Crossing Charge Required?
The road-user charge generally applies when the Dartford Crossing is used:
- Between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.
- Seven days a week
- On weekends
- On bank holidays
The crossing is free to use between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Motorcycles, mopeds, and quad bikes do not pay the crossing charge. Some vehicles receiving free UK vehicle tax because of disability may also be exempt.
Current Dart Charge Prices
Current standard charges depend on the vehicle and account type.
- Cars, trailers, motorhomes, and minibuses with no more than nine seats: £3.50 for a one-off or pay-as-you-go payment; £2.80 with pre-pay
- Two-axle vans, buses, coaches, and goods vehicles: £4.20 for a one-off or pay-as-you-go payment; £3.60 with pre-pay
- Vehicles with more than two axles: £8.40 for a one-off or pay-as-you-go payment; £7.20 with pre-pay
- Motorcycles, mopeds, and quad bikes: Free
Rates can change. Confirm the current vehicle classification and amount through the official GOV.UK Dart Charge service.
Why Did Dart Charge Take Money From My Card?
You Made a One-Off Payment
A driver without an account can pay for:
- A crossing already made
- A future crossing
- More than one vehicle or crossing
A future crossing payment may remain available for up to 12 months and be used automatically after the vehicle crosses.
You Have a Pay-As-You-Go Account
A pay-as-you-go Dart Charge account keeps a payment card on file.
After the registered vehicle crosses, the payment is normally collected automatically at midnight on the following day.
The charge may therefore appear after the trip rather than while the vehicle is physically at the crossing.
Your Pre-Pay Account Was Topped Up
A pre-pay account holds money that is later used for crossings.
The card statement may show:
- A manual account top-up
- An automatic top-up
- A larger payment than one individual crossing
The account balance and payment history should show how the money was applied.
Another Vehicle Is Registered to the Account
A household member, employee, previous vehicle owner, or authorized driver may have used a vehicle connected with the Dart Charge account.
Check whether:
- An old number plate remains registered.
- A replacement vehicle was added incorrectly.
- A sold vehicle was never removed.
- A family member or employee crossed.
You Paid Through an Unofficial Website
Some independent websites offer to submit Dart Charge payments and may add service fees.
The statement may therefore show:
- A different merchant name
- A higher amount than the official crossing charge
- A separate service fee
- A payment that did not reach the official Dart Charge system
Always begin with the official GOV.UK Dart Charge page when paying or checking a crossing.
The Payment Was Not Authorized
Treat the transaction as potentially unauthorized when:
- No authorized driver used the Dartford Crossing.
- No vehicle connected with the household or business crossed.
- No matching payment appears in the Dart Charge account.
- The cardholder has never created a Dart Charge account.
- Additional unexplained charges appear.
How to Verify a DART Charge
- Copy the complete statement descriptor.
- Record the amount, currency, and transaction date.
- Determine whether it is pending or completed.
- Ask every authorized driver whether they used the Dartford Crossing.
- Check vehicle-location and travel records.
- Sign in to the official Dart Charge account.
- Review the registered number plates.
- Review crossings and payment history.
- Check for a manual or automatic account top-up.
- Search email for Dart Charge receipts.
- Check spam and deleted email folders.
- Confirm whether the payment was made through GOV.UK or a third-party website.
- Call the Dart Charge contact centre when the payment remains unclear.
- Ask the card issuer for the expanded merchant details.
- Report the payment promptly when no authorized crossing or account can be found.
Official Dart Charge Account and Payment Routes
Use the official GOV.UK service to:
- Pay for a crossing
- Pay for a future crossing
- Set up an account
- Sign in to an existing account
- Check which crossings were paid
- Manage vehicles
- Update a payment method
- Pay or challenge a Penalty Charge Notice
Official payment and account page:
Pay or manage the Dartford Crossing charge through GOV.UK
When Must the Crossing Be Paid?
A one-off Dart Charge must generally be paid by midnight on the day after the crossing.
Do not wait for the crossing to appear online if the deadline is approaching. A non-account crossing may be delayed while images are reviewed, but the driver can still submit the payment before the deadline.
What If the Charge Does Not Appear in My Account?
Crossings may not appear in the online account until after midnight on the day they occur.
Check:
- Whether the correct number plate is registered
- Whether the account is open, suspended, dormant, or closed
- Whether the saved card is valid
- Whether the pre-pay account has enough money
- Whether the payment card needs to be revalidated
Call the contact centre if the account cannot be corrected online.
Why Are There Multiple DART Charges?
More than one transaction may represent:
- More than one crossing
- More than one registered vehicle
- A crossing payment and separate top-up
- A manual payment and an automatic account payment
- A pending authorization and completed payment
- Two drivers using the same account
- An actual duplicate completed payment
- Payments submitted to both an official and third-party website
- Repeated unauthorized card use
Compare the number plates, crossing dates, account balance, payment history, and transaction status.
What Is a Pending DART Charge?
A pending transaction has not fully settled.
It may:
- Become the completed crossing payment
- Become an account top-up
- Update with a longer merchant description
- Disappear if the authorization is released
- Be replaced by a completed payment
Do not automatically count a pending entry and the completed transaction replacing it as two settled charges.
How to Close a Dart Charge Account
To close an account:
- Sign in through the official Dart Charge service.
- Open Account management.
- Select Close account.
- Confirm that the correct vehicles and payment method are shown.
- Save the closure confirmation.
- Monitor the original payment method for any refund of remaining credit.
Closing the account does not cancel or erase unpaid crossings or Penalty Charge Notices.
How to Request a Dart Charge Refund
A refund may be appropriate when:
- An account was topped up incorrectly.
- A payment was duplicated.
- Money remains when an account is closed.
- The wrong vehicle or registration number was entered.
- An official payment cannot be applied correctly.
Submit an online enquiry or call the Dart Charge contact centre.
Card refunds may take up to ten working days after approval. Cheque refunds can take longer.
What Is a Dart Charge Penalty Notice?
A Penalty Charge Notice may be issued when the road-user charge is not paid correctly or by the deadline.
The current standard penalty is:
- £70
- Reduced to £35 when paid within 14 days
- Increased to £105 when not paid
- Plus the original crossing charge
A PCN should be reviewed using the official notice and enforcement service. Do not ignore it merely because a card payment appears on the statement.
A payment to an unofficial site may not have paid the actual crossing.
Current Dart Charge Contact Information
Crossing Payments, Accounts, and Refunds
- Telephone: 0300 300 0120
- Textphone: 18001 0300 300 0120
- Hours: Every day, 8 a.m.–8 p.m.
- Official payment page: GOV.UK Dart Charge
- National Highways help page: Dart Charge account and payment help
- Postal account address: Dart Charge, PO Box 309, Leeds, LS11 1HJ, United Kingdom
Penalty Charge Notices
- PCN telephone: 0300 1313 120
- Textphone: 18001 0300 1313 120
- Hours: Every day, 8 a.m.–8 p.m.
- Postal enforcement address: Dart Charge Enforcement, PO Box 842, Leeds, LS1 9QF, United Kingdom
A PCN cannot be challenged by telephone. Follow the official online or written challenge instructions included with the notice.
Warning About Unofficial Dart Charge Websites
Use the official GOV.UK service rather than relying on the first search result or an advertisement.
An unofficial site may:
- Charge an additional service fee
- Use a name similar to the official service
- Collect unnecessary personal information
- Fail to submit the crossing payment correctly
- Leave the vehicle keeper exposed to a penalty notice
If a misleading site was used:
- Save screenshots of the site.
- Save the payment confirmation.
- Check the official Dart Charge account or service.
- Contact Dart Charge before the payment deadline when possible.
- Contact the card issuer about a misleading or unauthorized payment.
- Report suspicious sites through the official GOV.UK fraud and phishing route.
What If You Never Used the Dartford Crossing?
- Save the descriptor, amount, currency, and date.
- Ask household members and authorized drivers.
- Review all vehicles associated with the cardholder.
- Check for an old or sold vehicle still connected to an account.
- Sign in to every relevant Dart Charge account.
- Ask the contact centre whether the payment can be located.
- Ask the card issuer for the expanded merchant information.
- Check whether the transaction actually belongs to a transit authority or unrelated DART merchant.
- Lock the card if additional unexplained activity appears.
- Report the transaction promptly when no authorized payment can be identified.
- Ask whether the card number or payment token should be replaced.
Dart Charge is a legitimate road-user charging service, but that does not prove the cardholder authorized a specific transaction.
Credit Card Dispute Guidance
Contact the credit-card issuer promptly when:
- No authorized crossing or account payment can be identified
- The card was used without permission
- An actual duplicate completed payment remains unresolved
- The transaction was made through a misleading website
- Dart Charge cannot locate the payment
- An approved refund does not appear
Keep account history, receipts, number-plate records, travel information, refund confirmations, and support communications.
Official consumer guidance:
CFPB credit-card dispute guidance for U.S. cardholders
Debit Card and Bank Account Guidance
Report an unauthorized debit-card or bank transaction immediately.
Ask the financial institution:
- Whether the entry is pending or completed
- Whether another DART authorization is pending
- Whether the merchant is Dart Charge or a third-party site
- Whether the card was stored for automatic payments
- Whether future merchant payments can be blocked
- Whether the debit card should be replaced
Official consumer guidance:
CFPB unauthorized debit and bank-transaction guidance for U.S. cardholders
Card protections and reporting rules vary by country and payment type. UK cardholders should also contact their bank or card issuer promptly.
Frequently Asked Questions About DART Charges
What is DART Charge on my credit card?
It may identify a payment for using the Dartford Crossing, an automatic pay-as-you-go payment, or a pre-pay account top-up.
Does DART always mean the Dartford Crossing?
No. DART can also refer to transit agencies and unrelated businesses. Verify the currency, location, merchant details, and trip history.
How much is the Dartford Crossing for a car?
The current one-off and pay-as-you-go price for most cars is £3.50. The pre-pay account price is £2.80.
When must I pay the Dart Charge?
A one-off payment is generally due by midnight on the day after the crossing.
Why was the payment taken automatically?
A vehicle may be connected with a pay-as-you-go account that automatically charges the saved card after a crossing.
Why is the amount larger than one crossing?
It may be a pre-pay top-up, multiple crossings, multiple vehicles, a third-party service fee, or more than one transaction.
How do I stop automatic Dart Charge payments?
Review the account’s vehicles and payment settings. Remove outdated vehicles or close the account when it is no longer required.
Does closing the account refund the balance?
Remaining account credit is normally returned after closure. Card refunds may take up to ten working days.
How do I request a refund?
Submit an online enquiry through the official service or call 0300 300 0120.
What if I paid an unofficial website?
Check whether the crossing was paid through the official service, save evidence, contact Dart Charge, and contact the card issuer when the site was misleading.
Is a DART Charge automatically fraudulent?
No. It may be a valid toll, account payment, top-up, transit fare, third-party payment, duplicate, or unauthorized transaction.
Can ChargeOnMyCard.com check my number plate?
No. ChargeOnMyCard.com cannot access Dart Charge, vehicle, crossing, payment, refund, PCN, or banking systems.
Related Toll, Transit, and Charge Guides
- ERAC Toll Charge: Rental Car Toll Billing and TollPass Help
- MARTA TVM Charge: Transit Ticket-Machine and Fare Payment Help
- How to Investigate an Unrecognized Credit Card, Debit Card, or Bank Charge
A DART transaction may involve a road toll or a transit system. Use the complete merchant name, currency, location, and travel history to select the correct guide.
Help Other Cardholders Identify a DART Charge
If you identified a DART CHARGE, DARTFORD CROSSING, DARTCHARGE, or another DART transaction, please share what it represented.
Helpful details include:
- The descriptor without private reference numbers
- The general amount and currency
- Whether it was a crossing payment, top-up, or transit fare
- Whether the card was connected with a pay-as-you-go account
- Whether another vehicle or driver was involved
- Whether an unofficial website was used
- Whether the payment was pending or completed
- Whether a duplicate was corrected
- Whether a refund was issued
- How the issuer resolved an unauthorized transaction
Do not post number plates, PCN reference numbers, account numbers, precise travel details, card numbers, card digits, home addresses, email addresses, passwords, PINs, CVV codes, bank account numbers, or authentication codes.
Why Rely on ChargeOnMyCard.com?
ChargeOnMyCard.com researches confusing credit-card, debit-card, road-toll, transportation, automatic-payment, account-top-up, refund, and bank-statement descriptors using current official service information, consumer resources, and statement clues.
We distinguish the official Dartford Crossing Dart Charge from unrelated DART transit systems and third-party payment sites while helping readers identify the vehicle, crossing, account, top-up, duplicate payment, or potentially unauthorized transaction.
Last reviewed: July 15, 2026.
Disclaimer
ChargeOnMyCard.com is not affiliated with Dart Charge, National Highways, the UK government, the Dartford Crossing, any transit authority, third-party payment website, vehicle owner, driver, cardholder, bank, credit union, card network, payment processor, or financial institution. This article is provided for informational purposes only and is not financial, legal, transportation, toll-payment, PCN, refund, dispute, account-security, or fraud-prevention advice. Contact Dart Charge, the applicable transit provider, and the financial institution directly regarding a specific transaction.