Key Points
- Michael Joseph, a 52-year-old father from Salford, has lambasted Manchester Airport following his wife being hit with a £100 Parking Charge Notice.
- This notice concerned the family’s visit to Terminal 2 Pick-up Point on September 23rd when they were dropping off their son.
- The car used by the family was registered for Manchester Airport’s autopay scheme which is meant to automatically bill drivers when making drops and pickups.
- Mr Joseph said the charge “undermines the autopay system” and that the family has used this system successfully in the past.
- Manchester Airport explained that the parking charge was raised because of the car overstaying in the Terminal 2 Pick-Up Point for more than 15 minutes.
- Autopay will apply charges for stays under 15 minutes whereas overstay charges are issued separately to allow appeals if drivers believe that mistakes have been made.
- The airport claimed that the rules are clearly marked in the pick-up areas and also are listed on the airport’s website.
- The story was reported in ChronicleLive based on the reporting of the Manchester Evening News.
Manchester (Manchester Mirror) October 14, 2026 — A father from Salford has criticised Manchester Airport after his wife was issued a £100 parking charge despite their car being registered for the airport’s automatic payment system. Michael Joseph, 52, said the penalty followed a drop-off at the Terminal 2 pick-up zone on September 23 and has raised questions about how the airport’s autopay arrangements work when a driver exceeds the permitted time limit.
As reported by ChronicleLive, citing the Manchester Evening News, Mr Joseph said he received the Parking Charge Notice on Monday, October 12. He said the airport told him that a charge from September had remained unpaid, although the family believed their vehicle was covered by autopay.
What Happened at Terminal 2?
Mr Joseph said his wife drove their son to Manchester Airport’s Terminal 2 pick-up zone on September 23. The family, from Salford, had previously registered the vehicle for autopay after what Mr Joseph described as “a bad experience with parking at the airport”.
The autopay scheme allows motorists to register their vehicle online alongside a payment card. Once registered, the system is intended to charge them automatically for collections or drop-offs at the airport.
According to the Manchester Evening News reporting carried by ChronicleLive, drivers who do not have autopay must pay through Manchester Airport’s website or by telephone by midnight on the day after their visit. Failure to pay within that deadline can result in a £100 Parking Charge Notice.
Mr Joseph said the family had used the airport’s collection zones several times since setting up autopay and had not previously encountered a problem. He said he even sent the airport a receipt from an earlier occasion to show that the system had worked.
Why Was the £100 Charge Issued?
Manchester Airport said the charge was not related to a failure to pay for a standard pick-up within the permitted period. Instead, it said the vehicle exceeded the 15-minute maximum stay in the Terminal 2 pick-up area.
A spokesperson for Manchester Airport said:
“The maximum stay in the Terminal 2 pick-up area is 15 minutes. This is an important rule that prevents misuse of our pick-up areas and helps make sure they do not become congested so they remain available for people that [need] them.”
The spokesperson added:
“Drivers who have set up autopay will be automatically charged for time in the pick-up area up to 15 minutes. Beyond that drivers are eligible for an overstay charge. This is not taken via autopay in order to give drivers the opportunity to appeal should they feel a mistake has been made.”
The airport also said the rules and regulations are clearly signposted on entry to the pick-up areas, within the areas themselves, and on its website.
What Did Michael Joseph Say?
Mr Joseph said the fine appeared to defeat the purpose of registering for autopay. He said that when he contacted the airport, the response suggested that responsibility remained with the driver to ensure payment had been made.
“We got a ticket despite the fact that we are registered with this autopay,” he said, as reported by ChronicleLive. “Their response when I got in touch with them about it was more or less them saying that the onus is still on us to pay and to make sure we’re paying. It seems to completely defeat the whole objective.”
He questioned why a driver who has registered for automatic payments would need to keep checking whether the system had worked.
“I mean, what person registers and then still checks?” he said. “We’ve used autopay a few times and never had any issues. I even forwarded them a receipt of a previous time when I went and it worked.”
Mr Joseph said people could be left unaware that the system may not always operate as expected.
“It’s crazy stuff,” he said. “People are obviously going in oblivious to knowing that the system sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t work.”
Does Autopay Cover Overstays?
According to Manchester Airport’s explanation, autopay covers the charge for time spent in the pick-up area up to the 15-minute limit. It does not automatically take an overstay charge.
The airport said this separation is deliberate because it gives drivers the opportunity to appeal if they believe an overstay charge has been issued in error.
In practical terms, this means that a driver registered for autopay may still receive a separate Parking Charge Notice if their vehicle remains in the pick-up zone beyond 15 minutes. The airport maintains that the charge is not an autopay failure in this case, but the consequence of exceeding the permitted stay.
Mr Joseph, however, said the airport had not explained why he believed the system had not worked as expected.
“They’ve given no reason as to why it didn’t work,” he said. “They’ve given a standard response that’s all automated. Their standard line is that the onus is on the user.”
What Are the Airport’s Rules?
Manchester Airport’s Terminal 2 pick-up area has a maximum stay of 15 minutes. The airport says the limit is intended to prevent misuse of the pick-up zones and reduce congestion, keeping the areas available for people collecting or dropping off passengers.
The airport says drivers who exceed the time limit are eligible for an overstay charge. It says signs at the entrance to the pick-up areas, signs within the zones, and information on its website set out the rules.
The £100 Parking Charge Notice is the penalty referred to in the reporting for failing to meet payment requirements or, in this case, for exceeding the permitted time in the pick-up zone.
What Does the Case Mean for Autopay Users?
The case highlights a distinction that may not be immediately clear to every motorist: registration for autopay does not remove all potential charges at Manchester Airport.
Autopay is designed to handle the standard charge for a permitted drop-off or collection. It does not automatically process an overstay charge when a vehicle remains beyond the time limit. Instead, the airport issues that charge separately, allowing the motorist to contest it if they believe it is wrong.
For drivers, the practical implication is that autopay may provide convenience for normal pick-ups and drop-offs, but it does not remove the need to follow the time restrictions displayed at the airport.
Background of the Development
Manchester Airport operates pick-up and drop-off zones at its terminals, with charges and time limits intended to manage traffic and keep spaces available for passengers and drivers. Its autopay system allows motorists to register a vehicle and payment card online so that eligible charges can be taken automatically.
The system is aimed at drivers who use the airport regularly and want to avoid manually paying after each visit. Under the airport’s arrangements, drivers without autopay must settle charges through the airport website or by telephone by midnight on the day after their visit.
In this case, the dispute centres on the boundary between two different types of charge: the standard charge for using the pick-up area within the permitted time, and an overstay charge for exceeding that time. Manchester Airport says the latter is deliberately not processed through autopay so that drivers can appeal.
Prediction: How This Could Affect Drivers
This development is likely to make some Manchester Airport customers more careful about the length of time they spend in pick-up zones, even if they are registered for autopay. Drivers may check signage on arrival, note the 15-minute limit, and avoid assuming that autopay covers every possible charge.
For regular users of the airport, the case may encourage closer attention to account notifications and any correspondence from the airport after a visit. Motorists who receive an overstay notice despite having autopay may be more likely to query the charge, particularly if they believe their vehicle did not exceed the permitted time.
The episode could also prompt greater awareness of the airport’s stated policy that overstay charges are issued separately from autopay. For families, taxi users, and other drivers dropping off or collecting passengers, the main effect is likely to be a need to treat autopay as a payment convenience rather than a blanket exemption from parking rules.
