Frequently asked questions
Please click here to see the road user charges.
There are several ways to pay for crossings, please click here for full details.
The system is free-flow tolling which means there are no payment booths – so no need to stop as you cross the river – which means quicker, easier and more reliable journeys. Instead, merseyflow use automatic number plate reading technology. This involves cameras which will be installed on both bridges and registered users get a special sticker to attach to the windscreen of their registered vehicle to enable us to identify them as they cross the river.
You will be able to drive over both bridges without registering, but by doing this you will have to pay the full unregistered road user charge for each journey you make either in advance or by 11.59 pm the day after you cross. If you don’t pay on time you will receive a Penalty Charge Notice.
Merseyflow is the brand name used to collect the road user charges for crossing the Mersey Gateway Bridge and the Silver Jubilee Bridge. The merseyflow toll/charge system is operated by emovis, an international free-flow tolling specialist appointed by Halton Borough Council (The Charging Authority) to implement the road user charge on both bridges.
Eligible Halton residents can pay a £10 annual admin fee and then make as many personal trips as they like across the river at no extra cost.
The vast majority of Halton residents are eligible for the LUDS. To qualify you must be able to provide evidence that you meet all three criteria below:
- either: (a) be registered with Halton Borough Council as living in a property in Halton with a Council Tax Band of A, B, C, D, E or F;
or (b) be registered with Halton Borough Council as living in a property in Halton with a Council Tax Band of G and H and successfully apply to the council to be included in the Halton residents’ discount scheme as a result of economic hardship or other special circumstances*. - be the holder of a valid and current UK driving licence.
- be the registered keeper according to the DVLA of a car or small van** registered in Halton or equivalent proof that you are an eligible Halton resident who has a lease or hire vehicle.
- Halton residents who have a disability but are not eligible for a Blue Badge and whose disability prevents them from driving, are able to register a vehicle to benefit from unlimited crossings under the LUDS when they are travelling in the vehicle. To qualify you must be in receipt of one of the following: the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance; Attendance Allowance; Enhanced rate of the mobility component of the Personal Independence Allowance; and/or the War Pensioners Mobility Supplement. The nominated driver/vehicle does not need to reside within Halton, however, any crossings made when the disabled resident is not present, will need to be declared and paid for. A £10 annual registration fee applies.
*If you are a Halton resident who is not eligible for the LUDS you may qualify for help through Halton Council’s Local User Discount Support Scheme.
**A small van is a van that weighs less than 3.5 tonnes. Please see our tolling costs table for a more detailed breakdown of vehicle classes.
The basis of the scheme was discussed as part of the Project’s Public Inquiry in 2009 and it was determined the scheme should be based on socio economic criteria.
The Transport and Works Act Order 2011, which gives legal effect to a number of matters in respect of the Mersey Gateway and the Silver Jubilee Bridge, makes such a reference, in Part 5 section 42(12).
It states: “Where any scheme of discounts or waivers is proposed in respect of tolls/charges payable or prospectively payable under this Order the undertaker shall in deciding to adopt or apply any such scheme have regard to the most appropriate way of providing the benefits of such a scheme to those socio-economic groups within the Borough of Halton least able to afford the full price of tolls/charges.”
Following legal advice, the Council deemed Council Tax Bands, which are a tried and tested method of determining a family’s means, as the most appropriate economic hardship criteria.
The quickest way to register is online, but you can also register in person at our local Walk-in Centre, or by calling the team on 01928 878 878. Make sure you have your three registration documents with you if you plan to register in person. If you are registering by phone or the website you will need to provide us with copies of these documents, these can be uploaded to the website, or emailed to us at the following address: info@merseyflow.co.uk.
The quickest and easiest way to renew you LUDS plan is to set-up Auto Renew meaning you won’t need to send us your documents each year, providing you are eligible.
Making the switch is easy – just follow our three simple steps:
- Log into your merseyflow.co.uk account
- Select ‘payment methods’ from the menu options
- Set up Direct Debit as your preferred payment method for your annual fee
- Select ‘vehicles’ from your ‘my account’ home page menu
- Tick Auto Renew for your LUDS vehicle
For full deals click here
Otherwise, if you opt for manual renew you will need to re-register every 12 months and remember to make the £10 administration fee payment every year. Please follow the instructions in our step-by-step guide for more information.
In order to apply for the Local User Discount Scheme (LUDS) you will need to upload three documents, each showing the same address in Halton, to prove where you live and that you qualify for the scheme:
- your valid and current driving licence
- your current Halton council tax bill (to obtain a copy of your current Halton Council tax bill please see FAQ below)
- your V5C vehicle registration form.
What documents do I need to provide to apply under the LUDS with disabilities?
- To apply under the LUDS with Disabilities, please call 01928 878 878 or call into the Walk-in Centre to register as you must provide proof of the above along with proof that you are in receipt of one of the following; the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance, Enhanced rate of mobility component of the Personal Independence Allowance and/or the War Pensioners Mobility Supplement, you must also provide a copy of your Halton Council tax bill, the V5C of the nominated vehicle and the driving licence of the nominated driver.
Please note: no other documents can be accepted.
- If you are applying online you will need to upload photos or scanned copies.
- If you are applying in person you will need to take these documents with you to our local Walk-in Centre.
- If your documents have not been received after 14 days of the plan being set-up, this will show as the account pending and this could result in the vehicle being removed and the account closed.
The quickest way to obtain a copy of your council tax bill is to create an online account on Halton Borough Council’s website here - then click access council tax online. You will need your council tax account number and can verify your details using the requested digits from your bank account or telephone number - providing you pay by direct debit or have linked your phone number to your council tax account. You can then download a copy of your latest bill which will be accepted by Merseyflow. If you already have an online account and cannot remember your login details, please use the forgot details links. If you are unable to register for an account or are struggling to download a copy, please email council.tax@halton.gov.uk. Please remember to include your address in the email so your account can be located.
Did you know, if you are renewing your LUDS plan you can update your plan to Auto Renew meaning you won’t need to send us your documents each year when it’s time to renew your plan.
Making the switch is easy – just follow our three simple steps:
- log into your merseyflow.co.uk account
- set up Direct Debit as your preferred payment method for your annual fee
- tick Auto Renew for your LUDS vehicle
For full deals click here
You can only register one vehicle per person for the Local User Discount Scheme (LUDS). Where there are several qualifying residents all living at the same address e.g. parents with grown-up children who have their own car, each one of them will be able to register a vehicle.
Yes – if you are a Halton resident applying for the Local User Discount Scheme (LUDS). If you don’t apply and successfully register for the scheme you will have to pay the full unregistered toll fee.
If you don’t register you will have to pay the full unregistered toll/charge – £2 per one way trip (for a car or small van) – every time you cross the river.
Halton residents will need to pay a £10 annual fee to register with merseyflow.
This £10 annual registration fee covers the cost of checking the details of your registration. As eligible Halton residents get a special discount which is not available to people who live outside the borough, we need to check that only people who qualify for the scheme get the discount.
Yes – if taxi drivers or driving instructors who meet the other criteria for the LUDS are using their vehicles for private journeys then they can register for the scheme for private journeys only. All commercial trips across the river undertaken by either taxi drivers or driving instructors registered with the LUDS must be declared and paid for.
Yes. If you move house or change your car you will need to let us know. If you change address or your registered vehicle, you will have to re-supply your new details and pay a £10 annual registration fee. Once you have successfully re-registered, your new Local User Discount Scheme (LUDS) will be valid for 12 months. You will also need to inform the DVLA so they can update your records, you can be fined up to £1,000 if you do not inform the DVLA.
Moving house DVLA update link: Tell DVLA you've changed address: step by step - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Changing vehicle DVLA update link: Tell DVLA you've sold, transferred or bought a vehicle - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
If you are planning to change your vehicle before your LUDS needs to be renewed, we would advise not to register your current vehicle early. Account stickers cannot be transferred between vehicles so if you renew early, then change your car, an additional £10 registration fee will apply.
Please be aware that your new vehicle must be registered correctly ahead of travel in order to receive the discount. If you use your old vehicle after the annual discount has expired and before you have registered your new vehicle, you will be liable to pay the toll/charge and could receive a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) for non-payment.
No. Local bus services will not have to pay a toll/charge to cross the Silver Jubilee Bridge. Halton Council wants to encourage more people to use public transport services in Halton.
Halton Borough Council acknowledges that there could be residents of Halton who live in a house in Council Tax band G or above that are on a low income.
To alleviate any potential hardship, the council has created a Halton Local User Discount Support Scheme (HLUDSS) for residents of Halton who reside in such houses when their Household Income* is below the Benefits Cap.**
This Halton Council scheme will enable qualifying Halton residents to apply to have unlimited use of the bridges in the same way as those eligible for the LUDS.
Halton residents who wish to apply for support through the scheme must prove they:
- live in a household in Halton where the total household income* is below the level of the Benefits Cap**
- are the holder of a valid and current UK drivers licence
- are the registered keeper according to the DVLA of a car or a small van registered in Halton or equivalent proof that you are an eligible Halton resident who has a lease or hire vehicle
- are undertaking an apprenticeship and are under 20 years of age and studying for at least 12 hours per week on a course which lasts for more than 3 months for any qualification up to A level, ONC or OND standard. Or if you are in full time education which refers to being enrolled for the purpose of attending a university or college course which lasts for at least 1 academic year, normally requires attendance of at least 24 weeks a year and involves on average at least 21 hours of study, tuition or work experience per week during term time.
If you think you would be eligible to apply for the HLUDSS please contact ludsupport@merseyflow.co.uk to receive an application form or download here.
*The definition of Household Income will be based upon the definition used by Student Finance England to assess household income.
**The Benefit Cap is defined at https://www.gov.uk/benefit-cap/benefit-cap-amounts.
Only residents living in Halton properties registered as Council Tax Band A to F are eligible for the Local User Discount Scheme (LUDS). To check what council tax band your property is, visit: https://www.gov.uk/council-tax-bands.
If the sticker is stolen it won’t work – fraud prevention is built into the system, so it will not provide free crossings or any benefits to anyone who steals a sticker and tries to use it.
The sticker works in conjunction with the ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras and would cause that crossing to drop into our manual review queue, where this will be checked to verify if the vehicle in the image corresponds with the vehicle registered against the sticker.
If the sticker is faulty, it will be replaced free of charge. However, if the sticker is damaged, lost or stolen, a £5 replacement fee will apply.
Once both vehicles are registered then either of you can drive either car over the Mersey Gateway Bridge and Silver Jubilee Bridge to make unlimited personal trips providing you meet all the eligibility criteria.
If you and your partner are both residents of Halton and are eligible to register for the LUDS then you will each need to open a merseyflow account. There will be an annual fee of £10 for each vehicle, and this would entitle each of you to register a car, as long as the person applying for the discount is the registered keeper of the vehicle (i.e. their name is on the V5C registration form).
Under the LUDS only one vehicle can be registered per person.
In this situation, you may want to contact the DVLA to transfer the registration on one of the vehicles into the name of another eligible person living in the same house who also qualifies for the LUDS. That way you will be able to register both vehicles, providing you meet all the other eligibility criteria.
The old paper licence is valid and will be accepted. However, you must also provide a copy of your council tax bill and your vehicle’s V5C registration document.
Under the Local User Discount Scheme (LUDS) only one vehicle can be registered per person.
To get the best value you should register the vehicle you use most frequently to cross the river for the LUDS.
If you wanted to register a second vehicle it would need to be under one of the below plans:
- Sticker plan: For a £5 one-off registration fee, you will receive a sticker that is to be displayed in your vehicle. This will save you 10% on the standard cost of each crossing, making it £1.80 for a one way trip in a car or small van.
- Video plan: For a £5 one-off registration fee, you receive a 5% discount so for example, £1.90 for a one way trip in a car or small van. Drivers with vehicles such as HGVs, minibuses and coaches will also be eligible for this plan.
Yes – if you move house you will need to let us know your new details and pay another annual registration fee. Once you have successfully re-registered, your LUDS will be valid for 12 months.
Yes, the cost of changing vehicles, in this case, would be for registering the new vehicle details and to replace the sticker.
Yes. In order to provide evidence that you lease a vehicle, you will need to provide a copy of your lease/hire/rental agreement.
This document must show your name and address and the vehicle registration.
The hire/lease/rental agreement must show the start date and the end date of the agreement, so we know when the vehicle is in your possession.
Yes, as long as the vehicle is a car or small van and you meet all the other eligibility criteria.
You will need to provide us with a copy of a letter from your employer on company headed note paper that contains the information asked for in this template – i.e.
- the vehicle registration
- the company name
- the company address
- your name
- confirmation that the company car must be for your sole use only and is kept at your home address in Halton.
You can do this by calling merseyflow or going to the walk-in centre, identifying which of your trips were made for business purposes and then paying for them at the discounted ‘sticker rate’ of £1.80 per each way trip.
Yes – providing you meet all the other qualifying criteria and can supply the other relevant documents. Along with your driving licence, you will need to provide an alternative form of address e.g. a utility bill dated from the last three months.
Yes - if your Halton council tax bill is in the name of another person that is not a problem – you can still use this to register for the LUDS as long as you meet all the other eligibility criteria. The key thing is that your address matches across all three documents and that the V5C registration form and the driving licence are both in your name.
If you don’t renew your LUDS on time then merseyflow will automatically switch your LUDS to a pre-pay plan and you will have to pay for any journeys you make across the Mersey Gateway Bridge and Silver Jubilee Bridge. With your pre-pay plan you will receive a 10% discount on the cost of the full toll/charge for each crossing. The simplest way to ensure your account is in credit is to select the auto top-up option. You can do this by logging in to your merseyflow account and looking at the account information.
The unregistered toll/charge rate will be £2 per one-way trip for a car or a small van, but if you live outside Halton there are two different options you can select to reduce the cost of toll/charge – a pre-pay plan or a monthly pass.
If you think you will make less than 50 one-way trips over the river in Halton each month then a pre-pay plan is probably the best option for you.
If you think you will make more than 50 one-way trips over the river in Halton each month then an unlimited travel monthly pass is probably the best option for you.
If you register for a pre-pay sticker plan you save 10% on every trip and get a sticker to go on the windscreen of your vehicle.
If you register for a pre-pay video plan you only save 5% on every trip and you won’t get a sticker to go on your vehicle.
We’re encouraging people to register for sticker plans by offering a greater saving because that is the most efficient way for us to monitor traffic and collect the toll/charge revenue.
Our pre-pay plans will work in a similar way to a 'pay-as-you-go' mobile phone contract. Registered users will pre-pay £20 into their account and this money will be used to pay for your crossings.
You will have to pay £20 per registered vehicle into your pre-pay account initially, plus your £5 registration fee. The £20 will all be used to pay for your crossings. If you close your account at any point and haven’t used the money in it you will be refunded all of the unspent balance in your account.
Our auto top-up system will ensure that you always have money in your merseyflow account and that you won’t risk getting a penalty charge.
If you register for a merseyflow account, you will get the choice to set up the account, so it is automatically topped up by direct debit from your bank account whenever the level of funds in your merseyflow account drops below a specified amount. The minimum amount you can specify is £10 but you can set a higher amount if you wish to do so.
No – you can choose to top-up your account yourself, but this way you will run a much greater risk of not having enough money in your account to pay for your crossing.
You will be able to choose your own top-up value, though there will be a minimum top-up value of £20. We recommend you choose a value that is roughly equal to the amount you expect to spend on crossings on a monthly basis.
Yes – you will be able to register as many vehicles as you own under one merseyflow account.
You can choose – you can either register both vehicles under one merseyflow account under one of your names or open two separate merseyflow accounts.
The easiest way to register is online at this website or in person at our local Walk-in Centre or over the phone if you prefer.
If registering online, just select the ‘merseyflow Pre-pay plan’ option and follow the instructions. You will need to pay a £5 one-off registration fee per vehicle and a £20 initial payment to cover your future crossings.
We’ll check your details and once we’re happy we’ll send you your special merseyflow sticker to go on the windscreen of your vehicle, or, if you’ve decided you want the video-registered option and just get a 5% discount on the unregistered toll/charge, we’ll add your vehicle to our database of registered vehicles.
The saving will vary depending on how much you cross the bridges in Halton. For people who cross the river a lot the savings can be significant.
For example, if you cross the river an average of four times a day that adds up to 120 one-way trips over a 30-day month.
At the sticker registered toll/charge price of £1.80 for a one-way journey this would cost £216, so buying the £90 monthly unlimited travel pass would save you £126 a month.
If you made the same number of journeys five days a week rather than seven days a week the saving would be a minimum of £54 a month.
If you make more than 35 one-way trips purely at off-peak times (between 10am to 4pm and 7pm to 7am Monday to Friday and all times on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays) and very few or no journeys during peak times (between 7am to 10am and 4pm to 7pm Monday to Friday), then the £60 monthly off-peak pass might be a better option for you. You will need to pre-pay any crossings made during peak hours.
You can buy a monthly pass when you register or at any time after that and link it to any one vehicle you have registered on your merseyflow account.
The plan will last a calendar month, for example, if you purchase your pass on 26 March it will expire on 25 April.
No. You don’t have to commit to buying one every month and you will be able to buy one at any time during the month.
The plan will last a calendar month, for example, if you purchase your pass on 26 March it will expire on 25 April.
No. The monthly passes will be specific to a single vehicle and are not transferable to any other vehicles.
No – only cars or small vans are eligible for a monthly pass.
You won’t need any documents to register for a pre-pay plan or a monthly pass.
Anyone registering for a pre-pay plan will need to pay a one-off £5 registration fee for each vehicle they register. If you buy a new car and want to register it with merseyflow it will cost an additional £5 as the sticker is not transferable between vehicles.
No. You will be able to drive over both the Mersey Gateway Bridge and the Silver Jubilee Bridge in Halton without registering but by doing this you will have to pay the full unregistered toll/charge cost for each journey you make. You can only access discounts by registering with merseyflow.
If you don’t register you will have to pay the full unregistered toll/charge – £2 per one way trip – every time you cross the river.
There are several ways to pay for your crossing:
- www.merseyflow.co.uk
- Via the Merseyflow Quick Pay App
- by phone 01928 878 878 option 2
- in person at our local walk-in centre
- by using Payzone
You will be able to pay by debit or credit card but we will not accept BACS payments.
You will have to pay by midnight the day after you cross the Mersey Gateway Bridge and Silver Jubilee Bridge or you will be issued with a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) of up to £60.
So, for example, if you crossed the Mersey Gateway Bridge or Silver Jubilee Bridge on a Monday morning you would have until 11:59pm on Tuesday night to pay the toll/charge fee.
If you don’t pay, or if you forget to pay in time, you will be issued with a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN).
You will be able to do this 24/7 by logging in to your online account at www.merseyflow.co.uk.
During office hours, you will also be able to do this by phone by calling our contact centre, and quoting the vehicle registration, then one of our customer service representatives will be able to confirm if there is any remaining balance against your vehicle.
There are several ways to pay for crossing over the Mersey Gateway Bridge and the Silver Jubilee Bridge:
- merseryflow.co.uk
- Via the Merseyflow Quickpay App
- At a Payzone outlet
- By phone on 01928 878 878 to the merseyflow customer contact centre
- In person at our walk-in centre in Runcorn.
- These will all accept payment by credit or debit card. We do not accept cheques.
We will also take cash payments in the walk-in centre and at Payzone outlets.
We will accept credit and debit card payments from Visa and Mastercard.
Payzone is a cash acceptance network that provides a means for making cash payments towards utility bills, crossing tolls/charges and various other bills, without having to use a payment card.
To find out where your nearest Payzone is and for more information you can look at the website: www.payzone.co.uk.
Please ensure the correct registration plate has been entered when paying for your crossing, be careful not to mix up the letter 'I' and 'O' with the numbers '1' and '0'
Yes, prepaid credit will stay on the vehicle registration for 24 months from the time of payment.
If you paid for two crossings and only made a single crossing, the remaining crossing payment would remain as credit for the same period.
Yes – once both vehicles are registered to an account, with a sticker or video pre-pay plan, then either of you can drive either car, presuming you have all the appropriate insurance cover in place. You can choose to register two vehicles on one merseyflow account, or open two separate merseyflow accounts.
Yes, low balance reminders are issued when the customer’s account balance reaches their 'low-balance threshold'. This is a nominal value chosen by the customer.
Yes, you will be able to do this by logging on to your account or by calling our contact centre.
Blue Badge holders* can cross both bridges as many times as they like at no extra charge once they have successfully registered their vehicle for the Blue Badge plan and paid a £5 registration fee.
*A Blue Badge holder is defined as someone who has been issued a blue badge under section 21 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act (1970).
You can register a vehicle driven by a family member or friend as your designated vehicle. Please remember that unless the Blue Badge holder is in the vehicle the driver will have to pay the toll/charge. Each vehicle can only be registered once so if you are registering a family member’s vehicle, they don’t need to register the same vehicle.
No. You can only register one vehicle per Blue Badge holder.
You should register your most used vehicle.
Yes. If the Blue Badge holder is not in the vehicle then the driver of the vehicle will have to pay the toll/charge.
The easiest way to register is online at this website, you can also register in person at our local Walk-in Centre or by phone by calling 01928 878 878 if you prefer.
If you are applying for a Blue Badge plan you will need to provide a copy of both sides of your current Blue Badge.
If you are applying in person you will need to take your Blue Badge with you to our local Walk-in Centre.
When your Blue Badge expires, you will need to submit copies of both sides of your new badge to qualify for your Blue Badge discount.
Yes, if you want to access the free travel offer for the Blue Badge plan, we would encourage all Blue Badge holders to register.
If you don’t register you will have to pay the full unregistered toll/charge – £2 per one way trip (for cars and small vans) – every time you cross the river.
Blue Badge holders will need to pay a £5 one-off fee to register with merseyflow.
Yes. If you move house or change your car you will need to let us know. If you change your registered vehicle you will have to re-supply your new details and pay a further £5 fee to re-register.
Blue Badge Holders are eligible to enter onto the Mersey Gateway and Silver Jubilee Bridge exemption register. This is as standard across toll roads and crossings across the country and is set out in the legal orders governing the project. The parameters of the exemptions register was discussed at length as part of the project's Public Inquiry in 2009.
All vehicles eligible for exemption on the Mersey Gateway and Silver Jubilee Bridges must register with Merseyflow and pay a £5 one-off fee in order to receive the exemption. This is in place for all exempt users. The £5 one-off fee covers the cost of administration of the account set-up and the sticker which will be displayed in each vehicle. If the Blue Badge Holder wishes to change the vehicle which will receive the exemption, a further £5 one-off fee must be paid.
The Mersey Gateway and Silver Jubilee Bridge exemptions register will recognise Organisational Blue Badges on the basis that only specialist adapted vehicles, registered with the DVLA under the ‘disabled passenger vehicle tax class’, for the movement of users with disabilities can be registered. As with all other exempt vehicles, the vehicle/s must be registered with Merseyflow and a £5 one-off registration fee must be paid.
The cost varies depending on the class of vehicle you are driving. For a detailed summary please see our toll/charge page or look at our dedicated sections below for different types of vehicles.
However, anyone, whatever type of vehicle they drive, can save up to 10% on the standard toll/charge by registering for a pre-pay sticker plan and paying a £5 one-off fee.
Our pre-pay plans will work in a similar way to a ‘pay-as-you-go’ mobile phone contract. Registered users will pre-pay £20 into their account and this money will be used to pay for your crossings.
If you register for a pre-pay sticker plan you save 10% on every trip and get a sticker to go on the windscreen of your vehicle.
If you register for a pre-pay video plan you only save 5% on every trip and you won’t get a sticker to go on your vehicle.
We’re encouraging people to register for sticker plans by offering a greater saving because that is the most efficient way for us to monitor traffic and collect the toll/charge revenue.
You will have to pay a minimum of £20 into your pre-pay plan initially, plus your £5 registration fee. The £20 will all be used to pay for your crossings. If you close your account at any point and haven’t used the money in it you will be refunded the full £20.
Our auto top-up system will ensure that you always have money in your merseyflow account and that you won’t risk getting a penalty charge.
If you register for a merseyflow account you will get the choice to set up the account so it is automatically topped up by direct debit from your bank account whenever the level of funds in your merseyflow account drops below a specified amount. The minimum amount you can specify is £20 but you can set a higher amount if you wish to do so.
No – you can choose to top-up your account yourself, but this way you will run a much greater risk of not having enough money in your account to pay for your crossing.
You will be able to choose your own top-up value, though there will be a minimum top-up value of £20. We recommend you choose a value that is roughly equal to the amount you expect to spend on crossings on a monthly basis.
Yes – you will be able to register as many vehicles as you own under one account.
The easiest way to register will be online at this website, you will also be able to register in person at our local Walk-in Centre or over the phone if you prefer.
If registering online, just select the ‘merseyflow Pre-pay plan’ option and follow the instructions. You will need to pay a £5 one-off registration fee.
We’ll check your details and in a few days we’ll send you your special merseyflow sticker to go on the windscreen of your vehicle, or, if you’ve decided you want the video-registered option and just get a 5% discount on the unregistered toll/charge, we’ll add your vehicle to our database of registered vehicles.
You won’t need any documents to register.
Anyone registering for a pre-pay plan will need to pay a one-off £5 registration fee per vehicle and an initial £20 payment that will cover your future crossings.
No. You will be able to drive over the bridges in Halton without registering but by doing this you will have to pay the full unregistered toll/charge cost for each journey you make across either the Mersey Gateway Bridge or the Silver Jubilee Bridge. You can only access discounts by registering with merseyflow.
If you don’t register you will have to pay the full unregistered toll/charge – £2 per one way trip (for class 2 vehicles) – every time you cross the river.
You will have four options. You will be able to pay:
- online at www.merseyflow.co.uk
- by phone 01928 878 878
- in person at our local walk-in centre
- At a payzone outlet
You will be able to pay by debit or credit card but we will not accept BACS payments.
You will have to pay by midnight the day after you cross either the Mersey Gateway Bridge or the Silver Jubilee Bridge or you will be issued with a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) of up to £60.
So, for example, if you crossed either the Mersey Gateway Bridge or the Silver Jubilee Bridge on a Monday morning you would have until 11.59pm on Tuesday night to pay the toll/charge fee.
If you don’t pay, or if you forget to pay in time, you will be issued with a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN).
No – VAT is not included. This is because tolls/charges are exempt from VAT.
Yes, low balance reminders are issued when the customer’s account balance reaches their “low-balance threshold”. This is a nominal value chosen by the customer.
Yes, you will be able to do this by logging on to your account or by calling our contact centre.
No – only cars or small vans (class 2) are eligible for a monthly pass.
A small van is a van that weighs under 3.5 tonnes. If the van weighs over 3.5 tonnes then it will be a Class 3 vehicle and you should read our dedicated section relating to Class 3 vehicles.
A commercial vehicle is any vehicle that is used for business purposes. This could be a vehicle that is predominantly used for personal use.
However, any action that involves the vehicle being used for business is chargeable as a commercial vehicle.
If you drive a car or a small van for a mix of personal and business use and also qualify for the Local User Discount Scheme (LUDS) then you will be able to register that vehicle for the LUDS.
So, an eligible Halton resident who is driving a Volkswagen Polo that is mostly used for personal use, but which is used as a pizza delivery vehicle in the evening, would need to pay for crossings made during the evening, but not the personal trips.
Anyone who is not registered for the LUDS will need to pay for all trips, whether for business or personal use.
No, only Class 2 vehicles can qualify for a monthly pass.
The details of the tolling arrangements and discounts for the project were set out in detail at the Public Inquiry back in 2009 and then signed off by the UK Government. There are no immediate plans to introduce monthly passes for other classes of vehicles.
However, as part of the wider management arrangements for the project there will be a three-year review looking at toll/charge levels across the board and issues such as this would be considered at that point.
If you are making a journey across the river for business reasons then you will be liable to pay a toll/charge.
Who ultimately pays that cost is not a decision for merseyflow – individual employers will make their own policies in relation to this. We recommend you raise the issue with your employer.
The Byelaws can be found at http://www.merseygateway.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Mersey-Gateway-Byelaws.pdf
The unregistered toll/charge rate will be £2 per one-way trip for these vehicles, but if you are driving a car, small van or passenger vehicle for business use there are two different options you can select to reduce the cost of tolls/charges – a pre-pay plan or a monthly pass.
If you think you will make less than 50 one-way trips over the river in Halton each month then a pre-pay plan is probably the best option for you.
If you think you will make more than 50 one-way trips over the river in Halton each month then an unlimited travel monthly pass is probably the best option for you.
A small van is a van that weighs less than 3.5 tonnes. If the van weighs over 3.5 tonnes then it will be a Class 3 vehicle and you should read our dedicated section below.
Yes. Class 2 vehicles include passenger vehicles that can accommodate eight passengers plus a driver.
The saving will vary depending on how much you cross the bridges in Halton. For people who cross the river a lot the savings can be significant.
For example, if you cross the river an average of four times a day that adds up to 120 one-way trips over a 30-day month.
At the sticker registered toll/charge price of £1.80 for a one-way journey this would cost £216, so buying the £90 monthly unlimited travel pass would save you £126 a month.
If you made the same number of journeys five days a week rather than seven days a week the saving would be a minimum of £54 a month.
If you make more than 35 one-way trips purely at off-peak times (between 10am to 4pm and 7pm to 7am Monday to Friday and all times on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays) and very few or no journeys during peak times (between 7am to 10am and 4pm to 7pm Monday to Friday), then the £60 monthly off-peak pass might be a better option for you.
You will be able to buy a monthly pass when you register or at any time after that and link it to any one vehicle you have registered on your merseyflow account.
No. You don’t have to commit to buying one every month and you will be able to buy one at any time during the month.
No. The monthly passes will be specific to a single vehicle and are not transferable to any other vehicles.
You will be able to register them all online under one account. This will enable you to monitor all your vehicles in one place and update or change any information accordingly.
Class 3 vehicles are defined as:
- goods vehicles weighing between 3.5 and 12 tonnes
- passenger carrying vehicles with nine or more seats weighing less than 5 tonnes
Class 4 vehicles are defined as:
- goods vehicles weighing over 12 tonnes
- passenger carrying vehicles with nine or more seats weighing more than 5 tonnes
The unregistered toll rate will be £6 per one-way trip for these vehicles, but you can save 10% on the cost of each trip by registering with merseyflow for a pre-pay sticker plan.
The unregistered toll/charge rate will be £8 per one-way trip for these vehicles, but you can save 10% on the cost of each trip by registering with merseyflow for a pre-pay sticker plan.
No. Monthly passes are only available for Class 2 vehicles.
You will be able to register them all online under one account. This will enable you to monitor all your vehicles in one place and update or change any information accordingly.
Agricultural tractors are exempt for use of the Silver Jubilee Bridge only. In order to qualify as exempt, an exempt account must be applied for. Please call 01928 878 878 or email fleet@merseyflow.co.uk to apply for an exempt account, a £5 fee per vehicle is applicable. Please see exemption rules below and technical summary.
There is no extra charge for towing a caravan, you will be charged according to the vehicle that is towing it. If the caravan is being towed by a car or a small van then it will be £2 each way at the unregistered toll/charge rate.
If you have successfully registered for the local user discount scheme, or are a Blue Badge holder who is registered with merseyflow, then it will not cost you anything to tow any kind of caravan.
Campervans/motorhomes are class 2* vehicles so will cost £2 each way at the unregistered toll/charge rate.
*Conditions apply, please refer to classification of vehicles below.
The precise definitions of the classification of vehicles for toll/charge purposes can be found in Transport Act 2000: The A533 (Mersey Gateway Bridge) and the A557 (Silver Jubilee Bridge) Road User Charging Scheme Order 2020 in schedule 11 Level of Tolls/Charges Part 2 Classification of Vehicles where is states:
CLASS 1 VEHICLE means a moped falling within classifications A(a) and A(b); motorcycles falling within classifications B(a) and B(b); motor tricycles falling within classifications C(a) and C(b); and quadricycles falling within classifications D(a), D(b), E(a) and E(b).
CLASS 2 VEHICLE means motor caravans falling within classifications L(a) and L(b); motor vehicles with at least four wheels, used for the carriage of passengers falling within classifications M(a) and M(b); and motor vehicles with at least four wheels used for the carriage of goods falling within classifications N(a) and N(b).
CLASS 3 VEHICLE means motor vehicles with at least four wheels used for the carriage of passengers falling within classifications M(a) and M(b); and motor vehicles with at least four wheels used for the carriage of goods falling within classifications N(a) and N(b).
CLASS 4 VEHICLE means motor vehicles with at least four wheels used for the carriage of passengers falling within classifications M(a) and M(b); and motor vehicles with at least four wheels used for the carriage of goods falling within classifications N(a) and N(b).
Reference to “classifications” in this Part are references to the classes of motor vehicles contained or referred to in Parts 2 to 5 of the Schedule to the Road User Charging and Work Place Parking Levy (Classes of Motor Vehicles) (England) Regulations 2001.
Yes, you can choose to register the courtesy car and pay a £5 fee for registering it, or alternatively you could pay the tolls/charges as normal until your registered vehicle is returned to you.
People driving military vehicles, some emergency vehicles and motorbikes will not have to pay tolls/charges – for a detailed summary of what counts as an exempt vehicle please see this technical summary.
Minibuses that have 8 or less passenger seats plus the driver seat are Class 2 vehicles, and will cost £2 per crossing if they are not registered with merseyflow.
Minibuses with more than 8 passenger seats are Class 3 vehicles and will cost £6 per crossing if they are not registered with merseyflow.
Whatever your class of vehicle, you will be able to save 10% on each trip by registering and paying a one-off £5 fee, or, if you are a regular user, you might want to consider buying a monthly pass.
Yes – motability cars are not exempt from the Mersey Gateway and Silver Jubilee Bridge tolls/charges.
However, if the user of the motability car is a Blue Badge holder, the user can register the car as part of the Blue Badge holder exemption. Under this scheme, the car will be registered with Merseyflow at £5 one-off-fee.
If the motability car is leased and its user is otherwise eligible for the Local User Discount Scheme, the vehicle can be registered with proof of exclusive lease to the eligible Halton resident for a £10 annual fee.
Motability cars can also be registered through sticker and video registration and for monthly passes in line with other vehicles.
Yes, motorbikes are exempt from paying the toll/charges.
No, you do not need to open an account as motorbikes can travel for free.
Four-wheeled motorbikes and quad bikes are Class 1 vehicles and are therefore exempt from paying the toll/charge.
If you don’t pay for your journey in advance, or by midnight the day after you cross the Mersey Gateway Bridge or Silver Jubilee Bridge, you will receive a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN).
If you have missed the 11.59pm toll/charge payment deadline, but have not yet received a PCN, please wait until you have received it, before making complete payment. You will need the reference number from the PCN in order to make payment.
If you make a toll/charge payment for a journey after the payment deadline, we are unable to automatically allocate this without your express consent and your PCN will request payment of both the original toll/charge and penalty. You cannot pay for a penalty on the merseyflow website without a reference number therefore, please wait until you receive the PCN, allowing you to make full payment in a single transaction.
Underpayment will result in further penalties being issued.
If you have not paid the toll/charge in full by midnight the day after you cross the Mersey Gateway Bridge or Silver Jubilee Bridge, a penalty charge of £40 is payable. This will be reduced to £20 if paid within 14 days of the date of the PCN. This is in addition to the price of the toll/charge. You will be notified of this penalty charge through the issue of a PCN. A PCN is a legal document and must not be ignored. The PCN will be issued to the address of the registered keeper, or the person identified as being responsible for that vehicle at the time the crossing was made.
| Time taken to pay | Cost of penalty charge |
| Within 14 days of PCN's date of service | £20 plus unpaid toll/charge fee |
| Within 28 days of PCN's date of service | £40 plus unpaid toll/charge fee |
| Within 42 days of PCN's date of service | £60 plus unpaid toll/charge fee |
| Beyond 42 days of PCN's date of service | The penalty is registered as a civil debt. Recovery action will begin and enforcement agents may be instructed. The final outstanding payment owed could run into hundreds of pounds depending on the cost of recovering the debt. |
All those in receipt of a PCN are entitled to challenge it. A challenge must be made within 28 days of the date of service by following the guidance given on the back of the PCN.
The PCN sets out the formal grounds in which a representation against the penalty charge may be made to Halton Borough Council as Charging Authority. Please note: merseyflow administer the toll/charge system on behalf of Halton Borough Council meaning all correspondence and written representations must be sent to merseyflow. merseyflow will review all representations and implement the Council's decision.
You will be told the outcome of your representation within 56 days of the merseyflow receiving it. If your representation is rejected, you are entitled to appeal against that decision to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal. Information on how to appeal will be included in the written notice of rejection.
As the Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) is a legal document, any representation must be made in writing following the instructions listed on the back of the PCN.
If you want to make a representation, we recommend you do so immediately as this action will suspend the process of the PCN, putting on hold the penalty charge level and time period until a decision is reached on your representation. If your representation is denied the penalty charge level and time period will be resumed. If your representation is denied the penalty charge level and time period will be resumed.
The penalty charge of £40 will be reduced to £20 if you pay within 14 days of the date of service. You must also pay the outstanding toll/charge. The Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) will give you details on how to pay the penalty charge and outstanding toll/charge.
If you have not paid the penalty charge and toll/charge within this 14 day period, the penalty charge will revert to £40 plus the toll charge.
If you don’t pay your PCN or make a representation against it within 28 days, the penalty charge payable will increase further to £60. This charge will be payable in addition to the toll/charge. You will be advised of this increase through the issue of a Charge Certificate. Once a Charge Certificate is issued, you will no longer have a statutory right of appeal. Payment of the increased penalty charge and the toll/charge must be made within 14 days of the date of service of the Charge Certificate.
If the Charge Certificate is the first you have heard about the Penalty Charge Notice (PCN), you can write to us explaining why you feel you should not have to pay the penalty charge. At this stage we do not have a legal duty to consider your representation but we may consider it if we believe that you have reasonable grounds for making a late representation. We will notify you of our decision within 56 days.
If your late representation is not accepted or if you have not paid the Charge Certificate within 14 days of the date of service, an application will be made to the County Court registering the debt. At this stage a £10 court fee will also become applicable. An Order for Recovery document will be issued advising you of the date in which you must either pay the total outstanding amount or file a witness statement with the County Court in accordance with the instructions provided.
If a payment is not made, or a witness statement submitted within 21 days, the debt may be passed onto enforcement agents.
If the penalty charge is still not paid within 21 days and you have not filed a witness statement, an application will be made for the authorisation of a warrant of control to be issued. This Warrant will be passed to our appointed enforcement agents, Marston Holdings.
If the debt remains unpaid at this stage the amount owed will increase significantly and could run into hundreds of pounds depending on the cost of recovering the debt.
If a debt is passed to Marston Holdings they will send a Notice of Enforcement to the registered keeper of the vehicle in question.
The Road User Charging Schemes (Penalty Charges, Adjudication and Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2013 impose no time limit for when a PCN may be served by, but in the interests of motorist the Charging Authority have decided a cut off period of 6 months to be fair and reasonable.
Merseyflow has appointed Marston Holdings to carry out enforcement activity.
Marston Holdings is a UK-based company that enforces debts in accordance with the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007. You can read more about Marston Holdings, the enforcement process and statutory fees on its website.
Unfortunately, there are a small number of people – less than 0.5% of all customers – who don’t pay either their toll/charge fee on time or their penalty charge within 42 days of its service.
It is only fair to the huge majority of people who pay on time that we collect the debt from people who persistently don’t pay.
At this stage, the debt is now handled by Marston Holdings. Anyone receiving a Notice of Enforcement from Marston Holdings will need to pay their debt to them, not to merseyflow.
If a debt is passed to Marston Holdings they will send a Notice of Enforcement to the registered keeper of the vehicle in question.
The costs to anyone who still hasn’t paid by this stage can increase significantly the longer they choose not to pay.
The costs to anyone who still haven’t paid by this stage can increase significantly the longer they choose not to pay.
You will still have to pay your original toll/charge fee(s), the penalty charge(s) and court fee(s), plus any additional costs associated with the enforcement process.
You can read more about Marston Holdings, the enforcement process and statutory fees on its website.
You can read more about Marston Holdings, the enforcement process and statutory fees on its website.
We hope you are happy with the service you receive from merseyflow. In the event that your experience is not what you would expect we would like to hear about it. This will help us improve our future service and put things right for you if errors have occurred.
This process covers complaints only. If you wish to challenge (make a representation) against a PCN please go to www.merseyflow.co.uk/Make-a-Representation. Please note, the PCN representation process follows a different process with differing response timescales.
Merseyflow has a dedicated in house team that will investigate, action and respond to complaints, following a fair and balanced approach.
You can make your complaint on the website at www.merseyflow.co.uk/contact-us, via email to info@merseyflow.co.uk, through our Customer Contact Centre or in writing to:
Merseyflow Customer Services
PO BOX 327
Runcorn
WA7 9DW
Please include full details of your complaint along with your contact information and vehicle details.
We will aim to respond to your complaint within 3 working days, if we require more time to investigate we will let you know the reasons why and the approximate timescales for a full response.
Complaints escalation process:
If you are not happy with our response you have the right to ask for your case to be reviewed by the Complaints Manager. They will make initial contact with you to advise of response timescales on an individual basis. Complaints will be escalated where relevant to Halton Borough Council and the Mersey Gateway Crossings Board only when the said complaint has been through the full merseyflow complaints process. Any complaints sent to Halton Borough Council or the Mersey Gateway Crossings Board in the first instance will not be addressed. All complaints must go to merseyflow via the communication methods above first.