Uber cancellation and wait time fees in London: What they cost and why it’s charged
- Perry Richardson
- Oct 4
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 5
Uber riders in London face a set of fixed cancellation and variable wait time fees, depending on the type of service they book. These charges apply when trips are cancelled outside a short grace period or when a driver is made to wait beyond that period. The amount charged varies based on factors such as time of day, location within the city, and service level chosen.
When a rider cancels a trip shortly after booking, or fails to show up after a driver has waited for a set period, Uber applies a cancellation fee. These fees are not the same across all service types.
For the standard UberX and Green services, the cancellation fee is £4.90. This rate also applies to UberXL, Uber Pet, Share, and the Wait & Save options. Uber Comfort has a slightly higher fee of £6.75. Premium services see steeper charges, with Exec and Exec XXL both at £9.00, and Lux at £11.75. Black Cab cancellations are charged at £6.85.
Before a wait time fee begins, each service has a grace period. This ranges from 2 to 5 minutes depending on the product. UberX, Green, and similar services have a 2-minute grace period. Exec, Exec XXL, Comfort, and Lux offer riders between 3 and 5 minutes before any waiting charges apply. Black Cabs have a 5-minute grace period, but do not attract wait time fees at the pickup point.
After the grace period ends, Uber starts charging a wait time fee per minute. These charges differ by product. For instance, UberX and similar services charge between £0.34 and £0.44 per minute. Exec ranges from £0.54 to £0.72 per minute, and Lux can go as high as £1.07 per minute. The exact rate depends on whether the booking is made in peak or off-peak hours, and whether it’s inside or outside London’s Congestion Charge Zone (CCZ).
Separate from pickup delays, Uber also applies wait time fees during stops mid-trip. These also vary. UberX, Green, and other standard services are charged at £0.34 per minute at stops, increasing to £0.37 if surge pricing is active. For premium options, these fees are higher. Exec waits at stops are charged at £0.54, surging to £0.59. Lux charges £0.80 per minute at stops, rising to £0.88 when surged.
Surge pricing applies during periods of high demand, and this affects the per-minute wait time fee at stops but not at pickup.
Should premium ride options justify higher wait time and cancellation fees?
Premium services like Lux and Exec command significantly higher wait and cancellation fees. While the rationale is that drivers operating higher-value vehicles should be compensated more for their time, it raises questions around fairness for riders. For instance, a few minutes’ delay in getting to a Lux vehicle could cost nearly three times as much as a delay for an UberX. The differences may be justifiable for some based on the type of service expected, but the variation remains steep.
What riders can do to avoid Uber’s wait time and cancellation charges
To avoid being charged, riders should cancel within the grace period, which ranges from 2 to 5 minutes depending on the service selected. It’s also advisable to be ready for pickup before booking or as soon as the driver arrives, especially with services that charge high per-minute rates. Being late by just five minutes on a Lux booking during peak hours could cost a rider over £5 in wait time alone.
Riders can check the fee policies directly in the app before confirming a trip. Uber displays the applicable grace period and cancellation fee during the booking flow, and the help section outlines how wait time fees apply.
