Silvertown or Blackwall Tunnel charge already paid

Since April 2025, drivers using the Silvertown or Blackwall Tunnel must pay a crossing charge through TfL Auto Pay or a single payment. Sometimes a penalty notice is sent even though you did pay, because TfL could not match your payment to your vehicle — for example, if your number plate is recorded differently on your Auto Pay account, or you recently changed your vehicle and did not update your account details.

Legal basis

Greater London Authority Act 1999, Schedule 23 (TfL road user charging powers); Road User Charging Schemes (Penalty Charges, Adjudication and Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2013 (SI 2013/1783), reg. 4 — statutory ground that the penalty charge has been paid and/or the alleged contravention did not occur; Transport for London (Silvertown Tunnel and Blackwall Tunnel) road user charging scheme.

How to identify this in your case

Check your TfL Auto Pay statement and your bank or card records for a payment that matches the date and tunnel shown on your penalty notice. Look closely at whether the number plate saved on your Auto Pay account matches your vehicle exactly — even a spacing difference (for example, 'AB12CDE' instead of 'AB12 CDE') can cause a mismatch. Also check whether you changed your vehicle recently and forgot to update your account.

Sample appeal wording

Before you send this

Deadline. A late submission can be turned down without your argument being read. Check your notice for the deadline and how it is counted.
Paying may end it. Paying can count as accepting the notice and can close a challenge already under way. Part-paying or acknowledging an old debt can also revive a time limit that had expired.
The amount can change. Check what happens to the sum if you challenge — it may be held, re-offered lower, or keep rising, and fees or enforcement can continue meanwhile.
Use the official route. Use the method, recipient and form your notice specifies, with any reference, evidence and signature it asks for. Sent elsewhere, it may not count.
Only say what is true. Do not copy any statement of fact unless it is true for you, and check the legal point still applies. Delete what does not fit. It may be treated as your statement.
Careful what you volunteer. Avoid unnecessary admissions — naming the driver or accepting responsibility can remove arguments. But answer anything you are legally required to answer, and do include the evidence your ground needs.
Keep the record. Keep what you sent, the attachments, any receipt, and the reply. Note the next deadline.

Sample wording to adapt and send yourself — it may not fit your notice or the stage you are at. Replace the bracketed prompts with your own details; leave any case citation as it is.

The user charge for crossing the [Silvertown/Blackwall] Tunnel on [DATE] was paid [via TfL Auto Pay / single payment, reference [REF]]. The PCN was issued in error because the payment was not matched to my vehicle. I rely on the statutory ground that the penalty charge has been paid and/or the contravention did not occur. Evidence: [Auto Pay statement / payment confirmation / bank statement] is attached.

Beat It writes this argument automatically

Scan your PCN — our AI checks if this ground applies to your specific ticket, drafts a properly-cited appeal letter, and sends it for you where the council takes email — guiding you through their own online form where they use one, so you press submit. The win fee is only charged if you win.

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Silvertown or Blackwall Tunnel charge already paid

Legal basis

How to identify this in your case

Sample appeal wording

Beat It writes this argument automatically

Sources

Related appeal grounds

Next steps