A quote on Fare 1 is built from a base fare plus any applicable surcharges. Every surcharge is shown as a separate line item before you confirm, and nothing is added after the journey. This article explains each surcharge type in full — what triggers it, how it is calculated, and what it means for the total you pay.
Base Fare: Where the Calculation Starts
Before any surcharges, the base fare is the per-mile rate for your chosen vehicle category multiplied by the route distance. Route distance is measured by Google's routing engine from your precise pickup coordinates to your precise drop-off, choosing the shortest sensible route.
The per-mile rate varies by vehicle category — an executive saloon has a different rate from a first-class saloon or a minibus — but within each category the rate is fixed regardless of time, day, or demand.
Airport Pickup and Drop-Off Surcharge
What it is. Many UK airports charge private hire vehicles an official access fee to enter terminal forecourts or pick-up zones. Where this applies, Fare 1 passes the fee through to the passenger as a transparent line item. We do not absorb it into the base fare and we do not inflate it.
When it applies. The surcharge applies when the pickup or drop-off point is a recognised airport terminal. It applies in both directions of travel — a journey dropping a passenger at an airport departure hall may carry a different fee from one collecting a passenger from arrivals, depending on the airport's own structure.
Multiple airports in one journey. If your route passes through or includes stops at more than one airport, the relevant fee for each airport endpoint is applied separately. The quote will show each as a named line item so there is no ambiguity about what you are being charged for and why.
Airports with no access fee. Not all airports charge a private hire levy. Where no fee applies, no surcharge appears. The surcharge only ever appears when an actual fee is being passed through.
Late-Night Surcharge
What it is. Journeys that operate during late-night hours carry an additional surcharge to reflect the conditions of night-time travel and the time premium for drivers.
When it applies. The surcharge applies based on the journey's pickup time falling within the defined late-night window. The exact window is displayed on the platform. If your departure time falls within it, the surcharge appears on the quote. If it does not, it does not appear.
It is fixed, not variable. The late-night surcharge is a fixed amount, not a percentage multiplier. It does not increase on bank holidays or on busy nights. If the surcharge applies, the amount is the same regardless of any other factor.
Waiting Time
What it is. A waiting time charge applies when your booking includes a period during which the driver waits — for example, a return trip from a restaurant where you need the driver to wait two hours between drop-off and collection.
How it is calculated. Waiting time is charged at a per-hour rate for your vehicle category, applied to the duration you specify at booking. If you book two hours of waiting time, two hours at the hourly rate is added to your quote. That amount is fixed at booking.
The free grace period. Routine waiting at the start of a journey — a driver arriving a few minutes early, a brief delay at the door — is absorbed within a standard grace period and does not trigger the waiting time charge. The charge is specifically for pre-booked waiting periods of meaningful duration.
Booking in advance. If you know you will need the driver to wait, book the waiting time at the quote stage. This gives you a fully priced journey before you confirm. Adding waiting time after arrival is not something the platform supports in the same way.
Additional Stops: Distance, Not a Surcharge
What they are. Additional stops are intermediate points on your journey — collecting a second passenger, dropping someone off mid-route before continuing to the final destination.
How they are priced. This is the most important distinction in Fare 1's surcharge model. Additional stops are not priced as a flat surcharge. They are priced as additional distance.
When you add a stop, the platform recalculates the route to map the full path: pickup to first stop, first stop to second stop (if applicable), and then to the final destination. The total route distance increases by however many miles the detour adds. That extra distance is priced at the same per-mile rate as the rest of the journey.
Why this matters. A flat stop surcharge — common on other platforms — charges the same fixed fee regardless of whether the stop adds half a mile or five miles to the journey. Fare 1's distance model charges proportionally. A brief stop that adds very little distance to the route adds very little to the fare. A stop that takes you significantly out of the way costs more, as it should, because it is a longer journey.
There is no fixed stop fee layered on top of the distance calculation. The stop is simply part of the route.
How Surcharges Appear on Your Quote
Every applicable surcharge is shown as a named line item between the base fare and the total. You will see the label (airport surcharge, late-night, waiting time) and the amount for each. The total at the bottom of the quote is the sum of all lines. That total is the amount authorised on your card and the amount captured after the trip.
Get a live quote that shows every applicable surcharge for your specific journey at book.fare1.co.uk.