Independent guide. Not affiliated with Midland Expressway Limited or m6toll.co.uk. Verify prices before travelling.
Verified June 2026

M6 Toll price increase: 7 July 2026

The M6 Toll rises on 7 July 2026. A car goes from £11.60 to £12.00 at the contactless rate, and from £9.80 to £10.20 with a Breeze account, a 40p rise either way. Current rates apply until 6 July. Below is the full old-vs-new table for every vehicle class, and the one rate that does not change at all.

Car, full route, now
£11.60
Until 6 July 2026
Car, full route, from 7 July
£12.00
+40p contactless
Or £10.20 on Breeze
£10.20
Up from £9.80

Every vehicle class: old vs new full-route price

Full-route (3-zone) prices before and after 7 July 2026, for both the standard contactless rate and a Breeze account. Figures verified against the operator's published tables.

Vehicle classStandard nowStandard 7 JulBreeze nowBreeze 7 JulRise
Class 1 (motorcycle)
Motorbikes, scooters, trikes
£5.70£5.90£4.80£4.900.20
Class 2 (car)
Cars, small SUVs, small vans under 1.3m
£11.60£12.00£9.80£10.200.40
Class 3 (car with trailer / light goods)
Caravans, Transit-sized vans, large SUVs
£16.50£16.90£14.10£14.500.40
Class 4 (HGV / coach)
Lorries up to 6 axles, coaches, buses
£19.50£20.20£16.90£17.600.70
Class 5 (large HGV)
Articulated HGVs, 6 or more axles
£20.20£20.90£17.50£18.200.70

The "Rise" column is the standard contactless increase. Breeze full-route rises by the same amount. Heavier vehicles (Class 4 and 5) see the largest cash increases, up to 70p on the full route.

The one rate that does not change

One-zone Breeze prices are frozen across the board. Every vehicle class keeps its existing one-zone Breeze rate on 7 July: a car stays at £4.00, a motorbike at £2.00, an HGV at £9.00. If you only ever cross a single zone on a Breeze account (a common pattern for local commuters near Cannock or Lichfield), your toll does not go up at all.

Everything else rises. Two-zone and full-route trips go up on both the contactless and Breeze tariffs, and all contactless rates increase including the one-zone contactless price (a car's one-zone contactless trip moves from £6.70 to £6.90).

Car prices in detail, by zones travelled

Most drivers want the Class 2 car numbers. Here is the full before-and-after for a car, broken down by how many of the three zones you travel.

Zones travelledStandard nowStandard 7 JulBreeze nowBreeze 7 Jul
1 zone£6.70£6.90£4.00£4.00 (same)
2 zones£9.10£9.50£8.00£8.40
3 zones (full route)£11.60£12.00£9.80£10.20

The third 2026 increase

The 7 July rise is the third tariff change of 2026. Midland Expressway Limited reviews prices quarterly, and the car rate has climbed steadily.

DateCar, full routeChange
7 Jul 2026£12.00+£0.40
Apr 2026£11.60+£0.20
Jan 2026£11.40+£2.20 (from £9.20)
May 2024£9.20Zone pricing launched, cash abolished
2023£7.80Flat-rate era

Full timeline back to the £2.00 opening price in December 2003 is on the price history page.

What to do before and after 7 July

  • Crossing before 7 July? You pay the current rate (£11.60 car, full route). Nothing to do.
  • Regular user? A Breeze account still beats contactless after the rise: £10.20 versus £12.00 for a full-route car. See the Breeze discount maths.
  • One-zone commuter on Breeze? Your rate does not change. No action needed.
  • Business or fleet? Update any internal cost models from 7 July. Class 4 and 5 see the biggest cash rises (up to 70p per full-route crossing). See the commercial pricing page.

Price increase FAQ

How much is the M6 Toll going up in July 2026?
From 7 July 2026 a car pays £12.00 for the full route at the contactless rate, up from £11.60, a 40p increase. With a Breeze account the full-route car rate goes from £9.80 to £10.20, also 40p. Other vehicle classes rise between 10p and 70p depending on class and how many zones you travel.
When exactly does the new M6 Toll price start?
The new tariff takes effect on 7 July 2026. Current rates apply up to and including 6 July 2026. The operator publishes both the current and the 7 July tables in full on m6toll.co.uk/pricing-tables.
Is the M6 Toll Breeze price going up too?
Yes, but not for short trips. Full-route and two-zone Breeze rates rise by the same amount as the contactless rate (40p for a car). One-zone Breeze rates are frozen: every vehicle class keeps its existing one-zone Breeze price (a car stays £4.00, a motorbike £2.00). So the only Breeze journeys that get more expensive are two-zone and full-route trips.
Why is the M6 Toll going up again in 2026?
Midland Expressway Limited, the operator, reviews the tariff on a quarterly basis. The car price already moved twice in 2026 (to £11.40 in January and £11.60 in April). The 7 July increase to £12.00 is the third 2026 review. Pricing is a commercial decision under the operator's concession contract, which runs to 2054.
How can I avoid paying more on the M6 Toll after 7 July?
There is no way to keep the old rate after 7 July, but a Breeze account still costs less than paying contactless at the barrier (£10.20 versus £12.00 for a car, full route). If you only cross one zone, the Breeze rate does not change at all, so a one-zone commuter pays exactly the same before and after the increase. The free Lite account gives ANPR convenience without the discount.