Why is there a service charge for submitting planning applications?

The Planning Portal launched the payment service for planning applications, also known as Financial Transaction Service (FTS), in 2018. This is a payment service that has brought many benefits to applicants and local planning authorities. Since this date, a service charge has been applied to some online planning applications that attract a planning fee of over £60.
The service charge is £58.33 +VAT. Applications with a planning fee below this threshold do not incur the service charge.  

The payment service has vastly improved the process of submitting and receiving planning applications for all our users, but of course costs money to run. This income also allows us to invest in developing our services, including: 

• The range of free-to-use content and interactive guidance to explain planning, from permitted development on common projects through to applying for planning permission for homeowners and others
• Free-to-use technical and legislative content for planning and building professionals
• A dedicated customer support team available 9am – 5pm to support customers
• And, of course, the planning application service itself, including increasing the maximum file size of supporting documents, e-enabling further application types and improvements to local validation, amongst many others

Find out more about the Financial Transaction Service¹

Related FAQs

• What is the service charge for submitting a building control application?²
• How do I make a payment for my planning application?³

1. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/services/help/faq/applications/planning-applications/what-is-the-financial-transaction-service
2. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/services/help/faq/building-control/what-is-the-service-charge-for-submitting-a-building-control-application
3. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/services/help/faq/applications/payment/how-do-i-make-a-payment-for-my-planning-application