I used the UK ETA app yesterday to apply for my ETA (the now-required Electronic Travel Authorisation - not Estimated Time of Arrival), and got the ETA approval e-mail a few hours later. We’re flying to Heathrow later this month, and it’s good for two years. The application price is going up from £10 to £16 in two days, on April 9, so save yourself a few bucks and do it today or tomorrow. It’s not a King’s Ransom if you wait, but if you’re heading to the UK soon, and if every little bit of savings helps, don’t wait.
Carol now retired started a thread back in November, sharing her experience applying for her ETA https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/england/uk-eta-application-experience . She mentioned, and I want to stress, when you get to the part in the app procedure where the instructions want you to use your smartphone to scan the chip embedded in the back cover of your passport, don’t waste your time. Hit “Skip” at the bottom of your screen instead, rather than trying unsuccessfully to scan the chip, and it will then just take a couple of seconds to verify your passport number, name, and birthday, and you’re ready for the next step. No scanning needed.
Also, even the £10 quoted price in the next two days will cost you over $13 US, if you’re paying from the U.S.A. Although the current exchange rate puts £10 at less than $13, the ETA app charges a flat fee that’s more than the exchange rate; in effect, it’s another DCC cost, unavoidable. But if you want into the UK, you now will need the ETA, so get it before the price goes up.