This application provides a random access preamble transmission method and an apparatus. In one example method, a terminal receives indication information, and may indicate, with reference to the indication information, whether a first path loss is the same as a second path loss, and determine the first path loss based on the second path loss. Then, the terminal may set, based on a path loss for transmitting a random access preamble between the terminal and a network device, a transmit power for sending the random access preamble.