Tip: Tolls when using rental cars

[walkinwood]

If you drive on a toll road/bridge that captures your license plates and expects you to pay online or by phone, remember the web site/phone#, pay as soon as possible and retain the confirmation.

Avis (and I'm assuming here that other car rental firms have similar policies) will charge you the toll amount plus a "eToll Convenience Fee" of $3.95 per rental day up to a max of $16.75 per rental month.

That "convenience" charge is for every day you rent even if you incur just one toll charge during that period.

I got an email and charge for about $20 for a $4 toll that I incurred, so I called them up. I was able to send them the email confirmation I got from paying the toll online and they refunded the fees.

There may be some way to avoid getting the invoice/charge and having to reverse it, but I forgot to ask the person on the phone.

 

[gauss]

Probably a good idea to pay any parking tickets that are assessed against the rental car too.

 

[easysurfer]

How about added the rental car temporarily to your toll transponder (if you have one for your regular car). I've added cars of friends/family and tell them "the toll is on me". Of course, you have to make sure the states you drive through take your transponder.

 

[utrecht]

When we moved from Texas to Florida, we drove a U-Haul. There's a stretch from Orlando to Ft. Lauderdale that costs $12.10 in tolls. Ive made the drive a couple times in my car since then. We've never received a bill or anything from U-Haul about it.

 

[bingybear]

When we moved from Texas to Florida, we drove a U-Haul. There's a stretch from Orlando to Ft. Lauderdale that costs $12.10 in tolls. Ive made the drive a couple times in my car since then. We've never received a bill or anything from U-Haul about it.

did you pay the tolls as you went through?
I would assume this tread is when you don't pay the toll as you are driving through.

 

[utrecht]

did you pay the tolls as you went through?
I would assume this tread is when you don't pay the toll as you are driving through.

No, I didn't pay the tolls. There are a lot of places now where you cant pay the toll even if you wanted to. You just keep driving and they bill you if you don't have a toll tag. I assumed something would be added to my credit card from U-Haul but nothing up to this point and that was July 4th-6th.

 

[pb4uski]

How about added the rental car temporarily to your toll transponder (if you have one for your regular car). I've added cars of friends/family and tell them "the toll is on me". Of course, you have to make sure the states you drive through take your transponder.

And make sure not to leave your transponder in the car when you finish your rental.

 

[easysurfer]

And make sure not to leave your transponder in the car when you finish your rental.

That's one reason I seldom rent. Too forgetful .

 

[HFWR]

Probably best not to leave any remnants of "funny cigarettes" in the rental either, though I'd bet the folks who prepped the car for the next rental appreciated the find.

Don't ask me how I know this...

 

[Sunset]

How about added the rental car temporarily to your toll transponder (if you have one for your regular car). I've added cars of friends/family and tell them "the toll is on me". Of course, you have to make sure the states you drive through take your transponder.

Good idea, I was thinking of buying a transponder and adding it to my account for a visit next yr by family, but your idea is much easier if you mean add them to the account and they drive as though they really had a transponder in the car.

 

[jazz4cash]

We had a customer that won a bid to haul construction debris that required using a toll bridge. He chose not to get transponders for his fleet. Instead he let the tolls pile up and filed for bankruptcy after selling the contract to a new company that he created for this purpose. It was many months before the govt went after him. Not sure if he tried to pull this stunt again. Apparently he priced his bid based on not paying the tolls. There's a significant amount of voluntary compliance factored into the toll collection process.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

 

[jollystomper]

How about added the rental car temporarily to your toll transponder (if you have one for your regular car). I've added cars of friends/family and tell them "the toll is on me". Of course, you have to make sure the states you drive through take your transponder.

+1

I have to rent cars often and always use my transponder (EZ-Pass) when having to travel through the states that accept it. It works great and I have not had any problems.

Never had a problem forgetting it, there aren't too many places to lose it in a rental car.

 

[mpeirce]

Does anyone know the status of interoperability of these pass systems?

Last time I checked, Florida's SunPass wasn't compatible with EZ Pass and vice versa. I don't have either (no toll roads or bridges around here - nice!), but I've pondered getting one. But then I was stuck not wanting to buy multiple passes.

My short term solution is to ask the Nav system to avoid tolls, which works fairly well if you don't mind the scenic route.

 

[45th Birthday]

The Massachusetts E-Z Pass lets you get a new transponder at no cost and all is done online. You tie your account to a credit card and they will automatically replenish when your threshold is met. You do not need to be a Mass resident. We have never added rental cars to the account, just take the transponder and use it like you would in a regular car. Just make sure the rental car transponder box thingy is closed so you don't get billed for that. We also have a Florida SunPass for use at our place there. It is not recognized outside of Florida. The Massachusetts E-Z Pass is compatible with most others, especially in the eastern part of the country.

 

[Buckeye]

From the Central FL Expressway website:

I have a transponder from another state (i.e., FasTrak, E-ZPass, Toll Tag); Can I use it to pay my tolls here?

Quick Pass from North Carolina and PeachPass from Georgia can be used on any road with the E-PASS or SunPass logo. You can also use your E-PASS in North Carolina on the Quick Pass system and in Georgia on the PeachPass system. Passes from other states are not accepted in Florida.
E-PASS, SunPass and LeeWay (Lee County) are compatible with each other and may be used on toll roads and bridges throughout Florida.

 

[karen1972]

I have an Illinois EZPass and was told basically everything East of the Mississippi should work. I now live in NC and have driven back and forth to Wisconsin multiple times, various ways and up the East coast and it worked everywhere I went (so says the massive Toll bills .. grumble grumble). anyway, they tried to make them all work together.

 

[easysurfer]

Does anyone know the status of interoperability of these pass systems?

Last time I checked, Florida's SunPass wasn't compatible with EZ Pass and vice versa. I don't have either (no toll roads or bridges around here - nice!), but I've pondered getting one. But then I was stuck not wanting to buy multiple passes.

My short term solution is to ask the Nav system to avoid tolls, which works fairly well if you don't mind the scenic route.

Map of states that show I-Pass and E-ZPass coverage:

E-ZPass Group - Where can I use E-ZPass?

According to the map, Florida is not compatible.