Alamo rental car and transponders

[goofy4tink]

We're renting a car at MCO, thru Alamo, this week. Driving down to the Ft Lauderdale area. I was going to go out an buy a Sunpass since we seem to be renting more and more down there now that dd is a CM at WDW. But, I'm not sure if Alamo cars already have transponders in them! I don't want to go out and buy a Sunpass, then go thru the tolls, and be double charged!
I really don't want to have to pay cash at every toll booth!! Huge pain and time grabber!! So, any thoughts? Should I just forgo the Sunpass and use what Alamo might have onboard already?

 

[Capt_BJ]

First your answer can be found here: https://www.sunpass.com/rentalcar

SunPass Customers:
SunPass customers using a rental vehicle may have their tolls applied to their SunPass account. Customers with SunPass Portable transponders may use their transponders in their rental vehicles. (It is strongly recommended that SunPass customers access their online SunPass accounts or contact the SunPass Customer Service Center to add the rental vehicle subscription to their account for the rental period.) If the transponder is not in your vehicle or functioning properly, tolls from other agencies will not be posted to your SunPass account, and may be charged to you by the rental Service Provider.

and I copied this from an answer I sent a 'doubter'

there's also a new thing

http://www.paytollo.com/pt_home

***************

like i said read before how someone get charged by thrifty when they had they own pass.

a couple of points to ponder

- how sunpass worked a few years ago and how it works today are different

- without getting too technical: sunpass goes thru a series of steps to 'assign' the toll
1. Did I see a transponder? Yes - done assign the toll to the transponder account No - electronically read the tag

2. Is the tag registered to a transponder? Yes - assign the toll (this is why it is IMPORTANT to buy the $20 version and use the APP to register the tag of the rental. I ROUTINELY go thru tolls without my transponder in the car, but because the tag is registered in my account the system knows where to assign the toll. I have 5 cars on my transponder: my 3 and both kids. The transponder is usually in the kitchen!) N0 - is the tag 'fleet registered'? For a rental this is always YES (major companies anyway) and the toll is passed to the fleet manager system who deals with it.

3. if the tag was not registered then what happens depends on where in the state you are. In an electronic only area (like greater Dade County) the state sends a once a month bill with a SMALL service charge; ignoring these bills results in a ticket. In an area like Orlando, which is NOT all electronic tolls, you get a ticket for a toll violation. Note the rental company NEVER gets a ticket as they have all their cars fleet registered.



the toll by tag (picture) is a backup for the transponder in case it 'burps' and as I mentioned, it works. HOWEVER if you have a personal but non functioning transponder in a rental AND failed to use the app to register the rental's tag to your account .... BOOM you get zapped. Also note that I see a bunch of cars around with the old style transponder (about the size of a pack of cig's) that used a battery and beeps and flashes lights. This transponder was discontinued and is no longer read by the Florida system for more than a year now. There was a free replacement program now long over.
__________________

 

[Starshine]

We just rented through Alamo last week, and there was no transponder already in the car. I always double check though!

 

[nacho113]

We're renting a car at MCO, thru Alamo, this week. Driving down to the Ft Lauderdale area. I was going to go out an buy a Sunpass since we seem to be renting more and more down there now that dd is a CM at WDW. But, I'm not sure if Alamo cars already have transponders in them! I don't want to go out and buy a Sunpass, then go thru the tolls, and be double charged!
I really don't want to have to pay cash at every toll booth!! Huge pain and time grabber!! So, any thoughts? Should I just forgo the Sunpass and use what Alamo might have onboard already?

Alamo has the most reasonable system for dealing with tolls IMHO. They charge $3.95 per day plus tolls to use their system, but it is only charged on the days that you actually accrue any tolls (unlike other rental companies who charge the usage fee for everyday of your rental, not just the days you use it)

Once you are out of the Orlando area (last set of toll booths is just south of Kissimmee if my memory serves), from there on, there are no tolls booths until you exit down in Fort Lauderdale.

Alamo uses Platepass which does not use a transponder. If you pass through a Sunpass lane without a transponder, a picture is taken of the licence plate of the vehicle and the toll is sent to the owner of the plate (in this case , Alamo)

If you have your own transponder in the car and travel through the Sunpass Only lane, the transponder will be billed. This is why it's a good idea to use the Sunpass app on your smartphone to add the rental vehicles licence plate# to your transponder. If for some reason the transponder doesn't get picked up in the Sunpass lane (ie: improperly mounted, forgot to install, just stopped working etc), the Platepass system will see your transponder linked to the licence plate and you will be billed correctly.

If you will be visiting the area often, purchasing your own transponder can make sense. It saves time/aggravation plus you get a small discount on the tolls 10-15%

 

[goofy4tink]

Thanks....so, if I go with what Alamo has, I'll be charged $3.95 a day, but only on days I use the toll road. Plus the actual tolls. That would be just two days. So $8 plus tolls. Vs the $20-30 for a portable Sunpass transponder, plus tolls.
Then Alamo adds it to my final total. That seems to make more sense.

 

[nacho113]

Thanks....so, if I go with what Alamo has, I'll be charged $3.95 a day, but only on days I use the toll road. Plus the actual tolls. That would be just two days. So $8 plus tolls. Vs the $20-30 for a portable Sunpass transponder, plus tolls.
Then Alamo adds it to my final total. That seems to make more sense.

Correct.
Note: The toll-by-plate system can be a little delayed and may show up on your CC after your rental is returned.

From the Sunpass website:

Cost of using Tollway
Alamo
$3.95 fee per usage day (24 hr. interval) that customer incurs tolls, plus tolls (at posted cash/TOLL-BY-PLATE rates)
$19.75 maximum fee per rental period plus tolls (at posted cash/TOLL-BY-PLATE rates)
Participation is automatic.
Opt-in decision is made when the driver elects to use EXPRESS, SunPass ONLY, E-PASS ONLY or LeeWay ONLY lanes.
Nothing to decide at time of rental.

 

[ibob52]

Alamo has the most reasonable system for dealing with tolls IMHO. They charge $3.95 per day plus tolls to use their system, but it is only charged on the days that you actually accrue any tolls (unlike other rental companies who charge the usage fee for everyday of your rental, not just the days you use it)

. . . that is one of the reasons why Alamo has been my first choice for our past 5 trips in Florida

 

[goofy4tink]

Settled! You guys are terrific.

 

[Capt_BJ]

note: ALAMO was cited as an example but is not the only choice with this toll option

Enterprise and National use the same toll price system (the three are really one company, in Canaveral you'd find one office with all 3 names on the building)

as mentioned b4, reading ALL of https://www.sunpass.com/rentalcar is recommended

 

[goofy4tink]

note: ALAMO was cited as an example but is not the only choice with this toll option

Enterprise and National use the same toll price system (the three are really one company, in Canaveral you'd find one office with all 3 names on the building)

as mentioned b4, reading ALL of https://www.sunpass.com/rentalcar is recommended

Thanks. Our car is already rented with Alamo (my preferred company).
Is it safe to assume that all rental cars have the transponders?

 

[Capt_BJ]

I give up

did you read anything that was posted?

ALAMO does not use transponders .... they use 'PlatePass'

dun here ....

 

[armavista]

This thread is so useful!

I will be renting a car from Advantage in Florida, they use Platepass.
I'm planning to buy a Sunpass transponder and link the account to the plate number of the rental car.

I was wondering if i would not be double charged (Sunpass + Platepass).

According to Capt_B, as long as the Sunpass tranponder is activated and working, the toll charge will be assigned to my Sunpass account and not to Advantage Platepass account.

Thanks Capt_B for your post, i did not see the "step process" explained anywhere else.