Alamo Skip the Counter and Tolls

[Drewmama]

If you skip the counters and go straight to the aisles at MCO Alamo, how do tolls work? Do you just pay cash at all the toll booths?

 

[writerguyfl]

Here is information directly from Alamo's website:

https://www.alamo.com/en_US/car-rental-faqs/toll-charges/other-state-toll-options.html

Of all the rental car companies, I think Alamo is the "fairest" when it comes to tolls. You can pay cash, if you want. If you don't, you will be charged $3.95/day plus the cost of tolls. Unlike some companies, Alamo only charges the $3.95 on days you incur tolls.

 

[Timothy02359]

We just pay cash at tolls. From MCO to Disney We usually take 417S to exit 6. There are manned tolls all the way to right and exact change on left at toll booth.

 

[Capt_BJ]

to clarify

ALL CASH LANES will be to the right (electronic lanes go straight)

CASH LANES look like an EXIT if not familiar .....

once in the cash lanes .... the right lanes are attended and the left lanes are exact change ..... if there's gonna be a backup it will be at the attended lane ...

 

[Day-Day]

All cash lanes will be to the right except possibly in construction areas. We went through one last September that had a quick exit to the right that bypassed the booths and going straight was the correct way to go to pay the cash toll.

 

[rwdavis2]

to clarify

ALL CASH LANES will be to the right (electronic lanes go straight)

CASH LANES look like an EXIT if not familiar .....

once in the cash lanes .... the right lanes are attended and the left lanes are exact change ..... if there's gonna be a backup it will be at the attended lane ...

Great post. We just pack a roll of quarters and pay cash. Never a problem.

 

[ChisJo]

Thanks for posting this. I'm trying to figure out this whole Toll thing without getting charged an arm and a leg. I'm happy to see that Alamo is actually playing fair because I've read some pretty ugly posts about some people getting charged months after their trips, some pretty hefty charges, both for the transponder and the tolls (and its ridiculous that rental companies get a discount on the tolls with the transponder but they then charge the full amount to the customer...plus the transponder is a one time fee of $20, so I feel like these companies are making a killing just off of these!). I'll just bring a roll of coins and some dollar bills and pay at the window.

 

[Capt_BJ]

how most of the major rental companies deal with the Electronic Toll stuff in Florida is outlined here

https://www.sunpass.com/rentalcar

costs can still vary widely .....

also note that the electronic system works a bit differently in places where there is no cash option, as in the greater Miami area, as compared to Orlando area where there are cash lanes .... where there is a cash option. The difference really only impacts a personal vehicle without a transponder that zooms thru an electronic gate when there is a cash lane ....

 

[bumbershoot]

If you skip the counters and go straight to the aisles at MCO Alamo, how do tolls work? Do you just pay cash at all the toll booths?

Just in case your question is coming from *wanting* to use the Alamo toll option, I think you would just stay on the normal road and Alamo would activate it. I think.


I pay cash. Easy. But some don’t like to.

 

[toandjo]

Just to clarify, if you stop at a toll and pay cash there is no charge from Alamo, if it is a cashless toll you will pay the cost of the toll plus $3.95. No daily charge at all? I am assuming you pay when you return car? Sorry, all new to us, we don't have toll roads here.

 

[toandjo]

Also, to rent through Costco, does the member have to be the drive Right? Do you have to prepay or can you pay the Rent? We are not Costco members but my dad who is traveling with us is but my hubby will be the driver.

 

[writerguyfl]

The answers are on the link I posted on the first reply. But, here they are (bolding is Alamo, not me):

Just to clarify, if you stop at a toll and pay cash there is no charge from Alamo, if it is a cashless toll you will pay the cost of the toll plus $3.95.

How can I avoid TollPass™ charges?

• Stop and pay cash for tolls (where available)

No daily charge at all?

There is no TollPass Convenience Charge on rental days that you don't use a toll road.

I am assuming you pay when you return car? Sorry, all new to us, we don't have toll roads here.

The TollPass Convenience Charge and actual toll charges will be billed to your debit or credit card on file with your Rental Agreement once the toll data is received from the toll authority, within approximately 4-6 weeks.

 

[toandjo]

Thanks!
Does anyone know about going through cosco?

 

[sluggozmom]

I always go to an attended booth, and I always get a receipt.... and hang on to it for months!

 

[MillauFr]

Too bad they can't setup the toll system to read your magic bands.....

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Also, to rent through Costco, does the member have to be the drive Right? Do you have to prepay or can you pay the Rent? We are not Costco members but my dad who is traveling with us is but my hubby will be the driver.

When renting using the Costco code your dad would have to be the driver. He has to enter his membership number when doing the online reservation.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

When renting using the Costco code your dad would have to be the driver. He has to enter his membership number when doing the online reservation.

But Costco includes a free second driver, so your dad could take the car through the check-out gate, then switch drivers before leaving the garage. The free second driver can be added to the reservation in advance when doing online check-on with skip the counter registration using Alamo Insider (free signup if you don’t have it). Use the Alamo confirmation number found on the Costco confirmation page right below the Costco confirmation number.

 

[Capt_BJ]

in my most recent car rental experiences they no longer cared about 'extra drivers' so long as they were on the same insurance policy as the person on the contract.....

I mentioned dw would also drive and they said 'no problem'

 

[Capt_BJ]

Just to clarify, if you stop at a toll and pay cash there is no charge from Alamo, if it is a cashless toll you will pay the cost of the toll plus $3.95. No daily charge at all? I am assuming you pay when you return car? Sorry, all new to us, we don't have toll roads here.

with ALAMO (and National and Enterprise and some others ... see https://www.sunpass.com/rentalcar) the first time you go thru an electronic gate a fee of $3.95 is applied along with the toll. This $3.95 covers you for the following 24 hours during which time you'll only get charged for the <additional> electronic tolls. At the end of 24 hours the game restarts. Go thru an electron gate and get charged $3.95 plus the toll and you are covered for the next 24 hours. (max admin charge is $19.75 per rental contract period) This may appear as a sep charge to the same CC you used to rent the car.

Nothing to sign up for in advance and you are only charged for days you use the 'service'; as compared to some other rental companies that make you 'opt in' or 'opt out' when you get the car and if you opt in you pay for every day you have the car, using electron tolls or not. & with some if you opt out and make a booboo ... well as we said at sea "stand by for heavy rolls"

**************
let's try an example for ALAMO .... you fly to Orlando and rent a car for a week driving 'popular routes'

on arrival you get the car & you drive to WDW via the south route on 417 using electronic tolls. Alamo charges you $3.95 and the cost of the tolls.

for the rest of the week you drive around Orlando and do not get on any toll roads ..... no charges from ALAMO for tolls

At the end of your trip you drive to the airport on 417 and use electronic tolls ... you get charged $3.95 plus tolls.

++++++++++++++++++++++

If you use DOLLAR you must pay $10.95 a day up front (max $52.49 per week) and if you opt out and make a booboo there's a $10 per booboo charge on top of the toll

***************************
want me to simplify?????

select nothing and go thru an electron gate (in Orlando)

ALAMO: $3.95 + toll and you are covered for the next 24 hours paying toll only

DOLLAR: $9.99 plus the toll and if you do it again, same charge

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

wrt: and its ridiculous that rental companies get a discount on the tolls with the transponder but they then charge the full amount to the customer...plus the transponder is a one time fee of $20, so I feel like these companies are making a killing just off of these!

MOST rental companies do not have transponders in their cars. Their cars are 'fleet registered' in the SUNPASS system (explained on https://www.sunpass.com/rentalcar.) If a car passes thru an electron gate and there is no transponder the system 'captures' the tag info - in Orlando area this is done to potentially send a 'ticket' - but b4 this happens the tag is run against

1) tags associated with SUNPASS transponders: this avoids booboo billings; like I forgot the transponder, or with the old version the battery was dead - if they find your tag in the database no harm no foul. I have 4 cars associated with one transponder, that lives in a drawer in the house .... I don't worry as the TAGS are associated with the account and I see the tolls appear on my statement .... never been fined. btw this is why VISITORS who BUY their own SUNPASS are wise to register the rental car tag to their account when they get the car AND delete it as soon as they return the car <there's an app for this, but only works with the $20 PORTABLE transponder, not the $5 sticker>

2) tags that are 'fleet registered': entities like trucking companies, bus companies, taxi companies and RENTAL companies can establish an account for ALL their vehicles with SUNPASS. They don't need transponders ..... the system sees a registered TAG and goes from there. The fleet registration tells the system to send the charge to the third party company that handles the tolls for the rental company ..... and the third party tells the rental company who bills you

 

[donnishobson]

I have a 5 year old sunpass transponder that I haven't used for at least 3 years. I will rent from Alamo in Sept. I assume that I enter the rental car details on the website before I leave the parking garage and then I won't be charged by Alamo. Is there a way to find out if the transponder is still working before I get to Orlando?