Buy a SunPass?

[richmo]

I get down to Florida once or twice a year (and rent a car) and I'm thinking about buying a SunPass so I don't have to deal with the tolls. A couple of questions:

- I assume I'd have to go with the standard SunPass, not the mini-sticker, since the mini-sticker version can not be moved from one vehicle to another. Correct?
- SunPass is still not compatible with EZPass, correct?
- With EZPass here at home, they charge $1 a month for use of the pass. Does SunPass do the same? (If they do, its not worth bothering with it, since my use would be quite infrequent)

Thanks!

 

[backyardponder]

Some car rental agencies have a SunPass on their fleet (Avis is one). I think there's about a $1 per day usage fee in addition to the tolls., so a follow-on question would be
- If I have my own SunPass, how does that work with rental agencies which have their own SunPass

On your EZPass question...no, EZPass, IPASS, and whatever Indiana calls theirs do now work outside the EZPass/IPASS network. Crazy, you'd think it would be nation wide with today's technology.

 

[Inkmahm]

I get down to Florida once or twice a year (and rent a car) and I'm thinking about buying a SunPass so I don't have to deal with the tolls. A couple of questions:

- I assume I'd have to go with the standard SunPass, not the mini-sticker, since the mini-sticker version can not be moved from one vehicle to another. Correct?
- SunPass is still not compatible with EZPass, correct?
- With EZPass here at home, they charge $1 a month for use of the pass. Does SunPass do the same? (If they do, its not worth bothering with it, since my use would be quite infrequent)

Thanks!

I got the standard SunPass ordering it online quite a few years ago. we take it with us to Florida for each trip. There is no monthly charge for use of the pass once you purchase it (and I don't remember what the pass cost was.) I have mine set so that everytime the balance drops below $10 another $20 in tolls is added to my pass.

It works great! I never get the sun pass option with rental cars because I have my own.

 

[perdidobay]

I bought a Sunpass last year. The transponder cost $25 and I have used it several times on our rental cars with no problems. The best thing about it is the time it saves. DH and I go every January and October, slow times, but even so - not having to stop to pay tolls saves time. One week ago we were flyng back home from Orlando and on 528 to go to the airport, all the pay lanes had 7 or more cars in them.

You have to decide for yourself if it is worth the cost. For us it is, even more so now that our DD and DSIL have moved to Clermont. I see even more trips to the area in our future.

 

[karriemouse]

We have a home in Orlando and thus go over 5/6 times a year - last year we bought a SunPass and we love it - now it works!!

Initially I think we had a defective unit - it worked intermittently and then stopped - we sent it to SunPass and they replaced it with no fuss - now it is wonderful.

+vs - No stopping in lines at tolls, quick and easy.
No getting caught out with not having any change.
Not being charged $2.50 per day useable by the rental company for the privilage of using their sticker.

-vs - you need to register each rental car with SunPass as soon as you pick it up and they are not open at weekends. You can do this online however so if I can log my new iTouch onto a network at the airport that will solve that problem.

No there is no charge per day just for having it, you pay the initial purchase price ($25 plus tax) and then the tolls at a reduced rate. Thus eventually it will pay for itself. Yes you will need the SunPass Portable as the sticker version is destroyed whenever you remove it from the windshield.

I'm not sure I would buy it for 1 trip a year, but would recommend it if you do several.

 

[HelenParr]

For those who have it -- when you rent a car -- do you call into SunPass to update the info once you pick up your car (and have a tag number)?

 

[HelenParr]

Sorry, Karriemouse, our messages crossed. That's what I needed to know.

Thanks!

 

[karriemouse]

Sorry, Karriemouse, our messages crossed. That's what I needed to know.

Thanks!

You're welcome! It is a bit of a pain - if you are arriving at the W/E and have no internet access you can't register your vehicle until the next working day. So often we have to use the pay lanes on the way from the airport to home.

 

[perdidobay]

For those who have it -- when you rent a car -- do you call into SunPass to update the info once you pick up your car (and have a tag number)?

I have never added the rental car info to our Sunpass account and never had any issues. I think as long as the toll gets paid, no problems. The rental companies I use are National and Budget.

I forgot about the bonus of some of the tolls being reduced!

 

[Inkmahm]

For those who have it -- when you rent a car -- do you call into SunPass to update the info once you pick up your car (and have a tag number)?

Nope, I never do. I have my home car in WI registered for the SunPass but I never switch it to the rental car.

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

A couple of questions:Thanks!

1) I assume I'd have to go with the standard SunPass, not the mini-sticker, since the mini-sticker version can not be moved from one vehicle to another. Correct? You are correct.

2) SunPass is still not compatible with EZPass, correct? You are correct again. The 3 systems in Florida are compatible with each other but the technology is completely different than the E-ZPass system and thus incompatible with each other.

3) With EZPass here at home, they charge $1 a month for use of the pass. Does SunPass do the same? (If they do, its not worth bothering with it, since my use would be quite infrequent) SunPass does not have any kind of monthly charge.

BobK/Orlando

 

[richmo]

Thanks for all the help. I think I may go ahead and order one. It'll take awhile to make up the $25 initial charge, but time saved may well be worth it!

 

[dioxide45]

Do note that there is only a discount when you go through a SunPass toll plaza. If you are going through an EPass plaza, there is no discount on the toll.

We always register our SunPass when we have access to Internet with our laptop. Better safe than sorry. There really shouldn't be any issues if you don't, but if for some reason your transponder isn't registered when you go through the plaza, you will get a nasty surprise from the rental agency.

 

[pr surfer]

For those who have it -- when you rent a car -- do you call into SunPass to update the info once you pick up your car (and have a tag number)?

nope.

I actually have the sticker one, held on by a piece of double sided tape (covering all of it) so I can lift it and remove it from one car to another