EPass or SunPass?

[rcs]

There is a lot of out-of-date, vague and/or contradicting information out on the web regarding electronic tolling in Florida. I'm hoping some knowledgeable DISboarders out there can help give me the straight scoop...

The number of toll locations that accept cash seem to be on the decline and I prefer to not wait in line to pay by cash anyway. I don't want to pay the daily outrageous so called "convenience fees" that rental companies charge for processing electronic tolling through them.

It appears that the 2016-federally mandated "all electronic tolling systems must inter-operate" hasn't become reality so I still can't use my New Hampshire EZ-pass in Florida. So, I'm looking to purchase one that works in Florida.

A portable transponder from EPass costs $10 and a portable transponder from SunPass costs $20. It seems EPass and SunPass both work for all roads in Florida. Is there any reason I wouldn't want to order the less expensive EPass? Or, am I missing something?

Thanks in advance!

 

[joelkfla]

E-Pass is a smaller operation. I don't think they have a mobile app. I find their web site a little bit clunky; not such a great UI. I haven't used the SunPass website, but I've seen lots of people say here that it's easy to add and remove rental cars; I don't know whether E-Pass is set up to handle that easily (or at all.) There may be different rules for auto-replenishment, as to how low you can allow your balance to go and the minimum you can have added automatically. I think there are also more options for manually adding funds on SunPass.

Toll rates are exactly the same. E-Pass users can get an additional monthly per-cent rebate on locally-operated roads in the Orlando area, but it requires a threshold number of toll transactions which you are unlikely to reach as a tourist. Tolls on roads that are operated by the Turnpike and other localities do not show up on your E-Pass account until the following day; I don't know how quickly SunPass posts transactions.

When interoperability finally happens, it should be the same for both systems. At some point, E-Pass may be eliminated and rolled into SunPass; the state already tried to do it once, but the local board successfully blocked them.

 

[nacho113]

E-Pass is a smaller operation. I don't think they have a mobile app. I find their web site a little bit clunky; not such a great UI. I haven't used the SunPass website, but I've seen lots of people say here that it's easy to add and remove rental cars; I don't know whether E-Pass is set up to handle that easily (or at all.) There may be different rules for auto-replenishment, as to how low you can allow your balance to go and the minimum you can have added automatically. I think there are also more options for manually adding funds on SunPass.

Toll rates are exactly the same. E-Pass users can get an additional monthly per-cent rebate on locally-operated roads in the Orlando area, but it requires a threshold number of toll transactions which you are unlikely to reach as a tourist. Tolls on roads that are operated by the Turnpike and other localities do not show up on your E-Pass account until the following day; I don't know how quickly SunPass posts transactions.

Sunpass tolls show up almost immediately in your Sunpass account.
Auto-topup can be set to replenish at a low balance of $10 or topped up manually from the Sunpass app.
When using the Sunpass transponder in the Sunpass lane, you receive a small discount on the tolls (10-15%)

 

[Starshine]

We got the Epass and haven't had any problems. Yes, the website isn't the most mobile friendly, but I've been able to add our rentals from my phone with no issues.