Florida visitor toll pass?

[1420Elexismc]

We don't travel much at all, but will be renting a minivan for our upcoming trip in May. I was looking into the Florida visitor toll pass vs purchasing a sunpass/ezpass etc, or using the rental car transponder(which I understand can get really pricey with their extra fees) We are flying Southwest and will be renting from Budget(both in Terminal A) and I saw that these were available via the kiosk in the same area.
Has anyone used the visitor toll pass recently? Thoughts?
We hardly go anywhere where we would need to drive through toll areas at home, so I am just looking for something more "temporary" while on our vacation.
Thank you!

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Cannot answer specifically for the temp pass. But I can tell you that you are very smart to not pay for it from the rental car company. We purchased a SunPass transponder and take it with us. But there appear to be many places to get the visitor passes. Someone with direct experience will respond, I'm sure. On the other hand, if you're only going from MCO to WDW, there are only 2 tolls each way - it might take an extra couple minutes, but you can always just pay!

 

[1420Elexismc]

Cannot answer specifically for the temp pass. But I can tell you that you are very smart to not pay for it from the rental car company. We purchased a SunPass transponder and take it with us. But there appear to be many places to get the visitor passes. Someone with direct experience will respond, I'm sure. On the other hand, if you're only going from MCO to WDW, there are only 2 tolls each way - it might take an extra couple minutes, but you can always just pay!

Thank you for the advice-I appreciate it! We are staying at a house offsite. I feel like last time we had a rental car(2015) we either didn't pay attention to the tolls and were just charged for them with Enterprise (or paid them in cash)...or avoided the toll roads with our gps-it was so long ago that I can't remember!

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

It's super easy, we just used it a few weeks ago for a night also flew SWA also picked up from Avis (which shares with Budget). We used it also back in May 2022 (same SWA and Avis combo).

My husband did it all so I don't quite have all the specifics but you just download the app then go to the kiosk, scan the code out pops the toll pass and then you use it. Then on your way back into the terminal after returning the rental car there is a drop box to put them in.

 

[1420Elexismc]

It's super easy, we just used it a few weeks ago for a night also flew SWA also picked up from Avis (which shares with Budget). We used it also back in May 2022 (same SWA and Avis combo).

My husband did it all so I don't quite have all the specifics but you just download the app then go to the kiosk, scan the code out pops the toll pass and then you use it. Then on your way back into the terminal after returning the rental car there is a drop box to put them in.

Fantastic...that's how I read it to work, but wanted to make sure-thank you so much for the input!

 

[gmi3804]

I use it every time. It's app-based, so download the app and input your info (dates, times, payment), and pick-up your window-hanger at the airport upon arrival. Note that there's only a pick-up kiosk in Terminal A, below baggage claim level, at this time. I was told that they're working on getting a kiosk in Terminal B. Don't forget to return your window hanger upon return; there are drop boxes in both terminals. Easy as pie, and you're only charged for the tolls you use. They'll take $10 to begin with, but if you use less or more they'll charge/credit accordingly within a couple of days of return.

 

[1420Elexismc]

I use it every time. It's app-based, so download the app and input your info (dates, times, payment), and pick-up your window-hanger at the airport upon arrival. Note that there's only a pick-up kiosk in Terminal A, below baggage claim level, at this time. I was told that they're working on getting a kiosk in Terminal B. Don't forget to return your window hanger upon return; there are drop boxes in both terminals. Easy as pie, and you're only charged for the tolls you use. They'll take $10 to begin with, but if you use less or more they'll charge/credit accordingly within a couple of days of return.

Perfect-thank you! I thought it seemed pretty straight forward. Glad to see it actually is(you never know lol!)

 

[gmi3804]

Perfect-thank you! I thought it seemed pretty straight forward. Glad to see it actually is(you never know lol!)

A fantastic, easy to use business model. Zero complaints, makes the trip and driving so much easier. Wholeheartedly recommended. And no, I'm not affiliated!

 

[KrazeeK120]

We used it in August and I echo all of the above. Very easy and we’re planning on using it again this year.

 

[tseitel]

Used it in October. Worked just as described above. Very easy.

 

[1420Elexismc]

Thank you everyone-this is very encouraging...and one less thing to cross off my vacation planning list!

 

[wannabee]

Thanksall-just downloaded the app for my trip this week

 

[buzzgirls&dad]

We have been using VTP for years and just love it. Super easy to set up and this past February trip we decided to add a few days about 5 days before our scheduled trip but a forgot to add the days to the VTP until 24 hours before the trip. No issues with a last minute change. Very happy with this service.

 

[mmouse50]

I have used both - I would use the Vistor Toll Pass over the Sunpass if renting from Budget. a couple of years ago I was using Sunpass with a Budget rental car and I was charged for "missing" some tolls according to Budget even though it showed that I went through the toll on my Sunpass. Budget called the toll by a different name and refused to credit it me for the toll. I have used the Visitor Toll since then and it is very easy to use. Just download the app and pick up the tag at the airport, log in your rental car and the drop off when returning to the airport.

 

[CarolynFH]

I have used both - I would use the Vistor Toll Pass over the Sunpass if renting from Budget. a couple of years ago I was using Sunpass with a Budget rental car and I was charged for "missing" some tolls according to Budget even though it showed that I went through the toll on my Sunpass. Budget called the toll by a different name and refused to credit it me for the toll. I have used the Visitor Toll since then and it is very easy to use. Just download the app and pick up the tag at the airport, log in your rental car and the drop off when returning to the airport.

We have our own SunPass transponder and used it in our Budget rental on our trip in January this year. I was happy that the SunPass website let us put in start and end dates and times when I entered our rental, because when I went to take our transponder down I was horrified to see that the Budget transponder had been open too, the entire trip. Happily, SunPass charged us for the tolls and didn't charge Budget. If Budget had tried to charge us for the same tolls, we had the SunPass records to prove that we paid them directly to SunPass and could have emailed those records to Budget.

But after we got home, Budget did charge us for tolls at a booth we didn't cross through and at a time long after we had turned the car in - in fact, we were sitting on the plane waiting to take off at the time they claimed we had incurred the toll. And the car itself had disappeared from the listing of "our cars" on the SunPass website once we were past the rental end time I had entered in the website. DH protested the charge with Budget and with our credit card, and it was reversed.

 

[EACarlson]

I was happy that the SunPass website let us put in start and end dates and times when I entered our rental, because when I went to take our transponder down I was horrified to see that the Budget transponder had been open too, the entire trip. Happily, SunPass charged us for the tolls and didn't charge Budget. If Budget had tried to charge us for the same tolls, we had the SunPass records to prove that we paid them directly to SunPass and could have emailed those records to Budget.

You probably would still have been charged by Budget and lost the CC dispute. I had this happen a few years ago when my idiot passenger wanted to play with everything in the car and opened the transponder. The Budget contract says you will pay for any tolls you incur while the transponder is open, I lost a dispute with Chase because of that line in the contract even with a receipt showing I paid cash. Budget told me I could request a refund from the toll authority for what I paid in cash.

 

[CarolynFH]

You probably would still have been charged by Budget and lost the CC dispute. I had this happen a few years ago when my idiot passenger wanted to play with everything in the car and opened the transponder. The Budget contract says you will pay for any tolls you incur while the transponder is open, I lost a dispute with Chase because of that line in the contract even with a receipt showing I paid cash. Budget told me I could request a refund from the toll authority for what I paid in cash.

Yes, fortunately SunPass charged us and apparently did not charge Budget for those tolls. SunPass didn’t double-charge.

 

[bcuinohio]

Like previous posters I bought a SunPass transponder and bring it with us on our trips. You can add the rental on the app. If you have an EZ-Pass from your home state, they are now accepted on Florida Toll
Roads.

https://www.cfxway.com/e-zpass/
https://www.sunpass.com/en/about/pro.shtml

 

[Tink3815]

Do you need to enter the license plate of the rental car on the Visitor Toll Pass Ap or is just hanging it on the mirror enough to pay the tolls.? We are planning on driving from MCO to St Augustine Beach, using 417 1-4 and 1-95 in a Dollar rental. I have a EZ Pass from NY , but the web sites are confusing if it will work in the interstates. Do I need to tell Dollar that we are not using their toll plan. I was hoping to pick up my car in the garage and skip the counter.

Thank you

 

[EACarlson]

Do you need to enter the license plate of the rental car on the Visitor Toll Pass Ap or is just hanging it on the mirror enough to pay the tolls.? We are planning on driving from MCO to St Augustine Beach, using 417 1-4 and 1-95 in a Dollar rental. I have a EZ Pass from NY , but the web sites are confusing if it will work in the interstates. Do I need to tell Dollar that we are not using their toll plan. I was hoping to pick up my car in the garage and skip the counter.

Thank you

Entering the plate number ensures that even if the tag isn't read, it still charges the toll pass instead of the rental company. The way the system is supposed to work is that the first check is by transponder, if no transponder is read they check the plate against the home tolling system, then other systems in the state, then the VTP, then other states' tolling systems and finally it goes to Plate Pass or the plates' registered owner. If you can skip the counter, there is a place in the app to decline their toll coverage.
Your NY EZ-Pass will work on every toll road in FL if you'd rather use that, but same caveat, make sure you enter the plate number in your NY account.