How to drive on cashless toll roads in Florida with a rental car?

[weluvdisneyx4]

I have been looking into car rentals for our trips to the Keys this summer and have read about the cashless toll roads, particularly Florida's Turnpike. We will be flying into Fort Lauderdale and driving to Florida City to stay when we go to the Everglades and then driving to the Keys. I have read they don't have anyway to pay tolls with cash and you have to make arrangements to pay in advance or pay thru your rental company. None of this makes any sense. Could someone please explain in plain English what the best way to do this is? I don't really get this, I think it is absurd to do something like this especially in a tourist area, but it is what is it and I need to figure out the least expensive and most convenient way to do this. I tried getting directions to avoid the toll roads, but it appears that is the only way to go. PLEASE HELP me understand this CRAZY policy! TIA!

 

[aejammers]

I can only speak to what happened to us when we did the exact same drive last year Fort Lauderdale to the Keys. We didn't even know about these cashless tolls, so we had no choice but to drive right through. A couple of weeks later I saw a charge on our credit card for something like $1.50 from Avis. No biggie.

 

[weluvdisneyx4]

Thanks. $1.50 I wouldn't worry about.

 

[nacho113]

If you take I-95 from Fort Lauderdale you should avoid the tolls.
If you are using a GPS, you could change the settings to avoid toll roads and that should keep you out of trouble.
Alternately you could sign up for the Rental Car company's toll program, can be expensive but very convenient.
Other possibility would be to pick up your own transponder from Sunpass.

 

[Dacky619]

We purchased a sunpass mini to put on our rental. It cost $5 plus the money you put in the account for the tolls.

If you look at the threads on the board when people drive through a cashless toll some people have only been charged the toll amounts but there are some threads where it has been the toll plus large administrate fees. We don't want to risk that.

 

[MillauFr]

Just buy your own Sunpass. Its only $4.99 and you get a discount on all of the tolls.

 

[bumbershoot]

I don't really get this, I think it is absurd to do something like this especially in a tourist area

I don't get it either, but there are alternate routes, it doesn't seem that the road *to* the Keys is a toll road, and many other touristy locations have the same sort of roads.

This looks interesting: http://www.fla-keys.com/gettinghere/

 

[PatMcDuck]

I got a Sunpass, not the one time use $4.99, but one I can use over and over. Seemed worth it.

 

[deedisneydream97]

I also just used my portable SunPass Transponder. I think it was $20...but I can move it from rental car to rental car. No stopping at the toll booth for non-SunPass cars. Felt great to just keep driving. We go to Disney at least twice a year....four times this year for me, with driving my own car for one trip. With the mess on I-4 with construction, I will be very happy to take the alternate route with my SunPass.

It was very easy to use their app. As soon as I got to my rental car in the garage, I "added" the rental car license plate and the dates I would be using it. Even go an e-mail reminder on my last day.

As another poster said, you can get just a little charge or a charge plus a fine. I am not going to take any chances. using the car rental company's SunPass option was ridiculously expensive.

 

[weluvdisneyx4]

Thanks for all the info. Where would you purchase the Sunpass for $5.00? We rarely go anywhere there are toll roads, so it wouldn't be something to invest much money in.

 

[Eeyore's My Favorite]

The $4.99 Sun Pass is not a one time use .... It is a one vehicle non transferable Sun Pass. I have that one and use it constantly. The $19.99 one can be switched between cars. Please keep in mind that It becomes active when you create an account attached to a credit/debit card & they tell you if you activate before a certain time of day it's active that day otherwise not active til the next morning. I sell a lot of them at the Publix in Florida that I work for.

 

[Dacky619]

Thanks for all the info. Where would you purchase the Sunpass for $5.00? We rarely go anywhere there are toll roads, so it wouldn't be something to invest much money in.

You can get them from the surpass website: https://www.sunpass.com/displayPurchaseTransponderAgreement

You can get the $4.99 sticker or the $19.99 portable one. They ship them, you can set up your account online and then just add the plate # of your rental when you get it.

 

[KrazeeK120]

You can get them from the surpass website: https://www.sunpass.com/displayPurchaseTransponderAgreement

You can get the $4.99 sticker or the $19.99 portable one. They ship them, you can set up your account online and then just add the plate # of your rental when you get it.

If anyone gets the $4.99 sticker, it would be advisable to check with the rental company before sticking it in the car. From what I understand, it is very difficult (impossible?) to remove the sticker as it is not designed to be removed from the vehicle. The rental company may charge you for damage if you stick something in the car that can't be un-stuck.

 

[Dacky619]

If anyone gets the $4.99 sticker, it would be advisable to check with the rental company before sticking it in the car. From what I understand, it is very difficult (impossible?) to remove the sticker as it is not designed to be removed from the vehicle. The rental company may charge you for damage if you stick something in the car that can't be un-stuck.

There have been experiences saying that it is easy to pull them after only a week or so. And some people have stated that they get cars that have a residue spot from all the transponder stickers previously on the car.

 

[ParrotBill]

This web site is the best source I have found explaining each rental company's policies and costs for using cashless tollways - "toll by plate" is the method and name of the system.
https://www.tollbyplate.com/rentalcar

 

[csjordan]

The $4.99 Sun Pass is not a one time use .... It is a one vehicle non transferable Sun Pass. I have that one and use it constantly. The $19.99 one can be switched between cars. Please keep in mind that It becomes active when you create an account attached to a credit/debit card & they tell you if you activate before a certain time of day it's active that day otherwise not active til the next morning. I sell a lot of them at the Publix in Florida that I work for.

OK, so you buy the transponder for $19.99 and create and account/add a credit card to that account. Do the tolls come directly out of your credit card or do you have to add money to your account via credit card?

 

[PatMcDuck]

I am sorry, I did not mean the $4.99 sticker was to go thru one toll, I meant for one trip, one rental car. That is correct, right? Use it for a week vacation in a rental, and that is it? I got the $19.99 to use 2 trips a year, it will eventually pay off (I hope).

I just put $20 into my account on the Sunpass, I could have put a bit less, I just picked $20. I got nailed from Alamo, a few years ago. I know I paid all the tolls with quarters (brought a roll with me from home), but apparently I went thru before the light turned green (I did not speed thru, but I guess I messed up). I had to not just pay for the tolls (again), but a hefty "administration fee". Never again.

 

[Pappa Bear]

OK, so you buy the transponder for $19.99 and create and account/add a credit card to that account. Do the tolls come directly out of your credit card or do you have to add money to your account via credit card?

You buy the transponder and link it to a credit card number and put a minimum of $10.00 in the newly created account. You then set the dollar amount that, when reached, will automatically add whatever amount you have chosen into the SunPass account.

For instance, I have $20.00 in our account. When the total in the account drops below $10.00, the account will automatically pull $20.00 from the card account into the SunPass transponder account. You can also set up an account without linking it to a credit card and simply refill the account at any of the merchants listed on the website. We chose to link the account because the transponder can also be used for airport parking in some locations. See the website for information as to which ones.

I wish that I could explain this more clearly because I know how it works and the process is relatively simple even if my explanation isn't. Here's the website and it may help you out more than I can.

https://www.sunpass.com/index

 

[seashoreCM]

The rental companies love to put "gotchas" in every option and fee that you are capable of declining. Including the tankful of gas up front and the collision coverage and, here, the automatic toll paying option.

I have to say that you should avoid the exact change lanes as much as possible because you can't get a receipt for paying the toll.

If the exact change lane fails to register, you should get the name and address of the toll agency (may be posted in the toll booth) and write them a check immediately. (Don't wait until you get back home.)

On some toll roads (not just in Florida) you have to take what looks like an exit ramp to pay using cash.

 

[Sandi]

I didn't feel that the automatic toll option offered by Alamo was a "gotcha." I think the charge is like $2.95 per day that you will be on a toll road and then, of course, whatever the toll was. When we rent in Florida, I will select the option and usually I have only one or two days where I used toll roads. The charges went through as advertised and I felt it worked well. I think there is a maximum of less than $20 for an entire rental period. Check with your rental company. It might not be a bad option for you. This was my experience. YMMV.