How Will I Know if My Dollar Rental Has Sunpass/PlatePass?

[PSUGuy]

Last Oct. we rented from Dollar, didn't pay for any of the options and used quarters for the tolls to Board Walk. On the return to MCO we pulled up to a manned booth because we only had paper $$. At the window the guy told me to go through, we had some form of paid toll thingy. I'm aware of Sunpass, Dollar speaks of something called PlatePass, we paid for neither but got it anyway. This time, how can I tell if we're covered on the inward drive?

Bill From PA

 

[Donna M]

We are renting from Dollar in two weeks, and I'm concerned about being charged by PlatePass by accident. From what I read on the Dollar rental site, you need to sign up first or they charge you the toll and $15 for each toll. I'm surprised you didn't get charged $15 plus the toll amount.

For this reason, I always get a receipt to prove that I paid in case there is a problem.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Dollar has a sticker on the window. If you go through the SunPass lane the sticker will be read.

 

[Capt_BJ]

that's not what it says on the SUNPASS website wrt rentals ....

https://www.sunpass.com/rentalcar

DOLLAR uses 'PLATE-PASS' a third party to manage electronic tolls for their fleet. DOLLAR pays all tolls on their cars, they use this company to collect the toll fees from you. This company charges you for this service. If you fail to sign up for this optional service this third party company charges you an administrative fee (probably appears as DOLLAR on your charge card) ... DOLLAR paid the toll and got no fine ... YOU get zapped by the third party. BTW DOLLAR has probably the MOST expensive setup for this so BE WARNED. The following is copied from the SUNPASS link ... about DOLLAR:

Customer must either OPT-IN or DECLINE at time of reservation or at the rental counter. No billing is done after the fact unless they fail to select the tolling option and still uses SunPass. EPASS or LeeWay ONLY Lanes.

$10.49 flat fee per rental day. $52.49 maximum weekly fee. PlatePass® All-Inclusive Tolling must be sold for the length of the rental contract. It cannot be purchased only on certain days.

If not enrolled at time of reservation or at the rental counter, and user incurred toll charges by utilizing a dedicated or express lane, a $15.00 administrative fee + toll is assessed for each infraction to a maximum fee of $105.00. These fees and tolls are charged separately after the completion of the rental.

Customers are clearly notified of the potential of the $15.00 Admin fee when they decline.

For OP .... since it was a manned lane my guess is he pressed the button giving you a "free pass" ... possibly in error but you ain't gonna argue are ya?

****************
I'll over explain ..... you are gonna be in Orlando for a week (example)

With DOLLAR, you need to 'opt in' and be charged $52.50 plus tolls (cuz you either sign full period or not at all) .... or opt-out and if you make a boo boo get charged $15 plus toll .. PER booboo btw ....

With 'some other companies' ... (see the link) you do nothing at the time of rental. If you encounter no eletron tolls you pay nothing. If you encounter an electron toll one day ... you get charged a daily fee for that day ONLY of $4 ($20 maximum per rental period) .... plus the toll.. {and you are now covered for the rest of the day .....}

**********
Last point ... frequent visitor?
a 'portable' SUNPASS costs $20 and with the free APP adding a rental car takes about 90 seconds ...... (removing it as well ......)

 

[seashoreCM]

Moral of the story: When paying cash, whenever possible get a receipt (which means using a manual lane). It is entirely possible that the toll attendant saying you had a rental car thingy pressed a button to treat you as a violator in which case the thingy (Sunpass, Platepass, etc.) system will do "its normal thing" which could be any of the above descriptions.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I thought I read they are no longer selling the portable transponders..??

MG

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

that's not what it says on the SUNPASS website wrt rentals ....

https://www.sunpass.com/rentalcar

DOLLAR uses 'PLATE-PASS' a third party to manage electronic tolls for their fleet. DOLLAR pays all tolls on their cars, they use this company to collect the toll fees from you. This company charges you for this service. If you fail to sign up for this optional service this third party company charges you an administrative fee (probably appears as DOLLAR on your charge card) ... DOLLAR paid the toll and got no fine ... YOU get zapped by the third party. BTW DOLLAR has probably the MOST expensive setup for this so BE WARNED. The following is copied from the SUNPASS link ... about DOLLAR:

Customer must either OPT-IN or DECLINE at time of reservation or at the rental counter. No billing is done after the fact unless they fail to select the tolling option and still uses SunPass. EPASS or LeeWay ONLY Lanes.

$10.49 flat fee per rental day. $52.49 maximum weekly fee. PlatePass® All-Inclusive Tolling must be sold for the length of the rental contract. It cannot be purchased only on certain days.

If not enrolled at time of reservation or at the rental counter, and user incurred toll charges by utilizing a dedicated or express lane, a $15.00 administrative fee + toll is assessed for each infraction to a maximum fee of $105.00. These fees and tolls are charged separately after the completion of the rental.

Customers are clearly notified of the potential of the $15.00 Admin fee when they decline.

For OP .... since it was a manned lane my guess is he pressed the button giving you a "free pass" ... possibly in error but you ain't gonna argue are ya?

****************
I'll over explain ..... you are gonna be in Orlando for a week (example)

With DOLLAR, you need to 'opt in' and be charged $52.50 plus tolls (cuz you either sign full period or not at all) .... or opt-out and if you make a boo boo get charged $15 plus toll .. PER booboo btw ....

With 'some other companies' ... (see the link) you do nothing at the time of rental. If you encounter no eletron tolls you pay nothing. If you encounter an electron toll one day ... you get charged a daily fee for that day ONLY of $4 ($20 maximum per rental period) .... plus the toll.. {and you are now covered for the rest of the day .....}

**********
Last point ... frequent visitor?
a 'portable' SUNPASS costs $20 and with the free APP adding a rental car takes about 90 seconds ...... (removing it as well ......)

At least the car I had had the sticker.

 

[PSUGuy]

If memory serves, all the toll plazas directly to and from MCO - Board Walk have coin baskets at the least, am I right?

Bill From PA

 

[Capt_BJ]

I thought I read they are no longer selling the portable transponders..??

MG

readily available .... you may be confusing a recent thread where someone mentioned the $5 credit when buying the $5 'sticker' transponder ... that credit was an introductory offer and no longer given. Both the portable and the sticker are for sale .... only the portable is intended to be used on more than one vehicle .. moved around.

see: https://www.sunpass.com/pdf/MiniWebPDF_E-10-2014.pdf

added: they DID stop selling the portable version that had a battery, lights flashed when a toll was paid and it BEEPED. This version was replaced for free with the current version that needs no battery but no lights or beeps. The old version was eliminated as a step along the way to compatibility with EZpass. The free replacement program ended last JAN as I recall.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

readily available .... you may be confusing a recent thread where someone mentioned the $5 credit when buying the $5 'sticker' transponder ... that credit was an introductory offer and no longer given. Both the portable and the sticker are for sale .... only the portable is intended to be used on more than one vehicle .. moved around.

see: https://www.sunpass.com/pdf/MiniWebPDF_E-10-2014.pdf

Okay thanks. I thought I read it on the Sunpass site, but apparently not...

MG

 

[Capt_BJ]

At least the car I had had the sticker.

OK .... it did

and the website says it should not ... how can this be? What if .....

The previous renter bought a mini transponder (sticker) to avoid the DOLLAR fees and properly set up the account ...

When they returned the car they forgot to remove the sticker or close the account ....

rental place didn't see it or remove it ....

You got a freebie .... the previous renter paid your toll and for all we know that sticker is still on that car and the account is good!!!! If they did not set up "auto replenish" the account will eventually run out of money and the transponder will not work ... it may not have been working when you had the car and the toll guy pushed the 'let em pass' button seeing the transponder and not caring if it was valid or not .... or they may not look at their bills and continue to pay tolls for a bunch of people to this day!!!!

Which is why it is very important to take your transponder with you when you return the car, and delete the rental TAG from the account.