Sticky Suggestion: Sun Pass for Rental Cars

[GrnMtnMan]

I think there's a need for a sticky on Sun Pass for rental cars here on the transport board. It seems a lot of people do not know that the major rental car programs at MCO are part of Sun Pass' rental car system.

I personally used the service in May. Alamo charged $2.00 per day, but only for the days that tolls were used. The max charge was $6 for the duration of the rental.

Maybe others can add to list of companies and their experiences. The bottom of the Sun Pass page also has the policies listed, by rental company.

Here's some details from the Sun Pass website:

Most major rental car companies now offer their customers the option of including tolls with the credit card used to rent the vehicle. These rental car customers can use Florida's toll roads and not worry about carrying cash or stopping to pay for tolls. They can breeze through the SunPass ONLY, EPASS ONLY and LeeWay ONLY toll lanes throughout the Sunshine State.

How does it work? Cameras take a photo of the rental car's license plate as it goes through the toll lane and sends a bill for the tolls to the rental company's tolling program vendor. The vendor collects the toll plus applicable service fees from the customer's credit card, and pays the toll to the road agency. The service fees are retained by the vendor, not the toll road.

Using Rental Cars in SunPass, EPASS and LeeWay Lanes
Enjoy the convenience of SunPass ONLY, EPASS ONLY and LeeWay Only lanes when renting a car, even without your SunPass transponder. When renting a vehicle, just ask your rental car agency about electronic tolling, which allows rental car customers to use the SunPass ONLY, EPASS ONLY and LeeWay lanes to bypass congestion and traffic. Participating rental car companies are listed below. So, the next time you, a friend or family member are renting a car in Florida, remember to ask about SunPass.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

Just found Enterprise's policy:

If you or any driver operate the rental vehicle in Northern California, Florida, Colorado, or Texas, and generate an unpaid toll, you will be charged our TollPass Convenience Charge of $2.00 for each day you use a toll road or bridge plus the cost of all unpaid tolls. The maximum TollPass Convenience Charge for the rental period is $6.00, plus the cost of all unpaid tolls. For information call 1-877-860-1258 or go to www.htallc.com/enterprise

 

[goofy4tink]

THe vast majority of car rental companies have this info right inside the car. It was on the visor of my Nissan last month. I decided to forgo it. Why? Because it would have added over $20 to my trip. The toll booths on the roads were quick to get through. Now, if they had been like the ones on the Mass Pike, up here, I would have paid it happily.
But I do find that, while annoying to have so many toll booths, they are easy to use and well set up. Having to actually stop and pay (between Sanford and WDW/US/IoA, and then over to port) added about 15 mins to my total trip of 10 days. Not too bad and certainly not worth shelling out $20 for, in addtition to the tolls.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

THe vast majority of car rental companies have this info right inside the car. It was on the visor of my Nissan last month. I decided to forgo it. Why? Because it would have added over $20 to my trip. The toll booths on the roads were quick to get through. Now, if they had been like the ones on the Mass Pike, up here, I would have paid it happily.
But I do find that, while annoying to have so many toll booths, they are easy to use and well set up. Having to actually stop and pay (between Sanford and WDW/US/IoA, and then over to port) added about 15 mins to my total trip of 10 days. Not too bad and certainly not worth shelling out $20 for, in addtition to the tolls.

The fees in Florida are much smaller. Several have a max of $6 (National, Alamo, Enterprise) for the rental period, others have a $10 max (Avis, Budget, Hertz). The Sun Pass page has these details.

And I'm suggesting a sticky because there are several discussions on here about people acquiring portable transponders. There are several long discussions where this option isn't mentioned. Just thought it would be helpful to have this inf BEFORE siting down in a rental car....by that time many people might have already obtained one of these transponders....which is time and money consuming. If they'd only know that their agency had a very nominal fee, they might have avoided the effort and expense.

 

[jodifla]

THe vast majority of car rental companies have this info right inside the car. It was on the visor of my Nissan last month. I decided to forgo it. Why? Because it would have added over $20 to my trip. The toll booths on the roads were quick to get through. Now, if they had been like the ones on the Mass Pike, up here, I would have paid it happily.
But I do find that, while annoying to have so many toll booths, they are easy to use and well set up. Having to actually stop and pay (between Sanford and WDW/US/IoA, and then over to port) added about 15 mins to my total trip of 10 days. Not too bad and certainly not worth shelling out $20 for, in addtition to the tolls.

I think the issue though is that Florida is doing away with toll booths in the coming years. Everyone will have to use the Sun Pass transponders.

It is already that way in Miami and the Keys.

 

[goofy4tink]

I was talking about my rental car in Florida. $2 a day, just to use it, was excessive for my trip. Amounted to $20.
If they do away with toll booths, but still charge a toll, then how is it fair to expect car renters to pay an addlt daily fee to use a portable transponder??? I can understand the charge as it stands now, but not if there were to be no alternative option.
Just curious as to how they will handle toll charges if they do away with toll booths.

 

[LisaS]

I was talking about my rental car in Florida. $2 a day, just to use it, was excessive for my trip. Amounted to $20.

Which rental company did you use? Alamo and I think National as well charge you $2/day for the days you actually go through a toll, maximum of $6 for the entire rental, plus the cost of the tolls. In our case, we went through tolls only to and from MCO so we paid $4 plus the toll charges. If we had been driving on toll roads all week it would have been $6 plus the cost of the tolls. I'm just curious which rental company you used so that I know to avoid them!

 

[1tufgt]

Ok, I always wanted to understand how the sunpass works.

We will be renting with Alamo hopefully and it sounds like you only pay the $2 when you actually are using the toll road like LisaS said for use it would be the same (to and from MCO).

So the toll from MCO to Exit 6 on 417 is usually $2.50 I think so it would be $2 + $2.50 = $4.50, then on the way back it would be $3 in tolls depending where you get on plus $2 fee = $5 so total back and forth is $9.50. Are there any other hidden fees associated with using this?

I noticed it said there were other fees from the toll collection company.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

I've personally used the Alamo service. It was $2 ONLY on the days I went through a toll, so $4 total.

Scroll to the bottom of this page to see the details.

 

[1tufgt]

I've personally used the Alamo service. It was $2 ONLY on the days I went through a toll, so $4 total.

Scroll to the bottom of this page to see the details.

Sounds good, since I always thought you had to pay for it even for the days you didn't go through the toll road so that's good to know.

From the look of that site it seems like Alamo, National & Enterprise are the only ones that charge you based only on the days you use the toll roads.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

Are there any other hidden fees associated with using this?

No. At least when I used it.

It's funny how little trust the rental car companies have earned for themselves.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

From the look of that site it seems like Alamo, National & Enterprise are the only ones that charge you based only on the days you use the toll roads.

Looks that way to me too.

Fortunately, the best deals I usually see in Orlando are either Alamo or Enterprise, using a Costco discount.

 

[jodifla]

I was talking about my rental car in Florida. $2 a day, just to use it, was excessive for my trip. Amounted to $20.
If they do away with toll booths, but still charge a toll, then how is it fair to expect car renters to pay an addlt daily fee to use a portable transponder??? I can understand the charge as it stands now, but not if there were to be no alternative option.
Just curious as to how they will handle toll charges if they do away with toll booths.

They're going to take pictures of your license plate and send you a bill! The tolls are higher if you do it that way.

(And yeah, I think it's pretty crazy. It's all about getting rid of toll workers!)

 

[goofy4tink]

They're going to take pictures of your license plate and send you a bill! The tolls are higher if you do it that way.

(And yeah, I think it's pretty crazy. It's all about getting rid of toll workers!)

Well...isn't that special!!! So now, when I rent a car I have to go through all that whoo ha. Terrific.
Oh...I rented through Budget. You know...I thought it was all good..then I got home and got my email statement from Budget. They added an addtl $14 to my bill for gas. I sent them an email and told them that I found it hard to beleive the car needed that gas since we had filled up shortly before arriving back at Sanford. Well, it seems it's an automatic charge if you drive less than 75 miles during the rental. Ummmm, let's see...we drove from Sanford Intl to US/IoA, over to Cocoa Beach, then to port, then over to WDW, to Tampa and then back to WDW and finally back to Sanford (took 10 days to do all that). Ya think that maybe, just maybe, we drove more than 75 miles!?? I sent them back an email telling them to check the milage. Oh, sorry they said. They would credit my credit card. I'll beleive it when I see it...as of yesterday, no sign of that $14!!
I hate car rental companies.

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

Just curious as to how they will handle toll charges if they do away with toll booths.

If your car does not have a SunPass (or Orlando E-PASS), the car is eligible for the TOLL BY PLATE program. The driver is supposed to call a toll free number and pay the tolls within 72 hours of incurring it.

BobK/Orlando

 

[CarissaDance]

Well...isn't that special!!! So now, when I rent a car I have to go through all that whoo ha. Terrific.
Oh...I rented through Budget. You know...I thought it was all good..then I got home and got my email statement from Budget. They added an addtl $14 to my bill for gas. .

So if we drive less than 75 miles we shouldnt bother to fill up the tank before returning? Since they will charge us anyway? Ugh, this whole rental car stuff is irritating. We are renting with Budget this fall and I'm trying to figure it all out.

On my reservation receipt it says I either have to have a personal Sunpass transponder or I will be auto enrolled in the Budget e-toll. We will only be using the car to get from MCO-WDW, around the resorts and back to MCO. I dont know what is the better option.

I think the sticky is a good suggestion.

 

[Cotton's Parrot]

I think a couple other posters sort of made mention to this, but I just wanted to point out again that although your rental car is automatically enrolled in the e-toll program, if you go through the manual lanes, you're not charged any per day fee. That fee only applies if you go through the express lanes. I've rented from both Alamo and Budget out of MCO, always went through the manual toll lanes to pay, and was never charged anything additional by the rental company for tolls. I'm not going to pay $2 a day when I can stop and pay manually. So what if it takes me an extra 30 seconds to get where I'm going.

 

[CarissaDance]

I think a couple other posters sort of made mention to this, but I just wanted to point out again that although your rental car is automatically enrolled in the e-toll program, if you go through the manual lanes, you're not charged any per day fee. That fee only applies if you go through the express lanes. I've rented from both Alamo and Budget out of MCO, always went through the manual toll lanes to pay, and was never charged anything additional by the rental company for tolls. I'm not going to pay $2 a day when I can stop and pay manually. So what if it takes me an extra 30 seconds to get where I'm going.

Oh I see, so even though there arent toll attendants you can still pay manually through a separate line by machine. The note on my ressie made it sound like you had to have a Sunpass or do Budgets e-toll. Not that I would expect them to offer up that you have options LOL. Sorry, 1st time heading to WDW so I'm a newbie.

 

[Lewisc]

I think a couple other posters sort of made mention to this, but I just wanted to point out again that although your rental car is automatically enrolled in the e-toll program, if you go through the manual lanes, you're not charged any per day fee. That fee only applies if you go through the express lanes. I've rented from both Alamo and Budget out of MCO, always went through the manual toll lanes to pay, and was never charged anything additional by the rental company for tolls. I'm not going to pay $2 a day when I can stop and pay manually. So what if it takes me an extra 30 seconds to get where I'm going.

At least some toll roads in FL are switching to automated only toll collection. Car owners without transponders will be billed via pictures taken of their license plate.

 

[Cotton's Parrot]

At least some toll roads in FL are switching to automated only toll collection. Car owners without transponders will be billed via pictures taken of their license plate.

Oh -- I didn't realize that was happening already. Sorry, now I understand the concern.