SunPass - One Transponder Two Rentals

[dioxide45]

We will be traveling to Florida at the end of the month. We have a SunPass account and transponder that we got years ago but will be renting two cars since we will have five people with lots of luggage. Two cars is cheaper than a mini van or full size SUV.

I know I can register the one rental car under the SunPass account and have the transponder in that car. But would we be able to register both vehicles under the account? One obviously wouldn't have a transponder in it. This would save us a little time by avoiding booths, but worst case we both drive through the toll booths just to stay together.

 

[seashoreCM]

deleted

 

[Capt_BJ]

as long as you have the $25 version you should be able to get away with this. Because this version is OK to move between cars the system allows you to register multiple cars to the transponder account. I have 4 cars tied to 2 transponders, all under one account.

The way the system works, IME, if the toll plaza does not see a transponder it photos the tag. B4 registering a violation the system checks to see if the plate is registered to an account. When it finds the plate IS attached to a valid SUNPASS account, it simply processes the toll - no harm, no foul.

System MIGHT detect that two vehicles are using the one gizmo at the same time but I doubt it would care . . . but I have not tried this with two cars this close together . . .

Daughter had one of the older transponders that had a user replaceable battery and I discovered her battery had been dead for over a year - but all her tolls were processed normally. DW has also traveled forgetting to take the transponder - again no foul.

BTW if your transponder HAS replaceable battery, SUNPASS wants to give you a new replacement transponder for free - see the web page. The older transponders with batteries (the ones that BEEP) are being phased out as the system is upgraded as part of the plan to join all e-toll system together . . .

 

[MillauFr]

The way the system works, IME, if the toll plaza does not see a transponder it photos the tag. B4 registering a violation the system checks to see if the plate is registered to an account. When it finds the plate IS attached to a valid SUNPASS account, it simply processes the toll - no harm, no foul.

Won't the plate be also registered to the rental car company's sunpass transponder?

 

[safetymom]

https://www.sunpass.com/rentalcar

SunPass customers using a rental vehicle may have their tolls applied to their SunPass account. Customers with SunPass Portable transponders may use their transponders in their rental vehicles. (It is strongly recommended that SunPass customers access their online SunPass accounts or contact the SunPass Customer Service Center to add the rental vehicle subscription to their account for the rental period.) If the transponder is not in your vehicle or functioning properly, tolls from other agencies will not be posted to your SunPass account, and may be charged to you by the rental Service Provider. Please remember to remove your transponder upon return of the vehicle.
SunPass customers that do not have their transponders in the vehicle are subject to the tolls, fees and charges set forth below and in their rental agreements.

 

[glassslippergirl]

If it's any easier, you can buy a second transponder at Publix or CVS for $4.99.

 

[Capt_BJ]

If it's any easier, you can buy a second transponder at Publix or CVS for $4.99.

but the $5 version can only be registered to one car ... and you can not change the car later on as the device is intended for only 1 car and is 'destroyed' when removed ... I tried to transfer a "mini transponder" to my new car and the system does not let you change the car or the tag ... different SUNPASS registration pages for MINI and regular transponders.

If you don't mind just tossing the $5 version at the end of the trip - this works.

 

[dioxide45]

as long as you have the $25 version you should be able to get away with this. Because this version is OK to move between cars the system allows you to register multiple cars to the transponder account. I have 4 cars tied to 2 transponders, all under one account.

The way the system works, IME, if the toll plaza does not see a transponder it photos the tag. B4 registering a violation the system checks to see if the plate is registered to an account. When it finds the plate IS attached to a valid SUNPASS account, it simply processes the toll - no harm, no foul.

System MIGHT detect that two vehicles are using the one gizmo at the same time but I doubt it would care . . . but I have not tried this with two cars this close together . . .

Daughter had one of the older transponders that had a user replaceable battery and I discovered her battery had been dead for over a year - but all her tolls were processed normally. DW has also traveled forgetting to take the transponder - again no foul.

BTW if your transponder HAS replaceable battery, SUNPASS wants to give you a new replacement transponder for free - see the web page. The older transponders with batteries (the ones that BEEP) are being phased out as the system is upgraded as part of the plan to join all e-toll system together . . .

We do have one of the $25 portable transponders so I can register both cars in our SunPass account. The only issue I see is what is in post #5. Will I have issues at EPass toll booths (non SunPass) on the Beachline (528)? It seems that they may not process the tolls to my SunPass account and send them to our rental agency instead. It seems though that as long as I am going through a SunPass toll, there shouldn't be an issue.

Of course the least stress method is to just go through the cash lanes together with the car with the transponder just passing through while the one without having to stop and pay.

 

[MillauFr]

but the $5 version can only be registered to one car ... and you can not change the car later on as the device is intended for only 1 car and is 'destroyed' when removed ... I tried to transfer a "mini transponder" to my new car and the system does not let you change the car or the tag ... different SUNPASS registration pages for MINI and regular transponders.

If you don't mind just tossing the $5 version at the end of the trip - this works.

Are you sure about that? I bought the $5 transponder and logged into my account. It allows me to add another vehicle.

 

[Capt_BJ]

Beachline takes Sunpass ... I drive this route routinely with my Sunpass

he's the possible problem as I see it and frankly I just don't know....

The first car with the sunpass no problem

Second car with no pass but the rental plate IS registered to your Sunpass - AS WELL as the rental company ... Question is, which list will get checked first? personal and they find you, or rental? My experience with how a busted transponder was processed suggests the former but I just don't know for sure.

And an answer for one company may not apply to the second as HOW the rental fleets have implemented varies. Some have a sunpass in a shielded box that you can open or close ... some don't have a transponder but simple use "fleet" procedures which are buried in the sunpass web page - a company can register all their lic plates . . . and carry no transponders ... toll by plate covers them.

If your only concern is the 528. have exact change and both cars go the exact change lanes which I'm pretty sure alse take the sunpass. only two $1 tolls between the airport and PC on 528 . . .

 

[dioxide45]

Beachline takes Sunpass ... I drive this route routinely with my Sunpass

he's the possible problem as I see it and frankly I just don't know....

The first car with the sunpass no problem

Second car with no pass but the rental plate IS registered to your Sunpass - AS WELL as the rental company ... Question is, which list will get checked first? personal and they find you, or rental? My experience with how a busted transponder was processed suggests the former but I just don't know for sure.

And an answer for one company may not apply to the second as HOW the rental fleets have implemented varies. Some have a sunpass in a shielded box that you can open or close ... some don't have a transponder but simple use "fleet" procedures which are buried in the sunpass web page - a company can register all their lic plates . . . and carry no transponders ... toll by plate covers them.

If your only concern is the 528. have exact change and both cars go the exact change lanes which I'm pretty sure alse take the sunpass. only two $1 tolls between the airport and PC on 528 . . .

I believe at least some of the tolls on the Beachline (EPass) are operated by the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority. Where the other tolls are operated by Supass which is part of FDOT. While the systems are interchangeable, I am not sure that a toll violation at an EPass toll would check the SunPass system first or go to the rental company.

I am pretty sure that if you drive through a SunPass toll without a transponder in a rental car that it will check for accounts that have that tag associated with them. We went through a toll when our old battery operated transponder and it didn't beep but our account was charged anyway. So I know at SunPass tolls, as long as you register the rental car, you are good. Of course there is the issue with two cars so close together passing through the tolls.

The exact change lanes do take SunPass, we have done something similar before but I was wondering this time if we could somehow avoid the cash lanes and just take the express by registering both cars. I don't think we will have an issue at a SunPass toll booth. Just not so sure about EPass tolls.

 

[ParrotBill]

Careful folks....

tollbyplate.com says it is only for the expressways in southern florida (Miami-Dade area).

The Central Florida Expressway Authority has no information about paying tools by license plate. It only talks about e-pass (sunpass is compatible) transponders.

 

[dioxide45]

Careful folks....

tollbyplate.com says it is only for the expressways in southern florida (Miami-Dade area).

The Central Florida Expressway Authority has no information about paying tools by license plate. It only talks about e-pass (sunpass is compatible) transponders.

I agree, that is my concern. Toll by plate really only matters when driving a personal vehicle (not a rental). If you are driving a rental, toll by plate will end up billing the rental car company. If you have a rental car registered with SunPass, they will first check that and bill your account instead of going to the rental car company. My issue is if I go through an EPass booth with a car registered to SunPass without a transponder in it, do they check the SunPass roster and bill our SunPass account or just hit the car rental company?

 

[ParrotBill]

I agree, that is my concern. Toll by plate really only matters when driving a personal vehicle (not a rental). If you are driving a rental, toll by plate will end up billing the rental car company. If you have a rental car registered with SunPass, they will first check that and bill your account instead of going to the rental car company. My issue is if I go through an EPass booth with a car registered to SunPass without a transponder in it, do they check the SunPass roster and bill our SunPass account or just hit the car rental company?

The only thing I can read suggests that they look up the registered owner of a car/plate and send a bill. Unless someone can tell us they've succeeded registered a rental car to their own Sunpass account, and got billed directly instead of the rental car getting it, I would not assume it will work!

 

[Capt_BJ]

as I stated

I HAVE gone thru BEACHLINE tolls without my SUNPASS in the car, and the tolls were processed via toll by plate to my SUNPASS account ....

This IS different then toll by plate down south however.

On the BEACHLINE toll by plate checks that the palte is registered to a SUNPASS or E-PASS account and if it IS then all is cool. If it is NOT then a violation is issued.

In Miami, where there are NO cash lanes, and in Tampa on the CROSSTOWN aka Selmon Expressway with ALSO has NO cash lanes, a vehicle with NO SUNPASS AND the plate is not hooked to a PASS, gets a bill by mail, once a month. Don't pay the bill, THEN you get the violation.

Different systems . . .

However in either case, if the rental company gets the toll notification and you did not prepay .... same outcome

 

[dioxide45]

as I stated

I HAVE gone thru BEACHLINE tolls without my SUNPASS in the car, and the tolls were processed via toll by plate to my SUNPASS account ....

This is good to know. It seems that whether you go through a SunPass or EPass toll, they are all treated the same in that it checks for registered plates in a SunPass account before a violation to the rental car company.

This of course may all be for naught now as we have been watching car rental prices and have a mini van now booked for about $40 more than what two full size cars cost. I consider it breaking even or coming out ahead given the additional fuel costs of driving two cars. So we will likely go with the mini van instead of two cars. So we will have our one transponder in the one car. Also, one vehicle will save on tolls.