Sunpass/toll question

[mrwilby]

Our family is flying into Orlando in October and will be driving down to the Keys for the first four days of our trip. From what I have gleaned, it seems like all-electronic tolls are fairly prolific towards Miami/Keys area?

I am trying to understand if I can buy a sunpass device (or the "mini") and associate the pass temporarily with our own personal vehicle and then, when we get the rental vehicle details, associate the rental plate with our sunpass account.

There's a blog post I found (which I unfortunately cannot link to as my post count is too low) on boardingarea dot com (2011/09/08 'battling floridas tolls' ...) seems to suggest my idea is viable (but recommends the physical device instead of the mini because the mini can only be secured once to a windshield and after that it cannot be moved without permanently damaging the car).

Does anybody else use a non-rental (i.e. personal) sunpass device in a rental car in Florida? I am not particularly keen to pay the $8+/day to the rental company (we're in Florida for just over 2 weeks).

Thanks for any guidance!

 

[gmeh1]

Our family is flying into Orlando in October and will be driving down to the Keys for the first four days of our trip. From what I have gleaned, it seems like all-electronic tolls are fairly prolific towards Miami/Keys area?

I am trying to understand if I can buy a sunpass device (or the "mini") and associate the pass temporarily with our own personal vehicle and then, when we get the rental vehicle details, associate the rental plate with our sunpass account.

There's a blog post I found (which I unfortunately cannot link to as my post count is too low) on boardingarea dot com (2011/09/08 'battling floridas tolls' ...) seems to suggest my idea is viable (but recommends the physical device instead of the mini because the mini can only be secured once to a windshield and after that it cannot be moved without permanently damaging the car).

Does anybody else use a non-rental (i.e. personal) sunpass device in a rental car in Florida? I am not particularly keen to pay the $8+/day to the rental company (we're in Florida for just over 2 weeks).

Thanks for any guidance!

Here is a link to the sunpass website. It lists all the rental car companies rates as well as the cost of purchasing a transponder. Yes, your idea of the mini is viable, but, it cannot be removed and reused. A "portable" transponder will cost you 25.00. This site should answer most of your questions. https://www.sunpass.com/index if not, let us know, we love to help.

 

[puffkin]

We paid for the portable transponder. It's pretty small. There is an app or you can use their website to temporarily add the rental car. It's really easy and we like not worrying about the tolls or missing a toll booth which is very easy to do in Florida. We go to Florida 2x a year so I just bring it with each time.

 

[Capt_BJ]

the "turnpike extension" which is the turnpike western by-pass of Miami IS all electronic now (or toll by plate which is where several rental companies ZAP you)

Traveling from Broward county to the Keys you take either this route, or stay on 95 and pick-up US 1 on the south side of Miami.

The turnpike is MUCH faster as you'll skip Miami and join US-1 at Florida City, just south of Homestead

 

[OKW Lover]

We have a sunpass that we use on our personal vehicle when we drive to FL and on a rental vehicle when we fly. At first I was concerned that I'd be charged twice for the tolls (once on the pass and again by the rental company) but that never happened.

With Sunpass you just need to go on their website (or use an app) and enter the rental info (make, model, color, plate#) when you get to your car. The process is fairly easy and you also tell it when you'll be returning the car so its effective only for your rental period.

 

[mrwilby]

Thanks everybody, that's some good info.

I found the sunpass website, and even tried to buy a sunpass device - but I am forced to enter the car's registration details. I clearly cannot do this yet (for the rental) as I do not know which card we will get (obviously).

However, I can buy a sunpass device using my own personal car, and then, as I think puffkin mentions, assign the rental car to the device/mini when we collect the rental car.

Does that make sense? Do other people buy their sunpass devices online and ship out of state (based upon their personal car)?

Puffkin, I think your post confirms exactly what I am thinking is feasible. I have no problem with paying $4.99 for a one-time single vehicle transponder/card 'thingy' because we likely won't be traveling down South too often in any case.

Thanks for the continued feedback!

 

[OKW Lover]

Thanks everybody, that's some good info.

I found the sunpass website, and even tried to buy a sunpass device - but I am forced to enter the car's registration details. I clearly cannot do this yet (for the rental) as I do not know which card we will get (obviously).

However, I can buy a sunpass device using my own personal car, and then, as I think puffkin mentions, assign the rental car to the device/mini when we collect the rental car.

Does that make sense? Do other people buy their sunpass devices online and ship out of state (based upon their personal car)?

Puffkin, I think your post confirms exactly what I am thinking is feasible. I have no problem with paying $4.99 for a one-time single vehicle transponder/card 'thingy' because we likely won't be traveling down South too often in any case.

Thanks for the continued feedback!

Yes, that is exactly what we did.

 

[mrwilby]

Yes, that is exactly what we did.

Thanks so much!

 

[Tara]

Love zipping through the SunPass lanes thanks to my transponder. Terrific use of that $25! There are quite a few unmanned, exact-change-only exits around Disney and I got caught in those with NO change a couple of times when going off property for a grocery run or something. Now I never have to worry about it. (And yes, I used my car's registration details when I bought it and I just add the rental info as a previous poster mentioned.)

 

[mrwilby]

Love zipping through the SunPass lanes thanks to my transponder. Terrific use of that $25! There are quite a few unmanned, exact-change-only exits around Disney and I got caught in those with NO change a couple of times when going off property for a grocery run or something. Now I never have to worry about it. (And yes, I used my car's registration details when I bought it and I just add the rental info as a previous poster mentioned.)

Thanks Tara. That's exactly what I am going to do. Appreciate your advice!

 

[RAD]

So far I've never registered a rental car on the site, only car registered is my personal car which has never been to Florida, and have never had any problems. It's one of the original transponders, they didn't have the Mimi's back then.

 

[Capt_BJ]

So far I've never registered a rental car on the site, only car registered is my personal car which has never been to Florida, and have never had any problems. It's one of the original transponders, they didn't have the Mimi's back then.

Registering the car serves as a 'backup'.

When a car passes thru the sensor, if no transponder signal is rec'd the system attempts 'toll by plate' and a camera reads the plate. B4 the "bill" is sent the Sun-Pass/E-Pass files are checked to see if the plate is registered. If the plate is found the transponder account is charged and there is "no foul". Only when there is no transponder and no registered plate does the 'bill' get sent. It is the rental company additional service charge in processing this bill that get passed as a ZAP in some cases. Fl actually sends a monthly bill with a small service charge . . . (on the turnpike extension area anyway where toll by plate is the primary method)

The registration definitely works. I have very early transponders, which have replaceable batteries and make a sound when the toll is paid. dd recently told me her transponder had stopped making sounds. How long ago I asked. A year or so . . . battery was dead of course. I checked the account status and all her tolls were right there, no fines no foul. The system had simply reverted to reading the lic' plate. 'twood appear that once properly registering the plate on the account, you don't even need the transponder in the car! Since we move two transponders between 4 cars this has become pretty handy. I even have ds who lives out of state on a transponder account so when he comes home he can use electronic lanes despite no transponder in the car... (on a mini transponder you can only register one plate as the device is not considered mobile between vehicles...)

I'm not recommending not carrying the transponder, but it is good to know in case you run out and leave it in the room . . .

 

[mcs1hr]

Hi there,

If I were hiring a car at Miami airport, would I be able to hire a car without a sunpass? Or can I turn the system off?

Is a sun pass a smart card? Or a device of some kind?

I'm hoping to avoid driving on toll roads and I want to avoid the $8 a day hire charge for the sunpass/transponder (are they the same thing?)

I've heard that this is possible, it saves money and all I need to be aware of if I end up on a toll road is a bill on my credit card (via the car hire company) should I drive on a toll road. And I think this would be through number plate recognition.

Would someone be able to let me know whether this is right?

Thanks,
Matt

 

[goofy4tink]

So, I'm in a rental car. Using the Fl Turnpike north to WDW from Delray. A friend gave me her transponder to use. What will happen if she doesn't register my rental car plate?

 

[Capt_BJ]

So, I'm in a rental car. Using the Fl Turnpike north to WDW from Delray. A friend gave me her transponder to use. What will happen if she doesn't register my rental car plate?

so long as the system reads the transponder correctly, no problem. Issue could be if the system fails to read the transponder and defaults to reading the plate. The plate will not be in a transponder file so the toll by plate will go to the registered owner ... the rental car company. What they do then can range from a few bucks to many bucks depending on the rental company.

 

[goofy4tink]

Thanks. I'll cross my fingers and go. That's the shortest route to WDW, so have to take it.

 

[Capt_BJ]

registering the plate takes about 2 minutes, as does removing it . . .

 

[goofy4tink]

Gave my friend the plate info...she can add, and delete, it as needed. Thanks.

 

[Capt_BJ]

now you're covered

here's what it says on the SunPass web site:

SunPass Customers:
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.)