Toll Road Fees Hidden in the rental agreement?

[DL1WDW2]

I rented from Hertz and forgot to ask about the toll roads so I called and they have a fee of $5.99 plus the toll fees daily.
Glad I called cause I was thinking I better get some cash Have no clue about using toll road w/ rentals … I would not want to pay double toll fees so I’ll def ask tomorrow.
I was surprised and when I return tomorrow I will ask if this is an automatic dailyhidden fee or just triggered when the car is driven on a toll road.

 

[spiders]

I’m sure it’s written but I also wouldn’t consider that to be a hidden fee. If you don’t have your own pass or don’t go through the non-pass lane then that is on the renter and whatever happens, happens. I would also expect that to be a $5.99 daily fee in addition to your daily toll costs. So if you use it on Tuesday and Friday then I think it’s gonna be $12.

I can guarantee you that if you run a red light and get caught with a camera that the bill is going to be (a lot) higher than the ticket to cover the administrative costs and I also wouldn’t consider that to be a hidden fee.

 

[Starwind]

Verify with them, but it is most likely this program: https://www.hertz.ca/rentacar/productservice/index.jsp?targetPage=USplatepass.jsp

Whenever we have rented in the US or Canada the issue of tolls is always included in the fine print of the rental agreement. It is not a hidden fee.

 

[Her Dotness]

It may be that some toll roads now have plate cameras and no cash lanes. That's what we discovered driving down from Georgia last trip.

Those send a bill to the address linked to the car's plates, which could be why Hertz does it that way.

Pretty annoying to me since I laid the bill aside and forgot about it, ended up paying almost twice what the original amount was. And FL charges a processing fee even if paid on time.

Really a pain when we were accustomed to tossing quarters into a bin and going merrily on our way.

 

[sam_gordon]

I rented from Hertz and forgot to ask about the toll roads so I called and they have a fee of $5.99 plus the toll fees daily.
Glad I called cause I was thinking I better get some cash Have no clue about using toll road w/ rentals … I would not want to pay double toll fees so I’ll def ask tomorrow.
I was surprised and when I return tomorrow I will ask if this is an automatic dailyhidden fee or just triggered when the car is driven on a toll road.

I'm pretty sure most of the companies have a procedure (spelled out on their website if not in your documents) on how toll roads are handled. I think the major companies only charge you a fee for the days when a toll is incurred, not daily.

How do you think it should work? You have a rental car, you go through a toll booth that uses the license plate (or a transponder provided by the rental company) camera for billing, you're only going to see a bill for the amount of the toll? ROFL.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I'm pretty sure most of the companies have a procedure (spelled out on their website if not in your documents) on how toll roads are handled. I think the major companies only charge you a fee for the days when a toll is incurred, not daily.

How do you think it should work? You have a rental car, you go through a toll booth that uses the license plate (or a transponder provided by the rental company) camera for billing, you're only going to see a bill for the amount of the toll? ROFL.

The problem is, it's very difficult to get out of. We simply travel with our EZPass transponder in our suitcase, but then when we go through toll lanes in the rental car, we get charged twice.

 

[sam_gordon]

The problem is, it's very difficult to get out of. We simply travel with our EZPass transponder in our suitcase, but then when we go through toll lanes in the rental car, we get charged twice.

I haven't had that problem. We bring out EZPass also and it's gotten charged and the rental doesn't.

 

[HerRoyalHighness]

I haven't had that problem. We bring out EZPass also and it's gotten charged and the rental doesn't.

We add the rental car plate into the app for our transponder while we have the vehicle and it just gets charged to our transponder account. Haven't had an issue with billing.

 

[reddog21]

We add the rental car plate into the app for our transponder while we have the vehicle and it just gets charged to our transponder account. Haven't had an issue with billing.

I do the same and haven't had any issues. You just have to make sure you add the car to your account prior to going thru a toll.

 

[Akck]

Be aware that some rental companies charge their daily fee for every day of your rental up to a maximum monthly amount ($20-30). I went ahead and got a UNI transponder from Central Florida Expressway Authority. While you do have to keep $$ on your account, the rental car daily toll fee and discounted tolls, pays for the transponder with its first use.

 

[shafke]

The problem is, it's very difficult to get out of. We simply travel with our EZPass transponder in our suitcase, but then when we go through toll lanes in the rental car, we get charged twice.

Not sure what company you used but we just rented a car from Avis... the transponder can be flipped up/down. If you don't want to use their transponder just keep it flipped up and go through the cash lanes or use your own transponder.

 

[Lewisc]

Toll policies vary. One of the third rated agencies has a huge per toll surcharge and won't let you use your own transponder. If I get a chance I'll try and remember the agency and post their policy

 

[bumbershoot]

I will ask if this is an automatic dailyhidden fee or just triggered when the car is driven on a toll road.

It's not a hidden fee at all.

https://www.hertz.com/rentacar/productservice/index.jsp?targetPage=USplatepass.jsp

How much does PlatePass cost?

You will be charged for each toll at the highest, undiscounted toll rate plus a $5.95 convenience fee for each calendar day when tolls are incurred.

What if I do not want to purchase PlatePass?

To avoid using PlatePass: (1) If your rental vehicle includes a transponder, make sure it remains secured within the shield box, with the shield box closed and (2) pay all tolls with cash, with your personal toll transponder (where per-mitted) compatible with the toll road, or directly to the toll authority (where permitted). Some tollways without cash lanes permit payment in other ways and at other times.

How is PlatePass activated?

For Transponder regions: To use PlatePass, slide open the gray transponder box behind the rearview mirror (if available), so that the toll agency can read the transponder. If your vehicle is not equipped with a transponder, simply drive through the toll lane. The toll road system will automatically read the license plate of the vehicle. Hertz rental vehicles are PlatePass enabled for use on covered tollways. PlatePass will only activate if you drive on covered tollways without using a personal transponder or another form of payment for tolls approved by the applicable toll authority.

 

[Lewisc]

OP didn't realize rental agencies have different toll plans. Its not literally hidden BUT the details require clicking through a couple of menu options. Easy if you're looking for it. Not as evident if you didn't realize the programs exist

 

[georgina]

I'm pretty sure most of the companies have a procedure (spelled out on their website if not in your documents) on how toll roads are handled. I think the major companies only charge you a fee for the days when a toll is incurred, not daily.

Nope. Budget will charge you a daily fee for the entire rental (there is a cap but its like $20) if you use the toll transponder ONCE. Got hit with that on a Seattle bridge once.

 

[sam_gordon]

Nope. Budget will charge you a daily fee for the entire rental (there is a cap but its like $20) if you use the toll transponder ONCE. Got hit with that on a Seattle bridge once.

Ouch.

 

[georgina]

Ouch.

When I look now, it says if you enroll in their eToll program they will only charge the days you use it, that must be a change in the last few years. There are several references to the old way online, so I'm not going crazy!

 

[EACarlson]

It varies by rental company. I've had some that had a transponder in them that you have to turn off if you don't want to use it. Most now use PlatePass which only kicks in if you don't have a transponder or pay cash. Most of them now will charge a fee only on the days it's used which isn't too bad, but there are still a couple that you either sign up and pay for every day of your rental or they charge a huge fee for each toll if you don't.

 

[leebee]

We were in Orlando in December 2021; traveled between Disney and Cocoa Beach. All the toll booths had the option for paying cash, even with a 1am arrival at MCO. The signs are clear; when a toll is approaching, you get in the right hand lane and "exit" to the toll booth. It's not really an exit, more like a jug handle with toll booths alongside the highway. We brought a roll of quarters with us in case the booths weren't attended or weren't making change but that wasn't an issue. All of them had attendants. I DID ask for a receipt each time, just in case the car's transponder/plate pass was read and charged as well as having paid out of pocket.

There is also Visitor Toll Pass which you can pick up through Terminal B at MCO; it works like a transponder in your car and you can avoid the rental agency's daily fee, but you need a smartphone to use the app. I also think EZpass is now accepted on the toll roads in the Orlando area, if you have EZpass at home. (and if you DO take your EZPass but opt not to use it, keep it in the shielded silver bag that it came in, to prevent it from being read when you go through the toll booths. If it's just in your suitcase, it's gonna be read and you'll be charged twice, once by the rental company's transponder/plate or cash if you are using it, and again by EZPass.)

 

[dina444444]

If your renting from MCO, I highly recommend using the visitor toll pass. I haven’t used it since it returned after taking a break when Covid started, but I used it 4 times between August 2019 and February 2020 and it worked out great. You pay the transponder discounted toll rates and there’s no daily fee. I rented from Alamo each time I used it.