Visitor Toll Pass vs EZ Pass

[pens4821]

Was thinking of bringing my ezpass with me for my rental, but saw they also offer a visitor toll pass. The toll pass looks easy to use, and I don’t have to worry about linking the car to my ezpass (or even worse potentially forgetting to unlink it).

I’m sure either way will work just fine, just curious of opinions for people that have done either.

 

[Robo56]

Not sure which EZ Pass you are using, but the FLorida SunPass or EZ Pass you can add the rental car and put specific date and time to start and stop. It is really simple to work out on their site.

The cost of adding the visitor toll pass would be an additional daily cost if I remember correctly to your rental. I would cost that out verses using your own pass.

I use my own Florida SunPass I have had it for years. It is good to use in Georgia too.

 

[JulieBeeRN]

We've used the Visitor Toll Pass twice and it's super easy. You make a reservation on the app and the kiosk is located by the rental cars. Scan the QR code and get a hangtag. Link the license plate of your rental car and you're ready to go.

It's a $10 deposit that you will get back if you return the hangtag. No additional fees.

 

[EACarlson]

I've done both, and I will be doing the VTP when I get to Orlando and rent a car in two weeks. I brought my IL IPass once, it worked fine, but I couldn't get the state website to take the rental plate. Then I forgot the transponder in the rental. The rental company shipped it back to me, for $22. I'll take my chances with the VTP, even if I forget that, either someone will drop it in a return box or worst case, I'm out $10.

 

[leebee]

Are the kiosks staffed at all or are we at the mercy of an app and a cellphone?

 

[Mikey15]

Are the kiosks staffed at all or are we at the mercy of an app and a cellphone?

It’s just a kiosk, like a vending machine. At mercy of machine working and having your device with you (even an iPad would work though with airport wifi… doesn’t necessarily need to be a phone).

 

[Sue M]

I have a Florida Sun Pass. My mom used to live in S. Florida. I’d go with what ever is cheapest. I haven’t heard of the visitor pass.

 

[Mommb]

Using the Visitor Toll Pass requires a one-account set up, which can be done in advance; picking up the pass from a machine at the airport; entering the rental car license plate number on the website; and returning the physical pass at the airport. I found it very quick and easy. While waiting for my flight home, I went to the site and made sure I had indicated that my pass use had ended. When I haven’t had tolls equal to the $10 initially charged for the pass, I have received a refund to my credit card within a few weeks.

Using your own EZ-pass will also work, as long as you add the rental car plate number on the website and remember to remove the physical device at the end of your trip. I figure I am likely to forget to remove the device from the rental, or forget to put it back in my car at home, so I just use the VTP,

 

[msmayor]

I used VTP a couple years ago...one and done for me. The app didn't work well for me, I had to try and find the main VTP area to get help. For the time it took to find the kiosk, get the thing working, then return the hangtag...it was worth it to me to just pay the extra $10 to Budget ($5/day) for the service fee to use their transponder. I didn't add the 'unlimited toll' because that was $7/day for every day...I knew I would only have tolls on arrival and departure day.

 

[Herding_Cats]

I used VTP a couple years ago...one and done for me. The app didn't work well for me, I had to try and find the main VTP area to get help. For the time it took to find the kiosk, get the thing working, then return the hangtag...it was worth it to me to just pay the extra $10 to Budget ($5/day) for the service fee to use their transponder. I didn't add the 'unlimited toll' because that was $7/day for every day...I knew I would only have tolls on arrival and departure day.

They’ve added more of the kiosk machines in the last couple of years. You don’t have to go to one specific terminal to get the tag any longer. I’ve only ever had an issue when I was later than the start time indicated to pick up the tag (flight delays) and in that case I just cancelled/rebooked while standing next to the machine and then grabbed my tag.

 

[MikeOhio]

The visitor toll pass could not be easier. You set up your trip in advance in the app and just scan a QR code at the machine. Then when you return the car you drop off the pass in a dropbox or at one of the machines.

The machines are easy to find but the website even has maps showing the exact locations.

 

[lilmc]

My issues with the Visitior Toll Pass was that I could never remember my password and my phone refused to save it and my cell connection was horrible at the kiosk so I’d spend time logging into the wifi. Now I just screenshot the QR code. They send up a warning not to do that when you do the screenshot, but it still has always worked fine.

 

[mikehn]

EZ pass still works even if you forget to add the rental car plates to your account. So Im not even sure why that functionality even exists.

 

[ilovevacation]

I used the visitor toll pass last visit and I plan to use it again this time. However, I definitely struggled with it a bit. I was admittedly exhausted because i had to gone to work at 4am, worked all day, then traveled with 3 kids including a terrible 2 year old and an infant. I struggled to find the kiosk and had some slight issues with the app. It all worked out and the cost savings was worth it. I would rather not bring my ezpass because I can't remember one more thing

 

[sam_gordon]

EZ pass still works even if you forget to add the rental car plates to your account. So Im not even sure why that functionality even exists.

Which functionality are you referring to?

My understanding is the toll authority will check for a transponder. If it finds one, it bills that entity. If it DOESN'T find one, it will check to see if the license plate is on an account. If so, it bills that entity. If it doesn't find one, it goes to the owner of the vehicle.

The point of entering the rental car plates is if, for some reason, the transponder isn't picked up. This way you're not dinged by rental car agency.

Now, if someone has an EZ pass (or Epass) account, why not don't bother with bringing your transponder and simply add the rental car info to your account?

 

[mikeuno]

Thanks for the info - next trip

 

[EACarlson]

Now, if someone has an EZ pass (or Epass) account, why not don't bother with bringing your transponder and simply add the rental car info to your account?

There are limits to what the toll agency will process on LPR data on it's own. At one time I had one IL IPass and two vehicles, of course I forgot to move the transponder before driving to Chicago for the weekend. After 5 transactions I got charged full price, plus a service fee. It's designed to be a back up.

 

[HeiHei2018]

I use my own ez pass and just make sure to hold it up through all the scanners. It has worked fine on two trips. I keep it with my phone on the day I return the rental car. I didn’t know you could put start and stop dates for a rental car, so I will consider that next time.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

There are limits to what the toll agency will process on LPR data on it's own. At one time I had one IL IPass and two vehicles, of course I forgot to move the transponder before driving to Chicago for the weekend. After 5 transactions I got charged full price, plus a service fee. It's designed to be a back up.

Yes, that’s the way the Illinois Tollroad Authority has toll-by-plate set up. They never treat it as the primary way of charging tolls, and the toll charges are double those incurred with the transponder. I learned that when a (new) iPass transponder was defective from the start and I didn’t discover it until I had incurred a number of tolls. Since I live just a couple of miles from the Toll Authority office/service center in suburban Chicago, I was able to stop there and replace the transponder. They were reluctant to even test the new device but I was persistent. The excess toll charges (double compared to using the transponder) and service fee were refunded.

Florida has toll-by-plate as its second option, tried if no transponder read is available. In fact, if you have a plate registered to a transponder/account, you do not even need to have the transponder in the car. It’s actually possible to share a single transponder across your personal vehicles so long as each plate is registered to the account. For a rental, if you don’t register the plate and the transponder read fails, the charge will revert to the rental company with whatever add-on service fees and tolls billed back to the renter.