# Dealing with all the Orlando Florida Tolls......



## mdurette (Apr 26, 2018)

I recently took a 4 day trip to Orlando.    We had cash and coin - so we shut off the toll transponder in the car to save the $3.95 per day charge for its use.

On the 3rd day - something strange.   I toll guy just waived me through as I tried to hand him my $1.   He said you are all set.   Hum....did I smile nice at him or something?    Next toll - I paid.   The one after that the guy said your all set, I can see on my screen your transponder picked up the charge.    Looked at the transponder, still in off position.  Huh.   The rest of the tolls for the trip I paid.

Today came the charge to the credit card:   $20.55   I looked it up on E-Toll
5 tolls were charged over the last 2 days- well, I was only told not to pay 2.   Guess someone pocketed the other 3.

$3.95 per day for 4 days ($15.80) charged for convenience fee - even though it appears to only have been "on" for two days.  I get it, they charge for the entire rental period.

I can only assume on day 3 the transponder malfunctioned and turned itself on - even though the switch was set to off.   It isn't worth the aggravation to try and dispute the charge - I will eat that and treat as a live and learn.

With that said.....I'm looking to learn for the future.
How do you deal with tolls in Orlando?


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## Talent312 (Apr 26, 2018)

If the transponder is removable, put it in the glove compartment. Maybe it won't connect. I recently used a rental car to breeze thru tolls. Then I found the transponder in the glove box when I returned the car. The agent said the prior renter must've put it there.

He also said not to worry about not paying... The toll peep would see the car was a rental and bill them "as if."

The alternative of driving only toll-less roads, while doable, can be a real time-killer.

I use SunPass when driving my own vehicles in Florida. The state is migrating to toll-by-plate and SunPass only exits, so anyone who frequents the toll-roads here should have one.


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## AwayWeGo (Apr 26, 2018)

We set the TomTom or the cell phone navigator so it takes us on toll-free routes to our timeshare resorts.  

Saves $$$ & does not add much driving time.  

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## TheTimeTraveler (Apr 26, 2018)

You can buy a Sun Pass toll transponder at Publix, and then you can add as much money anytime you want.  I've had one for many years when I visit Florida and it's great to have whenever you need it.

It will be far more convenient when Florida goes to an all Pay by Plate system (and eliminate all toll booths) so that visitors won't continually be inconvenienced by the unexpected tolls while driving a rental car.

Massachusetts has eliminated all toll booths in 2016 and uses a pay by plate system.  No one is inconvenienced by the Pay by Plate system other than having to pay the tolls themselves when the bill finally arrives.    And, there


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## bizaro86 (Apr 26, 2018)

Pay by plate has the potential to be way less friendly for tourists, imo, because rental car companies can charge whatever they want then.

We had one once where the choice was $20/day of the rental for unlimited tolls, or pay the actual costs plus a $50 PER TOLL processing fee.


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## bbodb1 (Apr 26, 2018)

Why do I get the idea that pay by plate is going to lead to more stolen plates...


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## PigsDad (Apr 26, 2018)

In Colorado we have the pay by plate everywhere (no toll booths), but we also have transponders and we get a discount on the tolls when using the transponders.  Seems to work well, but I agree that with only a pay by plate system, the rental agencies could really screw the customer.

Kurt


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## Talent312 (Apr 26, 2018)

bbodb1 said:


> Why do I get the idea that pay by plate is going to lead to more stolen plates...



I seriously doubt that anyone will steal a plate to avoid paying tolls.
Someone using their discarded plate would run up their tolls.
.


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## TheTimeTraveler (Apr 26, 2018)

bbodb1 said:


> Why do I get the idea that pay by plate is going to lead to more stolen plates...





Well, they have to match the make, model, and color of car that the plate is registered to begin with.....



.


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## moonstone (Apr 26, 2018)

Talent312 said:


> I seriously doubt that anyone will steal a plate to avoid paying tolls.
> Someone using their discarded plate would run up their tolls.
> .



When the Express Toll Highway (407) opened in the Toronto area several years ago many people came up with devious ways to avoid the toll camera. The regulatory office had a whole department devoted to try to track down owners of partially unreadable plates, and dealing with billing errors. Some people muddied up their plates, others bought smoke tinted or reflective plate covers to avoid their plate from being identified. The police did regular patrols looking for drivers where were trying to avoid the tolls by masking their plates. I never heard of anybody stealing a license plate to use for the toll highway. 

The only problem we had with the 407 was the first few times we towed our camper on it we got a bill for the truck (has a transponder) and a different bill for the camper, which always said had gotten on or off at a different exit than the truck. It took many phone calls with the office to convince them that an RV with no motor/driver had to get on and off at the same exits as our truck since it was being towed! 

Like AwayWeGo, we set our GPS to avoid toll roads in the Orlando/Kissimmee area and most other areas we visit. We have never had any problems getting around Orlando/Kissimmee on the non-toll roads.


~Diane


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## Talent312 (Apr 26, 2018)

moonstone said:


> Like AwayWeGo, we set our GPS to avoid toll roads in the Orlando/Kissimmee area and most other areas we visit. We have never had any problems getting around Orlando/Kissimmee on the non-toll roads.



As I said, it's doable. However, I'm an impatient driver and willing to pay so I don't have to wait at traffic lights. IMHO, Orlando should do what Jacksonville, FL, did in 1989: Assess a penny sales tax to eliminate local tolls.
.


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## Steve Fatula (Apr 27, 2018)

moonstone said:


> When the Express Toll Highway (407) opened in the Toronto area several years ago many people came up with devious ways to avoid the toll camera.
> ~Diane



Was the 407 the 21 lane highway near Toronto? Trying to remember which highway had 21 lanes (4 x 5 + 1 in the middle when I was there), at least for a fair stretch. I recall using it, and, it also did not move.


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## bbodb1 (Apr 27, 2018)

TheTimeTraveler said:


> Well, they have to match the make, model, and color of car that the plate is registered to begin with.....



So the toll photo booth gets a shot of the entire vehicle as - every - car passes?  And in sufficient detail to track down stolen plates?  That's a lot of info to have to capture, process and hold on to...


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## moonstone (Apr 27, 2018)

Steve Fatula said:


> Was the 407 the 21 lane highway near Toronto? Trying to remember which highway had 21 lanes (4 x 5 + 1 in the middle when I was there), at least for a fair stretch. I recall using it, and, it also did not move.



No, you are thinking of the 401. It is very wide though Toronto, and still gets plugged up in rush hour.  I don't think the 407 is even 1\2 that wide - yet.


~Diane


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## bankr63 (Apr 27, 2018)

If I'm renting in Orlando, I always go with one of the companies that only charges when the toll is used (National/Alamo/Enterprise, but there could be others).  Saves a lot when if you avoid toll roads, but it's pretty tough to get in and out of MCO without hitting a toll road.  At least you'll only pay a fee for the 2 days you use it.

We've been driving to Orlando for the last few years from Ontario.  Both our cars have SunPass.  The transponder pays for itself on the first trip since tolls are about 40% less with a transponder.  This doesn't help with a rental however.  For next 4-5 years (i.e. 8-10 years) while the I-4 is under expansion, I will always use the 417 to avoid the construction zone.  Toll roads will be a way of life for a while.

What I really look forward to is the universal tolling that your Congress mandated to be in effect a few years ago (where is it now?)  It will be really nice when my transponder works on the interstates in the North East as well.


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## gnipgnop (Jun 21, 2018)

What is the difference between a transponder and the SunPass?  We are heading to Orlando in September and we heard that you can go to Publex and get a device to use through the cashless toll booths.  We will have a rental car from Dollar and they offer a device called a PlatePass to cover the tolls you encounter.  But their charge is ridiculous  $10.49 per day.  There is no way we would be using a toll road everyday during our trip which is 7 days for a total of $73.43. 
So, is it wise to use the device from Publix?  Has anyone used this before?  How does it work?  Thank you for any help.


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## Free2Roam (Jun 21, 2018)

Yes, get the device from Publix, or order one online. I purchased a SunPass online years ago. It has suction cups to attach it to the windshield. I keep it in my suitcase for my Florida travels. No monthly or daily fees for use. Only pay the toll price. With the SunPass phone app you can enter info for your rental cars, including vehicle make, model, license plate and rental start/stop dates.

If you drive your personal vehicle, they used to have an option for a SunPass window sticker. I'm not sure if they still do.


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## Jan M. (Jun 21, 2018)

gnipgnop said:


> What is the difference between a transponder and the SunPass?  We are heading to Orlando in September and we heard that you can go to Publex and get a device to use through the cashless toll booths.  We will have a rental car from Dollar and they offer a device called a PlatePass to cover the tolls you encounter.  But their charge is ridiculous  $10.49 per day.  There is no way we would be using a toll road everyday during our trip which is 7 days for a total of $73.43.
> So, is it wise to use the device from Publix?  Has anyone used this before?  How does it work?  Thank you for any help.



We live in Florida and have a transponder we bought at our Publix in 2011. The transponder is a small black box that attaches by suction cups to your windshield. You can buy them online and they are $19.99 on the SunPass website. SunPass can also be purchased at all Turnpike service plazas, Turnpike gas stations, SunPass Service Centers, select Florida Welcome Centers, Visitor Centers, Rest Areas, and select county tax collector’s offices. After you purchase the transponder you get it registered online with SunPass and link your credit card to your SunPass account. You select how much money you want to start with in your account but the minimum is $10 and set the account up to add the dollar amount you specify when the original amount has been used. You can go into your SunPass account and see the record of the tolls you were charged for.

The transponder can be transferred to different vehicles. Make sure you tell the rental car company that you have your own transponder so they don't charge you. You also have the option of adding parking to your SunPass.


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## chapjim (Jun 22, 2018)

I live in Virginia and have Virginia tags.  When in Florida, I just blow through toll plazas.  If they track me down and send me a bill, I'll pay it.  But, it hasn't happened yet.

It would be wonderful if SunPass and EZPass could work out compatibility issues, which were supposed to have been resolved back in 2016.


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## TheTimeTraveler (Jun 22, 2018)

I wouldn't advise you to continue doing this as when they catch up with you they may add all sorts of ridiculous trumped up charges which could be very painful to pay!



.


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## bbodb1 (Jun 22, 2018)

Even better would be to eliminate all toll roads.  It's possible if politicians are willing to meaningfully address the issue.

As presently structured, toll authorities often fail to keep their roads in good repair and moving anywhere near the promised speed in urban areas.  

If National Parks are one of our greatest success stories, toll roads are one of our greatest failures.


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## chapjim (Jun 22, 2018)

TheTimeTraveler said:


> I wouldn't advise you to continue doing this as when they catch up with you they may add all sorts of ridiculous trumped up charges which could be very painful to pay!
> 
> .



What is my alternative?  Get a SunPass for the week?



bbodb1 said:


> Even better would be to eliminate all toll roads.  It's possible if politicians are willing to meaningfully address the issue.
> 
> As presently structured, toll authorities often fail to keep their roads in good repair and moving anywhere near the promised speed in urban areas.
> 
> If National Parks are one of our greatest success stories, toll roads are one of our greatest failures.



While eliminating tolls would be nice, I think the trend is the other way.  At least that's the way it looks in the DC Metro area.  HOV/Toll lanes are being extended in all directions.


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## bbodb1 (Jun 22, 2018)

chapjim said:


> While eliminating tolls would be nice, I think the trend is the other way.  At least that's the way it looks in the DC Metro area.  HOV/Toll lanes are being extended in all directions.



I wonder though if these extensions are motivated more by a desire for increased traffic efficiency or a desire for increased tax revenue.  To be sure, efficient traffic movement is a complex issue and metropolitan areas need to get in front of this instead of being reactionary.  I wish our mass transit options would have significantly improved over the last two decades but that just hasn't happened.


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## Panina (Jun 22, 2018)

chapjim said:


> What is my alternative?  Get a SunPass for the week?
> .



We have one of the sticky cheaper ones they offer. There is no monthly fee, we have used it the last few years with no problems.


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## mj2vacation (Jun 22, 2018)

Talent312 said:


> I seriously doubt that anyone will steal a plate to avoid paying tolls.
> Someone using their discarded plate would run up their tolls.
> .


 People go to great lengths to avoid tolls. 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/articl...sf/2016/10/from_grease_to_specialized_lic.amp


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## mj2vacation (Jun 22, 2018)

chapjim said:


> I live in Virginia and have Virginia tags.  When in Florida, I just blow through toll plazas.  If they track me down and send me a bill, I'll pay it.  But, it hasn't happened yet.
> 
> It would be wonderful if SunPass and EZPass could work out compatibility issues, which were supposed to have been resolved back in 2016.




I was in traffic court fighting a ticket (I won). Most of the other people were there for running tolls. 

Not an insignificant fine when you get caught.


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## PigsDad (Jun 22, 2018)

mj2vacation said:


> I was in traffic court fighting a ticket (I won). Most of the other people were there for running tolls.
> 
> Not an insignificant fine when you get caught.


Maybe I'm confused, but if the only option is the license-plate toll at an exit or checkpoint, what exactly is someone from out-of-state supposed to do?  I don't think they have any other option.

In Colorado, all of our toll roads are license-plate tolls now -- no toll booths or kiosks.  All drivers are directed to drive through the checkpoints and a bill will be sent to them.  If for some reason they can't send a bill to an out-of-state owner, then how is it the out-of-state person's responsibility to pay the toll?

Kurt


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## gnipgnop (Jun 27, 2018)

Panina:  Where did you get the stickey one you use?  How are you billed.  Can you be a little more specific about how one would acquire and use this device?  Thank you in advance.


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## Jan M. (Jun 27, 2018)

gnipgnop said:


> Panina:  Where did you get the stickey one you use?  How are you billed.  Can you be a little more specific about how one would acquire and use this device?  Thank you in advance.



You can buy the Sun Pass stickers online at the Sun Pass website, Publix, CVS, Walgreens, the turnpike rest stops, etc. They work like the transponders in that after you purchase it you go online to the Sun Pass website and set yourself up with an account. You load the sticker with at least $10 and set the dollar increments you want it recharged to on your credit card linked to your Sun Pass account. When that $10 is about gone Sun Pass will charge your credit card for whatever amount you've selected. You can log into your Sun Pass account and change that amount to accommodate your travel plans. Then you apply the sticker to your windshield by the rear view mirror. Please note that unlike the transponder the sticker cannot be removed and placed on another vehicle. We we bought the sticker for my car at Publix, it was $5 and they gave you a $5 credit on your Sun Pass account.


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## gnipgnop (Jun 27, 2018)

So I guess the Sun Pass sticker would not be advisable for a rental car.  We go to Florida about 2 times a year and always use rental cars.  What would be my best option then?


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## Sea Six (Jun 27, 2018)

gnipgnop said:


> So I guess the Sun Pass sticker would not be advisable for a rental car.  We go to Florida about 2 times a year and always use rental cars.  What would be my best option then?



You would have to get the transponder, which is $25, but can be used in any vehicle.  All you have to do is go to the Sunpass website and add the vehicle info and license plate to the list of cars you use the transponder in.  You can add or delete cars to the list.  I even put my friends car in my list so I can use my transponder to pay the tolls when he drives.


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## Jan M. (Jun 27, 2018)

gnipgnop said:


> So I guess the Sun Pass sticker would not be advisable for a rental car.  We go to Florida about 2 times a year and always use rental cars.  What would be my best option then?



You would need a transponder. I would suggest buying one online at the Sun Pass website, $19.99, and have it sent to you so you can get it and your Sun Pass account set up before you leave home.

The one time our son forgot to tell the car rental company that he was using our transponder they billed him for the tolls after he got home. Most of those tolls showed up on our Sun Pass account also. The list of tolls they sent our son didn't jive with what was on our account which we knew to be accurate. They were tolls on their bill that we knew weren't his. We are Florida residents so are very familiar with the toll roads. Most people who visit Florida probably wouldn't catch it that the car rental company was charging them for tolls that weren't theirs. We eventually got it straightened out with the car rental company. I've heard OP say they were charged by their rental car companies for tolls that weren't theirs so this likely happens more often than people realize. Get your own transponder and remember to inform the rental car company that you are using your own.


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## mj2vacation (Jun 29, 2018)

PigsDad said:


> Maybe I'm confused, but if the only option is the license-plate toll at an exit or checkpoint, what exactly is someone from out-of-state supposed to do?  I don't think they have any other option.
> 
> In Colorado, all of our toll roads are license-plate tolls now -- no toll booths or kiosks.  All drivers are directed to drive through the checkpoints and a bill will be sent to them.  If for some reason they can't send a bill to an out-of-state owner, then how is it the out-of-state person's responsibility to pay the toll?
> 
> Kurt


 Toll by plate is fairly new. 

It would be great if there were some standard that would allow one pass, but then the tin foil hat crew would panic!


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## Talent312 (Jun 29, 2018)

mj2vacation said:


> It would be great if there were some standard that would allow one pass, but then the tin foil hat crew would panic!



They already know where I drive (intersection cameras & toll-systems)
They know what I watch on TV (courtesy of the cable company)
They know what music & movies I like (Alexa, Pandora & Fandango).
They know what's in my backyard (Google Earth).
_
... Pass the tin-foil hats... Big Brother is indeed watching._

.


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## mj2vacation (Jun 29, 2018)

Talent,

Kind of funny timing. 

Had a guy walking around my house this morning.  

Checked ID and he is with the property appraiser’s office.  They noticed that I had a pool (since 2006) from google earth...

I told him we had all of the permits and inspections, but they apparently don’t all tie together.


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## moonstone (Jun 30, 2018)

mj2vacation said:


> Talent,
> 
> Kind of funny timing.
> 
> ...




Our DD is a municipal planner in a semi-rural (many small towns but lots of 'wilderness') township near us. For the 2nd summer in a row they have hired a student who looks at a google earth type map on the computer then compares what he sees to the building permits on file. When he finds a structure on a property where there are no open or closed (past) building permits the bylaw officer pays the land owners a visit. It is generating a lot of money (big fines for building without a permit) for the township, covering most, if not all, of his pay. The bylaw officer has told a few people that their illegal structures must come down, not just due to no building permit, but for illegal/not to code construction making it unsafe for use.


~Diane


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## Talent312 (Jun 30, 2018)

moonstone said:


> ...For the 2nd summer in a row they have hired a student who looks at a google earth type map on the computer then compares what he sees to the building permits on file...



This is why I do all my illegal remodeling inside my house. 

.


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## PigsDad (Jun 30, 2018)

Talent312 said:


> This is why I do all my illegal remodeling inside my house.


They'll never find my super-secret doomsday bunker.  NEVER!

Kurt


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## Talent312 (Jul 1, 2018)

PigsDad said:


> They'll never find my super-secret doomsday bunker.  NEVER!



The cable company probably has your access codes.

Last December, I'm on the roof stringing Christmas lights, when some kid shows up and, without knocking, starts walking around my house. Like God from the heavens, I yell down, "Can I help you?"

He looks up and says: "I'm from the cable company and we're checking our wires to your house."

They had run the cable down one side of the house, around the back, to the other side, just so they wouldn't have to cross under my driveway out front... meaning they felt entitled to circumnavigate the house.

.


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## montygz (Jul 6, 2018)

Talent312 said:


> As I said, it's doable. However, I'm an impatient driver and willing to pay so I don't have to wait at traffic lights. IMHO, Orlando should do what Jacksonville, FL, did in 1989: Assess a penny sales tax to eliminate local tolls.
> .



Jacksonville is getting toll roads this year.


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## Sea Six (Jul 7, 2018)

I also use my SunPass to pay for parking at the airports.  Another opportunity to zip through the exit.


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## Talent312 (Jul 7, 2018)

montygz said:


> Jacksonville is getting toll roads this year.



So far, Jax is getting one toll road and several express toll lanes added to existing interstates.
In theory, the tolls are just paying to build them, but it's an indefinite $$-cow for F-DOT.

.


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