# Florida Tolls



## mdurette (Apr 8, 2015)

We will be driving from Orlando to Miami and someone mentioned that we would encounter a lot of cash-less toll roads and that we should stop somewhere get a SunPass.   We will be renting from Alamo.   

Can anyone local confirm this?


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## andex (Apr 8, 2015)

mdurette said:


> We will be driving from Orlando to Miami and someone mentioned that we would encounter a lot of cash-less toll roads and that we should stop somewhere get a SunPass.   We will be renting from Alamo.
> 
> Can anyone local confirm this?


i bought one and have never regreted it. we bring it down with us everytime we visit florida. if its your own car the sticker would do its basically free. pay x and get x dollar in credit.


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## Talent312 (Apr 8, 2015)

In Central Florida (Orlando) and North Florida, the Turnpike and toll-roads have toll plazas with at least one cash-lane -- either staffed or with a basket for coins. There are a few residential/industrial exits not used by tourists that are marked "SunPass only."

If you plan to visit Florida often, then yes, a SunPass makes sense. You pay for the pass and deposit $$ into a prepaid toll account ($10 min) that gets you a small discount. You can order one that is either attached permanently or moveable from car-to-car (like if you're renting) online at https://www.sunpass.com/purchase

If you do not plan to visit Florida frequently, just invest in a roll or two of quarters, and don't take exits marked "SunPass only."
.


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## am1 (Apr 9, 2015)

I just bought one at publix for $20 but did not come with a balance.  Is that the going price?


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## bastroum (Apr 9, 2015)

Alamo rents the pass for $19.95 then charges your credit card for the tolls when they are reported to the company. They are in all of Alamo's rental vehicles.


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## Talent312 (Apr 9, 2015)

am1 said:


> I just bought one at publix for $20 but did not come with a balance.  Is that the going price?



$20 is the standard price for a moveable pass. Permanent stickers are ~$5.00. It has instructions on activating (registering) your pass. This creates an online account where you can track your balance, see tolls deducted, and replenish your account (automatically and manually).

To activate: https://www.sunpass.com/displayActivateTransponderAgreement  They ask you to identify the vehicle + tag on which it will be used. You'll need to update that whenever you move it to another vehicle or your tag changes... (which reminds me!)

Associating the tag lets you pass under the newer toll-by-plate gantries without slowing down.  They're mostly in South Florida, but a few have cropped up in Orlando. It is possible to set up a toll-by-plate account w/o SunPass, but those tolls are higher. See: https://www.tollbyplate.com/index


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## mdurette (Apr 9, 2015)

Thanks all.

We do hit Florida 3-4 times per year.  But, we usually just go from MCO to Orlando area so I just pay cash at the 2 tolls that we pass through and that is fine with me

Since this is a longer trip on unfamiliar roads I wasn't sure if there was a big benefit.   Looking at mapquest, it appears we will be on 95 South a good portion of the time.

A few years ago I ventured out and found myself 1/2 way down a ramp that was sunpass only so I got a $20 charge from the rental company.

I was  a bit confused reading some of the info.   I was thinking that some of the major highway tolls were also unattended.    Guess what I need to do is ensure that I won't come across one of those unattended tolls and as someone suggested, bring a roll of quarters!


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## kalima (Apr 9, 2015)

*Cashless*

We did this trip in January and took lots of coins BUT when going to Miami there is one or two maybe tolls that will NOT take cash....so I would look into the Sun Pass...


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## chriskre (Apr 9, 2015)

Down south here the booths are gone.
No more cash lines, it's all toll by plate or sunpass.:annoyed:
There is a "convenience" fee to use the toll by plate plus the higher tolls.

You can take the turnpike to Jupiter and get off and then take I-95 from there.
The two roads meet up there.  
That's what I do to save on tolls since I live next to I-95 in Miami and the turnpike 
will leave you in the western suburbs if you stay on it down to Miami.


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## sfwilshire (Apr 12, 2015)

kalima said:


> We did this trip in January and took lots of coins BUT when going to Miami there is one or two maybe tolls that will NOT take cash....so I would look into the Sun Pass...



I've spent a fortune on rental car charges for tolls in Miami. A charge of more than $85 hit my credit card this week. I questioned it since I've never had one that high for a single week before and I typically just go through the toll-plate locations a few times per visit. 

I'm going to stop using Thrifty Rental there because they have a higher per day charge for managing the toll-plate charges than Hertz or Enterprise.

Sheila


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## Talent312 (Apr 13, 2015)

sfwilshire said:


> I've spent a fortune on rental car charges for tolls in Miami. A charge of more than $85 hit my credit card this week. I questioned it since I've never had one that high for a single week before and I typically just go through the toll-plate locations a few times per visit. I'm going to stop using Thrifty Rental there because they have a higher per day charge for managing the toll-plate charges than Hertz or Enterprise.



Why not invest in a moveable SunPass transponder, and decline rental agency service?
You'll need to register the tag # for toll by plate coverage.
.


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## SMHarman (Apr 13, 2015)

I've started doing this with zip car. Even though they have an actual toll no surcharge policy. O can usually get huge hov discounts on the Lincoln tunnel  and gwb with my own pass


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## Jason245 (Apr 13, 2015)

sfwilshire said:


> I've spent a fortune on rental car charges for tolls in Miami. A charge of more than $85 hit my credit card this week. I questioned it since I've never had one that high for a single week before and I typically just go through the toll-plate locations a few times per visit.
> 
> I'm going to stop using Thrifty Rental there because they have a higher per day charge for managing the toll-plate charges than Hertz or Enterprise.
> 
> Sheila



Did you accidentally drive in the Express lanes during rush hour 8 times at $10 per entrance?


I am wondering where the heck you were driving that there were so many tolls. I live in South Florida and maybe spend that much every 3 months.


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## sfwilshire (Apr 14, 2015)

Talent312 said:


> Why not invest in a moveable SunPass transponder, and decline rental agency service?
> You'll need to register the tag # for toll by plate coverage.
> .



This is business travel and would complicate my travel vouchers unnecessarily.

I hope I'm out of Miami for now. I really hate it down there.

Thanks for the suggestion, though.

Sheila


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## sfwilshire (Apr 14, 2015)

Jason245 said:


> Did you accidentally drive in the Express lanes during rush hour 8 times at $10 per entrance?
> 
> 
> I am wondering where the heck you were driving that there were so many tolls. I live in South Florida and maybe spend that much every 3 months.



I've ask for a better accounting, because I have no idea how I accumulated that much. They also charged a $105 admin fee. None of the Thrifty rental agreements I've read allowed for more than $15 per day and I was only there five days. I'm away from the office and will have to look for the rental agreement from six weeks ago. Since I'm Blue Chip, I never actually sign anything at rental time.

I made it a point to stay out of Express Lanes, so I'm sure that wasn't it. 

Reminds me of the time I was in Dallas and got charged with tolls from Florida. Since I only drove about 50 miles all week in Dallas, it didn't take much to convince them I didn't drive to Florida and to get that error resolved. It seems to be taking longer to fix this probable error and will definitely discourage my renting from Thrifty again. I've had other issues with them as well through the years, but my company prefers I take the cheapest available rate for each rental.

Sheila


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## Talent312 (Apr 15, 2015)

sfwilshire said:


> It seems to be taking longer to fix this probable error and will definitely discourage my renting from Thrifty again. I've had other issues with them as well through the years...



I, for one, will not rent from Thrifty again. In my experience, you "pay" for their low rates by risking fraud. I would not be surprised if the billing mistake in your case wasn't deliberate, and you were not supposed to notice. My last time, the Thrifty agency in LV claimed I scratched up a car they gave me at night. Luckily, I had saved a copy of the scratch-sheet I filled out at the time of the rental and they backed down, eventually, but I have to wonder how much $$ they made off that car.
.


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## Jason245 (Apr 15, 2015)

sfwilshire said:


> I've ask for a better accounting, because I have no idea how I accumulated that much. They also charged a $105 admin fee. None of the Thrifty rental agreements I've read allowed for more than $15 per day and I was only there five days. I'm away from the office and will have to look for the rental agreement from six weeks ago. Since I'm Blue Chip, I never actually sign anything at rental time.
> 
> I made it a point to stay out of Express Lanes, so I'm sure that wasn't it.
> 
> ...



I have had really good experiences with Hertz and National. Avis was hit and miss when I was forced to use them. I used to rent cars every other week for work reasons.... Whenever I have an option, I usually pick Hertz.


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## schiff1997 (Apr 15, 2015)

Here's the link that explains the Sunpass on rentals.    https://www.sunpass.com/rentalcar   We are traveling Miami to Orlando so I am printing this off to make sure I don't get overcharged .  I am also going to keep track of all the toll booths we go through.


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## Jason245 (Apr 15, 2015)

I now know why the Thriftey was so expensive:

See below at sunpass site. Every toll has a $15 fee...... that is why Thrifty sux 

If not enrolled at time of reservation or at the rental counter, and user incurred toll charges by utilizing a dedicated or express lane, a $15.00 administrative fee + toll is assessed for each infraction to a maximum fee of $105.00. These fees and tolls are charged separately after the completion of the rental.


Hertz is $5/Day admin fee.... max of $25/Month

Avis is $4/Day admin fee max of $17/Month. 

None of that thriftey shady business.


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## sfwilshire (Apr 15, 2015)

The Toll-by-Plate sign I usually passed said there was a $1 extra charge for Toll-by-Plate. My Hertz toll service charge for another week was reasonable. Definitely better to pay a little extra for the rental to avoid crazy toll fees.

Sheila


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## Canuck40 (Jul 31, 2015)

mdurette said:


> We will be driving from Orlando to Miami and someone mentioned that we would encounter a lot of cash-less toll roads and that we should stop somewhere get a SunPass.   We will be renting from Alamo.
> 
> Can anyone local confirm this?


Yes! Definitely get a sunpass, or rent a car that has it included.

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## w.bob (Aug 6, 2015)

CAUTION

This past May I purchased the short term (stick on) pass and put enough money on it. We drove from Atlanta all the way to the Keys. Everything worked fine until I got home and received a bill for over $37.00. 

I forgot to remove the sticker when returning the renta. The next renter was able to use the sticker for their tolls. I was told by the Sunpass people that I am responsible for the money & it will go to a collection agency. I just received the notice from the collectors. 

BE SURE TO REMOVE THE STICKER


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## Talent312 (Aug 6, 2015)

w.bob said:


> I forgot to remove the sticker when returning the rental. The next renter was able to use the sticker for their tolls.



Also remove the sticker if you are going to sell the vehicle, so your buyer don't get it.

For rental cars, it makes more sense to pay for the big, movable transponder that you can keep in a drawer for the next trip -- just remember to change the tag # on the account.

This reminds me, I need to leave my Executor instructions to cancel my Sunpass, when it comes to closing my accounts.

.


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## dioxide45 (Aug 6, 2015)

Talent312 said:


> Also remove the sticker if you are going to sell the vehicle, so your buyer don't get it.
> 
> For rental cars, it makes more sense to pay for the big, movable transponder that you can keep in a drawer for the next trip -- just remember to change the tag # on the account.
> 
> ...



The good thing about Sunpass is that you can set rental cars up with specific start and stop dates/times. So once it expires, you don't need to worry about the next renter using your account. Though that means you still have to remove the transponder from the vehicle.


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## ibcnu (Aug 7, 2015)

I wouldn't get Sunpass for Orlando, but definitely for the Fort Lauderdale/Miami area.  There are Sunpass only roads and you don't know that they are SP only until you're pulling onto the highway.


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## simpsontruckdriver (Aug 11, 2015)

A couple corrections from an Orlando resident:

1) Florida is merging Sunpass with E-Pass, so any device you waste your money on will work everywhere.
2) Later this year, Florida tax (toll) roads would be able to use EZ-Pass (NE USA).

The reason it's a waste? You can easily drive US-441 to Miami and see the small towns, see where most of the US' sugar is refined, see Florida's largest lake, and even drive next to The Everglades. Or take SR-192 east to I-95, south to Miami.

TS


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## Talent312 (Aug 11, 2015)

simpsontruckdriver said:


> You can easily drive US-441 to Miami and see the small towns, see where most of the US' sugar is refined, see Florida's largest lake, and even drive next to The Everglades. Or take SR-192 east to I-95, south to Miami.



Yeah... For those with time to kill.
But for others, time has meaning and we do not want to waste our time
with small towns, traffic lights, or gawking at sugar fields, lakes or swamps.
.


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## suenmike32 (Nov 30, 2015)

I rented a car from Hertz (for 4 days). I drove to Key West via the Fl Tpk one 1 day only. The tolls were $5.28
Hertz just billed me for $30.03  ($4.95 admin fee per day no matter how many days you use the turnpike).
Although I've heard that other rental car companies are worse...I think it stinks that they do not advise you of this at the time of pickup.
They "Warned" us that upon return of the vehicle, that it must be "filled up" at a gas station no further than 10 miles from the drop-off point and that I had to have a gas receipt to "prove it".
That turned out to be a lie....but we heeded the warning and did what we were told. 
It just annoys me that they will tell you lies (about the gas), yet won't tell you the truth about tolls/platepass on their vehicles.
Mike


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## Jason245 (Nov 30, 2015)

suenmike32 said:


> I rented a car from Hertz (for 4 days). I drove to Key West via the Fl Tpk one 1 day only. The tolls were $5.28
> Hertz just billed me for $30.03  ($4.95 admin fee per day no matter how many days you use the turnpike).
> Although I've heard that other rental car companies are worse...I think it stinks that they do not advise you of this at the time of pickup.
> They "Warned" us that upon return of the vehicle, that it must be "filled up" at a gas station no further than 10 miles from the drop-off point and that I had to have a gas receipt to "prove it".
> ...


Just like timeshares and everything else.  Read your contract.... 

This is a simple way for hertz to make extra money.

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## rapmarks (Nov 30, 2015)

simpsontruckdriver said:


> A couple corrections from an Orlando resident:
> 
> 1) Florida is merging Sunpass with E-Pass, so any device you waste your money on will work everywhere.
> 2) Later this year, Florida tax (toll) roads would be able to use EZ-Pass (NE USA).
> ...


I would like to know more about merging with EZPass.   We purchased the transponder in Illinois and used it throughout the northeast.   We will be going to the keys with that car in Feb and would like to be able to use that transponder.  I purchased a Florida Sunpass on our other car, but it is not transferable and it also did not give us any credit , we had to pay extra for tolls.


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## Jason245 (Nov 30, 2015)

rapmarks said:


> I would like to know more about merging with EZPass.   We purchased the transponder in Illinois and used it throughout the northeast.   We will be going to the keys with that car in Feb and would like to be able to use that transponder.  I purchased a Florida Sunpass on our other car, but it is not transferable and it also did not give us any credit , we had to pay extra for tolls.


Call sun pass they might be able to help you. 

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## rapmarks (Nov 30, 2015)

Jason245 said:


> Call sun pass they might be able to help you.
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk



they told me no such thing, but I don't believe that is true.


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## Jason245 (Nov 30, 2015)

rapmarks said:


> they told me no such thing, but I don't believe that is true.



https://www.sunpass.com/index

I don't know or see anything about merging with the network from the north... I would trust whatever is on their website.


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## Tacoma (Nov 30, 2015)

Our fancy new bridge into Vancouver on the #1 highway is a toll bridge with no booths. You have to go online and pay if you don't have a transponder (I assume they exist for regular users). It is quick and painless.  If they have to bill you  after 2 weeks or so they increase the fee because they would have to find the registered owner of the plate and send a bill in the mail. Seems like a system that works but it is very obvious you are on a toll bridge and there is only one toll (that I know of) in the area.

Joan


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## theo (Dec 1, 2015)

Talent312 said:


> <<  Sunpass >>



All states throughout the East use and acknowledge EZ Pass. Florida, however, chooses to stand alone with its' own Florida Sun Pass, as is their prerogative I guess.  

As a Florida resident, do you have any thoughts or speculation as to why Florida would choose to have its' own, in-state only, toll pass system rather than just join up with all of the other states in the single, unified EZ Pass system? 

Just curious...


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## Jason245 (Dec 1, 2015)

theo said:


> All states throughout the East use and acknowledge EZ Pass. Florida, however, chooses to stand alone with its' own Florida Sun Pass, as is their prerogative I guess.
> 
> As a Florida resident, do you have any thoughts or speculation as to why Florida would choose to have its' own, in-state only, toll pass system rather than just join up with all of the other states in the single, unified EZ Pass system?
> 
> Just curious...


We in florida like to maintain our own records.  Sunpass is a state run agency subject to sunshine laws. In addition,  we don't tend to trust other states...

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## SMHarman (Dec 1, 2015)

theo said:


> All states throughout the East use and acknowledge EZ Pass. Florida, however, chooses to stand alone with its' own Florida Sun Pass, as is their prerogative I guess.
> 
> As a Florida resident, do you have any thoughts or speculation as to why Florida would choose to have its' own, in-state only, toll pass system rather than just join up with all of the other states in the single, unified EZ Pass system?
> 
> Just curious...


They used a different transponder tech (radio frequency of transponder) so Ez pass cannot be read and vice versa. 


Jason245 said:


> We in florida like to maintain our own records.  Sunpass is a state run agency subject to sunshine laws. In addition,  we don't tend to trust other states...
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk


All states maintain their own toll systems. The ezpass compact allows cross state / agency billing of tolls.  

Your NY plate goes through a NJ toll, NJ send a file of plate and pass and toll and fee details to NY. NY load that into their system and write a check to NJ. 

Of course the check is likely a net payment monthly and the load is likely an automated sftp/xml feed these days but you get the picture.


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## theo (Dec 1, 2015)

Jason245 said:


> We in florida like to maintain our own records.  Sunpass is a state run agency subject to sunshine laws. In addition,  we don't tend to trust other states...



O.K., if you say so.......although I'm frankly not at all persuaded regarding just how much "sunshine" automated toll collection actually requires. 

We in all the unwashed EZ Pass states trust Florida's judgement .  After all, without FL, we would never have had the opportunity to see a Presidential election outcome turned over to the U.S. Supreme Court, after abject failure to successfully count / sort out "dimpled ballots" and "hanging chads". Or was that some *other* Florida?


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## Jason245 (Dec 1, 2015)

theo said:


> O.K., if you say so......although I'm frankly not persuaded regarding just how much "sunshine" automated toll collection actually requires. onder:
> 
> We in all the unwashed EZ Pass states trust Florida's judgement implicitly. Without Florida, we would never have had the opportunity to see a Presidential election outcome handed over to the U.S. Supreme Court, after abject failure to successfully count / sort out "dimpled ballots" and "hanging chads". Or was that some *other* Florida?


All the people that manage the program work for state of florida.  We want them to keep their jobs... Florida always trys to be different because they can... 

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