Florida Tolls

[Pompey Family]

Just returned from two weeks in Florida and have been notified of the toll fees from our car rental firm, Budget.....$47!

This seems quite expensive. We picked the car up at Miami Airport, the assistant advised me that the car was equipped with SunPass and the final tally will be charged to the credit card. We then drove to Orlando pretty much all on I4. For the next two weeks just drove between resort, parks, restaurants etc in the local area, never knowingly going through any tolls. Returned to Miami via Fort Lauderdale for a nights stopover.

Does this figure sound right? It just seems excessive to me.

 

[jlp879]

No, it seems excessive. However, buried in the fine print of your car rental paperwork is probably a bunch of junk fees.

Some rental car companies charge you a "convenience fee" of about $4 per day of having the SunPass transponder in the car, whether you use it that day or not.

According to the Points Guy, in Florida, Dollar and Thrifty charge a $15 administrative fee per toll unless customers opt in to the $8.99 per day “all inclusive” plan. So you can see it's quite lucrative for the rental car companies.

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

Just returned from two weeks in Florida and have been notified of the toll fees from our car rental firm, Budget.....$47!

This seems quite expensive. We picked the car up at Miami Airport, the assistant advised me that the car was equipped with SunPass and the final tally will be charged to the credit card. We then drove to Orlando pretty much all on I4. For the next two weeks just drove between resort, parks, restaurants etc in the local area, never knowingly going through any tolls. Returned to Miami via Fort Lauderdale for a nights stopover.

Does this figure sound right? It just seems excessive to me.

Hard to tell if it's correct or not without looking at the print out of toll activities. There is another thread on here about the SunPass System, and you may want to check it out.

I learned a long time ago to get my own SunPass Transponder (which can be purchased at many locations in Florida) instead of using the rental car Transponder. It's cheaper, and easier. You simply add money to it whenever needed.

I'm sure others have had similar experiences as yours.



.

 

[lily28]

I also bought a sunpass transponder for $21.4, add $20 to the account this trip. Put in the license plate number for the rental car with start and end day. This way, I can avoid the excessive junk fee. On the way to Tampa and Miami from Orlando, there are toll booths which I can’t pay for tolls with cash

 

[Talent312]

See Miss Marty's summary of Budget's e-toll feature below.
Tolls are charged on every expressway in Orlando other than I-4.
it can add up. Tack on the admin fee, and the bill can get hefty.

BTW, you can't go from Miami to Orlando on I-4.
You either used I-75 to I-4 (near Tampa)... or the Turnpike (tolls)... or I-95 to the Beachline (tolls).

 

[Miss Marty]

Budget e-Toll Programs

You automatically opt into our e-Toll service program and will be charged $3.95 for each day of the entire rental period, including any days on which e-Toll is not used, up to a maximum of $19.75 per rental month, plus incurred tolls at the maximum prevailing rates posted by the toll authority.

Important Message for Cashless Toll Roads and e-Toll service

https://www.budget.com/en/products-services/services/e-toll

 

[Pompey Family]

I believe that Budget imposes a $3/day fee for each day of the rental term, if you use their pass just once.

BTW, you can't go from Miami to Orlando on I-4.
You either used I-75 to I-4 (near Tampa)... or the Turnpike (tolls)... or I-95 to the Beachline (tolls).

Thank you, that'll explain the cost!

Oh and it was the Turnpike. I'm sure I recall hearing I-4 from Google at some point!

 

[theo]

For the life of me, I cannot comprehend why Florida doesn't just adopt the same EZ Pass system with one multi-state transponder and single source billing --- used by every single other state on the entire eastern seaboard.

 

[mdurette]

My last trip I turned off the toll reader in the car at the airport - never touched the thing after.

Paid all tolls with cash. Then towards the end of our trip one toll just waived us through. Then we paid another. Then the next guy said no need to pay, it is being charged to the account. Huh???

In the end, ended up with a bill from rental car company for the usage and even the tolls we paid with cash.

I often wonder if the toll collectors that were taking my payment were able to pocket those funds knowing the transponder was picking up the charge or did the state of FL just get the extra money.

 

[MK15]

For the life of me, I cannot comprehend why Florida doesn't just adopt the same EZ Pass system with one multi-state transponder and single source billing --- used by every single other state on the entire eastern seaboard.

Florida's system (Sunpass) talks to nearby Georgia (Peach Pass) and North Carolina (Quick Pass). E-Z Pass doesn't cover the entire eastern seaboard, only down to NC. Seems like NC is the only state offering a transponder that's good for E-Z Pass states, Georgia, and Florida. More compatibility was supposed to be here already, but the original deadlines have not been met.

Either way, that doesn't solve the rental car issue. If the rental car system is turned on, they're going to bill you fees for using it. I always make sure to decline or turn mine off and just pay cash.

If you do have an E-Z Pass transponder up north and bring it with you, you could probably add your rental car plates to your account. The Central Florida Expressways (E-Pass) take E-Z Pass now, but that doesn't help you with the Turnpike (Sunpass).
https://www.cfxway.com/agency-infor...authority-first-in-florida-to-accept-e-zpass/

 

[Talent312]

In one rental, I passed thru several toll plazas, and later found the transponder in the glovebox.
Not having a transponder & not paying tolls was not an issue: "They'll bill it as a rental anyway."
If you BYO-Sunpass, be sure to add the plate to your account.

.

 

[chapjim]

For the life of me, I cannot comprehend why Florida doesn't just adopt the same EZ Pass system with one multi-state transponder and single source billing --- used by every single other state on the entire eastern seaboard.

Amen, and AMEN!

 

[PeterS]

Just a thought....
I remember when the Florida car rental companies used to charge almost $10 a day for everyday of rental even if it was only used one day (even the last day)... a two week vacation got clipped for $140 plus tolls.
Now that most car rental companies cap the fee to $20 for the entire length of trip and you will probably spend $20 plus what you have to put in the account to get a SunPass.... it seems that in some situations, the fee may not be so bad.

If you only make one trip a year or every couple years, the $20 fee may be worth it to not have to go through all the hassles to buy, setup, add rental car plates, make sure to delete the cars, etc...and manage a SunPass account. If you visit multiple times a year, the SunPass may be worth the extra effort.

The original uncapped setup was horrible and burned alot of people but now the max is reasonable. The old cap was more than the the cost for a day admission to WDW, now the entire cap is less than the 1 day parking fee...

Just a different perspective,
Pete

 

[Talent312]

If you only make one trip a year or every couple years, the $20 fee may be worth it to not have to go through all the hassles to buy, setup, add rental car plates, make sure to delete the cars, etc...and manage a SunPass account. If you visit multiple times a year, the SunPass may be worth the extra effort.

I concur. I have stick-on Sunpasses for my personal vehicles.
Sometimes, I rent (1-way to/from the airport) and I let them handle the tolls.
I'm not going to pay a ton of money for a trip and then worry about a few little tolls.

 

[gnipgnop]

I totally agree with Theo.

souwhy Florida doesn't just adopt the same EZ Pass system with one multi-state transponder and single source billing

It's such a pain in the butt having to be concerned every time you change directions whether you going onto a payless toll road or not. We usually try to stay on I-4 when traveling through Orlando but coming out of the airport and still on 528 (paid the toll in cash) we made a wrong turn and got stuck with 2 cashless tolls. Didn't get the charge on our credit card yet but I know it's going to be over $40.00.

 

[Talent312]

... [W]e made a wrong turn and got stuck with 2 cashless tolls.

GPS is your friend. I use my own portable Garmin if renting a car.
.

 

[Sea Six]

GPS is yor friend. I use my own portable Garmin if renting a car.
.

I'm with you - we take our NUVI everywhere we go.

And we have a multi-car transponder for the tolls.

 

[Jan M.]

I'm with you - we take our NUVI everywhere we go.

And we have a multi-car transponder for the tolls.

Our Garmin NUVI that we'd had for a few years died and they gave us credit for it towards a new one and a great deal on the new one we picked. We now have the Garmin DriveSmart 61 LMT-S. We have the older Garmin that was in my car, it isn't that old, that we took with us on our last trip when we had to rent a car and we both agreed the new one goes with us next time. Our son made fun of us because his age group all use their phones. We've done that in a pinch but like the 7" screen on our Garmin that we both, driver and passenger, can easily see.

 

[Sea Six]

We keep our NUVI in our car that has built in GPS. The car has Tom-Tom, and we find it frustrating to use, so sometimes we just stick with the Garmin..