How does SunPass work in Florida?
 

Upcoming EA rental at FLL, will be driving back on forth on the Florida Turnpike a few times. There is conflicting info on the internet about the toll transponders (generally) at National and the Florida SunPass program.

Do I need to request a transponder at the exit booth or is it built into the license plate? Do I need to say anything at all at the booth or pick a particular car?

This info from the SunPass page has details for the major companies (National down towards the bottom):

https://www.sunpass.com/rentalcar

FWIW, last rental car I had in FLL did *not* have a transponder. Although from that sunpass website maybe I could have just driven through the fast lanes anyways. But I didn't know enough that I felt it was worth penalties to do it.

So I wasn't sure if "participation is automatic" means that you pay the $2.00 per day or $6.00 per rental whether you use the Sun Pass or not, so I just did a dummy booking. The only thing I see is a "Florida Surcharge" for $2.00 per day, but my booking was for 9 days and the total was $18.00. I'm therefore assuming that you don't need to opt-in at the time of the rental, but that you only pay the $2.00 per day/$6.00 per rental if you actually use the Sun Pass.

From the National website:

If you or any driver operate the rental vehicle in Northern California, Florida, Colorado, or Texas, and generate an unpaid toll, you will be charged our TollPass Convenience Charge of $2.00 for each day you use a toll road or bridge plus the cost of all unpaid tolls. The maximum TollPass Convenience Charge for the rental period is $6.00, plus the cost of all unpaid tolls. For information call 1-877-860-1283 or go to www.htallc.com/nationalcar

If you or any driver operate the rental vehicle in areas not served by TollPass and generate any unpaid toll(s) then you will be charged for all unpaid tolls and an administrative charge of up to $25.00 per rental.

I rented from MIA late last year and asked at the exit booth. They signed me up for the $6/wk rate and sent me on my way... no transponder that I could see. I didn't get charged for any tolls either: just the six bucks. Shrug!

BTW, Texas is all "ZipCash" (fancy name for "we take a picture of your plate and bill you") or TollTag now... all tollbooths are being ripped out. Cash no longer accepted! ZipCash rates are 50% higher than TollTag rates.

Actually that is only North Texas. The AUS toll roads and most of the HOU toll roads still have cash booths.

The Florida system is the first phase of the overall program to eliminate toll booths. They've had some cashless-only exits and entrances up and running for a couple of years now, Beginning in May, they will be removing toll booths from toll plazas that have had them for decades.

Florida offers a sticker-type transponder tag for $4.99 that comes preloaded with $4.99 in toll credit - it's such a no-brainer, yet some people who regularly communte on the toll routes resist buying one.

what if i were to buy the sticker and put it on my dash would I get charged 2 bucks a day or not. Going to st petes/terra verde end of the month renting for 5 days, and will go through the toll every day 5x2=10 bucks 4.99=4.99
jeff

I go to Florida enough that I actually bought my own SunPass a few years ago (before National even offered the service). So worth the price (it was like $20). Since then they have even updated their online account website to include rental car info (the transponder is supposed to be registered to a an individual car/license plate) when in use.

Whenever I rent at MCO, they ask at the booth if I want one... but since I have never needed one I do not know how they work. I had assumed they were handed out at the booth.

During a recent day trip out of JFK, I did request their equivalent NY toll pass, and it was handed to me at the booth to set on the dash. I paid a total of $3.34 (with tax) for the day, and tolls were billed to my card (they added up to a whopping $17 but that also included driving into Manhattan).

The SunPass Mini sticker is permanent; you can't move it between cars, and it's a real pain to get off the windshield. If you were planning on doing Florida more often, the $20 classic SunPass would be a reasonable choice.

Some toll roads here in Miami are completely boothless; they use the transponder to bill directly or license plate photos to mail you the bill. It's nice because the transponder gets you a small discount, and the mailed tolls aren't more expensive than the old booths were (from my understanding; I've had my SunPass for almost ten years.)

I got a Jeep from MIA for 3 weeks in December as I was doing some work in Miami Beach. Did not inquire about SunPass, but I did remember something about lots of extra charges if I went through tolls without paying. One weekend I took a road trip down to Key West. I paid cash at all manned toll booths, but some were cashless, and some were just cameras above all lanes on the turnpike. I just said .... it, and forgot about it.

I then received a charge on my card about a month later, but it was just the cost of the tolls. No additional charges for them having to bill me. I thought that was pretty nifty.

This was just my experience. If I were you, I would probably get some answers (or something in writing) from the lot attendant or exit booth though.

so however the sticker is packaged, i dont remember how. it wont work if i just throw it on the dash in the package?

Correct. https://www.sunpass.com/pdf/MiniWebPDF_E.pdf says that it uses the windshield as an antenna (probably similar to the capacitative touchscreen on an iPhone), and will only work if it's stuck to a glass windshield and never removed.

I have the $25 SunPass Portable, and it mounts with suction cups and works great when stuck to the windshield behind the rear view mirror.

Because it needs to be registered - and some of us still prefer to travel around anonymously without being tracked.