psychephylax

Great idea and the pricing almost doesn't seem too bad. 7$ a week max to skip a bunch of cash toll lanes. But then of course when you only rack up 15$ in tolls that's close to 50% in extra charges.

I wonder how this will work though, I use my own EZPass when I rent so I hope this is a request only option. Seems like a whole lot of hassle to take them off and on between renters though.

ikwia

So how does this work? You pay the $7 service charge and also the tolls at their regular value?

cestmoi123

That's how I understand it. The special sauce seems to be some way to get near-realtime logging of the tolls, so that they can be charged to you on return, rather than days or weeks later.

Zipcar has EZ Pass in their cars, but it's a regular EZ Pass - they get the statement, tally up how much I spent, and bill my credit card (I assume the actual process is rather more automated). Hence, a charge for tolls will pop up on my CC anywhere from a few days to a month later.

Still, both cases are far preferable to waiting in line to pay cash for tolls (and renters can now earn CC points for their tolls!).

dhl

I believe it is scenario #2 in which they bill you after they receive the toll charges and not during the return.

http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release...ease_id=142697

Customers utilizing PlatePass will be charged a usage fee of $2.25 per day that they use the system, up to a maximum of $6.75 per week. Customers are only charged the daily service fee for days that an E-Z Pass toll road is actually used. After the rental car is returned, the customer's credit card will be charged the accrued usage fees plus the actual amount of the tolls incurred during the rental period. Customers will receive an itemized listing of all tolls and charges by mail. Customers may also visit www.PlatePass.com to view and download an itemized receipt.

Global_Hi_Flyer

And if I end up with a car that has PlatePass and I would rather pay cash at the tolls instead of using the Pass (because I have a pile of quarters that I don't want to carry back on the plane???)? Looks like I'll have no choice.

cestmoi123

They seem to be targeting the NYC metro area with this, so quarters won't help you very much. Most of the relevant tolls (Manhattan bridges and tunnels) are $6.

dhl

If you read the rest of the press release you will see that renting the EZ-Pass in the NY metro area is optional. You may be confused in regards to the locations outside of the NY Metro area, because it says all cars are "enrolled" because the system that charges the tolls in some areas use the license plate number to charge the toll instead of a device ala ezpass.

Loran

It's a normal EZ-Pass with clear, velcro-like stickers on it. If the car has never had EZ-Pass before you remove the backing from the stickers and attach the EZ-Pass to the windshield. At the end of the rental you remove the device and turn it in. The two 1-inch strips of velcro stay on the windshield. So it's totally optional.

The obvious big benefit of this is not dealing with the cash lanes.

The downside is that if you have a gold rental you need to go inside to get the Platepass, and this requires printing up a new contract and signing a separate form for the platepass.

I was billed about a month later for my tolls. What I thought was rude is that the EZ-Pass discount is NOT passed on - I was charged $4.50 for the Midtown tunnel, not the $4 EZ-Pass toll.

VA1379

How do you use your own EZPass when you rent? Do you have an extra one just for rentals, or do you use the same one that you have for your normal vehicle? I have one, but it is stuck to my vehicle.

cestmoi123

I use my own EZ Pass when I rent (actually, it's a Fastlane from Massachusetts, and I no longer own a car, and, well, long story, but the credit card account is still valid and it keeps working, so anyway). Just put it on the dash when I drive through EZ Pass lanes.

psychephylax

I have 3 EZPass tags. 1 semi-permanently attached to the front of my car. 2 in suction cup holders. One is kept in the other car and the spare one, which you can request for free, I use in rental cars.

Since my rental patterns are anywhere between a week to 2 months having a spare EZPass is very convenient.

julia_dennehy

Now living in MA, I do the same thing. Be careful the transponder doesn't fall off the dash or windshield, it will not read in this case! (Trust me!) The Pike will take a picture of your plate and it will make it's way back to Hertz... (and you'll be hit with HUGE fees!) UNLESS you register your rental on-line to your FastLane Account to be safe (takes five minutes). In which case, the Pike will only hit you with a Visual Toll - about two bucks. Just be sure to remove the car from your account - I usually wait until the next billing cycle just to be safe.

psychephylax

Just place the transponder in your field of view so you can see it when you get in the car. Kinda hard to miss when it falls down if it's in front of you. I put mine a little to the left of the rear view mirror. It also helps me remember to take it with me in the end of the rental.

I'm not sure if this works correctly on all toll plazas. I've gone through a non-EZPass lane in NJ by accident with my EZPass affixed to the windshield and I haven't received anything...YET. Same thing in VA, went through a lane and the warning buzzer went off but no bills yet.

I wouldn't register rental car plates to your passes unless you're very dilligent about removing them. I've done this before, and forgot to remove it until I got an EZPass statement with tolls I didn't recognize. It was only 7$ in tolls so I didn't bother trying to argue with EZPass/Avis on this but it's a lesson I learned the hard way. I'm not 100% sure what kind of fines various places give out, but all it takes is 1 person to go on a toll running rampage from Boston to Virginia and back once or twice in a month and you'll probably pay more in tolls than the fine.

julia_dennehy

[QUOTE=psychephylax]Just place the transponder in your field of view so you can see it when you get in the car. Kinda hard to miss when it falls down if it's in front of you. I put mine a little to the left of the rear view mirror. It also helps me remember to take it with me in the end of the rental.

Are you always in the car when the transponder is affixed to the windshield? I was at a rest area on the MassPike when mine must have fallen off the windshield of my rental. I'm not one to notice such things, and just went through the FastLane as usual. I got hit with a Visual Toll. I was lucky I registered my rental. I noticed the transponder on the floor when I was on 95. If it went through Hertz, it would have been a ticket for a toll violation. My neighbor was on the GSP and went through a 55mph EZ Pass lane by accident - doesn't own a transponder - $125.00 fine. I think I'll register my rental - just to be safe. How many people are going to drive my former rental from Boston to Virginia in a month using only toll roads? And how long do rental cars remain in fleet?

tonypct

I'm surprised to hear that the discount is not passed on. While that wouldn't offset the weekly fee, it sure would lower it a bit, especially if you're driving through a lot of tolls in the NY Metro area, where most EZ Pass lanes offer a discount.

I use my EZ Pass all the time with a rental car. I do not have it attached to my windshield; just hold it up when I pass the tolls. I've done this numerous times over the Bronx Whitestone Bridge in front of the TBTA Police all the time, and they've never said a word.