Navigating Toll Roads with a Rental Car: How Pay By Plate Works
Renting a car can simplify your travel plans, but navigating toll roads with a rental can add a layer of complexity. Fortunately, Pay By Plate makes paying tolls while driving a rental car a smooth experience.
Here’s how it works:
Automatic Toll Detection:
- License plate recognition: When you drive through a Pay By Plate toll zone, cameras capture your rental car’s license plate.
- Vehicle identification: Pay By Plate identifies the rental car and links it to the rental company’s Pay By Plate account.
- Toll calculation: The appropriate toll is automatically calculated based on the vehicle type, toll zone, and applicable discounts.
Payment Options:
- Rental company billing: Most major rental companies offer a Pay By Plate option during the rental process. This allows the rental company to pay the tolls on your behalf and add the charges to your final rental bill.
- Direct payment: You can pay tolls directly through your Pay By Plate account if you have one. This requires linking your rental car’s license plate to your account beforehand.
- Toll invoice: If neither option is chosen, you’ll receive an invoice from the rental company after your return. This invoice will include the accumulated tolls, administrative fees, and instructions for payment.
Rental Company Option:
- Convenience: The rental company handles the tolls and adds them to your bill, eliminating the need for immediate payment.
- Toll convenience fee: Rental companies typically charge a convenience fee for handling the tolls, which is added to your final bill.
- Limited control: You have minimal control over the toll charges and may not receive detailed toll information.
Direct Payment:
- More control: You have complete control over your toll charges and receive detailed information about each transaction.
- No convenience fee: You avoid the additional fee charged by rental companies.
- Requires planning: You must set up your Pay By Plate account and link the rental car’s license plate beforehand.
Invoice Payment:
- Simple: No immediate action is required on your part.
- Delays: You may receive the invoice weeks after your rental, leading to potential late fees if not paid promptly.
- Limited information: Similar to the rental company option, the invoice may not provide detailed toll information.
