Finally, a Way Around Exorbitant Rental Car Surcharges for Tolls

23.07.2024 - 09:34 / nytimes.com

Tolls have long been the curse of rental car drivers, who often find their final bills inflated by per-day charges for access to automated toll payment devices provided by rental car companies.

Now one toll authority in Florida aims to eliminate rental car sticker shock. The Central Florida Expressway Authority, based in Orlando, has begun issuing temporary toll passes available free to travelers who rent cars at Orlando International Airport, allowing drivers to pay for toll road access like a local.

The program — which the toll authority says is the first of its kind in the nation — aims to ensure that a traveler’s last memory of a trip to Orlando is not being gouged by fees for a rental car transponder.

“There was a misconception that toll agencies like us or Florida’s Turnpike were getting those fees, and we’re not,” said Michelle Maikisch, the executive director of the Central Florida Expressway Authority. Usage fees often go to third-party contractors that handle toll payments for rental car companies. “Our governing board is made up of local elected officials and they were getting calls and emails. They challenged us to come up with a solution,” Ms. Maikisch added.

Signs throughout the Orlando airport for the Visitor Toll Pass direct travelers to download the pass app, where they can register for an account with a credit card. After registration, users receive a QR code that releases a toll pass from one of six vending machines near the airport’s rental car counters. The tag is designed to hang from the rearview mirror of a car.

Enrollment requires that travelers deposit an initial $10, which is used to pay for tolls. After that $10 is spent, a user’s credit card is charged each time a toll is incurred. If a traveler does not use the full $10 to pay tolls, the balance will be refunded to the credit card after the tag is returned. Travelers can return the tags at 14 drop boxes around the airport; failure to return them incurs a $10 fine.