Anyone purchase a Sunpass for a rental car?

[goofy4tink]

I have the portable Sunpass and love it. But do remember to remove it. I'm on my third . Left one in rental when transporting late DH back to New England after original cancer diagnosis, and a second last October when I had my granddaughter with me. If I'm with someone else I try to assign them the task of remembering the transponder.

Even so I still think I've saved money over the toll booths as often as I travel to FL.

I did that last month! First time. But, thank heavens the valet guy at the Dolphin saw it, took it in to the Alamo counter. They called me, (about 3 hrs later) but by that time I was waiting for the DME bus!! However, I told them they could charge the cc on file to send it back to me...and they did!!! Great customer service.

 

[pattyw]

Yes- have had the portable one for years! Love that we don't have to even slow down on the 417!!

 

[happily single]

How can you order a Sunpass beforehand? I was on the website but didn’t see an option to order and have it delivered

 

[NotUrsula]

I love ours, but I also have fallen victim to forgetting it. I was in a Hertz car at the time, and after I filed a lost item claim, they found it, and charged me $35 to mail it back to me. It would have been cheaper to buy a new one.
Now I have a piece of Xmas curling ribbon tied around the middle of it, which helps remind me, because it dangles down where I can see it. (You need to place it in the center of the windshield up almost behind the RV mirror, & that position makes it really easy to forget.)

If you drive often on Florida toll roads it will normally pay for itself in a year or so, because having it earns you a discount on tolls. I find that the app often freezes up on me on my phone, but the actual website is more reliable. The MCO garage is a Farraday cage that blocks signals, so what I do if I have a passenger is open the app while I'm still in the airport, set the parameters except for the license plate, then once in the car, hand the phone to my passenger so it can be done on the way out of the airport. (It's always a good idea to have someone use a different phone to take a photo of the license plate, so that toggling screens isn't necessary.)

To order your transponder to be mailed to your home, go to www.sunpass.com. On that page, look right under the Sunpass logo in the top left corner; there is an orange tab that says "Purchase a transponder". Click that with a credit card handy, and you're in business.

 

[Lynne G]

How can you order a Sunpass beforehand? I was on the website but didn’t see an option to order and have it delivered

A couple of years ago, but I ordered it from the website, and had it mailed to me in the US. If you are not in the US, not sure. Can buy it from some stores in Florida.

I enjoy using it, and it saves me from having money to hand, when I can keep going. I bought the transponder and have no issues with it on rental cars, both from MCO and Ft. L., so far.

 

[happily single]

A couple of years ago, but I ordered it from the website, and had it mailed to me in the US. If you are not in the US, not sure. Can buy it from some stores in Florida.

I enjoy using it, and it saves me from having money to hand, when I can keep going. I bought the transponder and have no issues with it on rental cars, both from MCO and Ft. L., so far.

I just ordered the sticker!

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I've got the portable one. It's gotten plenty of use over the years and I'm glad I got it.

 

[Ress76]

We have a Sunpass. It was super convenient when Dollar charged us for a toll they claimed we didn't pay, and my husband just pulled up the Sunpass record and sent it to them. I'd hate to think we could have been trying to track down a toll receipt 6 weeks after our trip.

There are several unattended booths, so it was nice to go right through and not have to worry about having the exact change.

We will be in Orlando 4 times this year, so the Sunpass was worth it for us. After the next trip, we will set it aside until our next AP.

 

[The VWL Five]

Does 528 from MCO to WDW have maned tolls or only exact change/sunpass?

 

[Lynne G]

Does 528 from MCO to WDW have maned tolls or only exact change/sunpass?

I am pretty sure they still have cash, with change back, on that road, because of all the tourists that use it. May be only 1 lane for it now, as I vaguely remember seeing such, in December.

 

[The VWL Five]

I was reading somewhere (of course I don't recall where) that some highways down there were going away from maned tolls. Was hoping it wasn't on 528 or anytime soon.

 

[joelkfla]

I was reading somewhere (of course I don't recall where) that some highways down there were going away from maned tolls. Was hoping it wasn't on 528 or anytime soon.

Cashless tolls are starting to pop up on new construction, but at this time all of the main tourist routes, including 528, have the cash option. Mainline tolls also have attendants on duty 24x7 to give change, while most exits that charge toll require exact change (always in multiples of 25 cents.)

In the future, possibly as soon as fall of this year, express lanes will be opening on 528. The express lanes will be cashless, but cash tolls should still be available on the main traffic lanes.

 

[OKW Lover]

Does 528 from MCO to WDW have maned tolls or only exact change/sunpass?

Yes, that section of road does have manned tolls. I just drove it on Saturday. In fact, they just re-did the toll plaza (only one now) on 528 between the airport and I-4 so I don't see that changing anytime soon.

FWIW, if you take the south (417) route from the airport to WDW, there are also manned toll booths on that stretch.

 

[Euby]

I went ahead and purchased a Sunpass transponder. I'm using a rental car in June and going with family in September. I like the fact that I can move the transponder between cars. I had previously purchased the sticker a few years ago and I'm still trying to get the adhesive of the windshield. LOL

 

[The VWL Five]

I read when you add the rental to your Sunpass app it takes 15 minutes to activate. Anyone run into an issue with timing from the airport to the next toll?

 

[OKW Lover]

I read when you add the rental to your Sunpass app it takes 15 minutes to activate.

Not sure where you might have read that. At any rate, its probably 15 minutes before you hit the first toll anyway.

 

[Capt_BJ]

I read when you add the rental to your Sunpass app it takes 15 minutes to activate. Anyone run into an issue with timing from the airport to the next toll?

I can't find any such warning on the web site ... I have seen a warning about a delay in activating a NEW transponder. Which is why I do not recommend buying one as soon as you get to Florida for immediate use ... better to get by mail and activate B4 your trip.

When I've added a rental vehicle using the APP, the new vehicle appeared immediately - assuming I had a signal of course ....

 

[Chumpieboy]

Not sure where you might have read that. At any rate, its probably 15 minutes before you hit the first toll anyway.

Also, if you're accurate about the times you have the rental car (i.e. enter that you left the airport at 11:53AM etc.) they are pretty good about correlating the times of the toll to your account.

Meaning that if you leave MCO at 11:53AM, hit the first toll at 11:58AM (*) , get to your hotel at 12:10PM, update your SunPass account with the rental car information 2 hours later, it will still show accurately on your account since the toll occurred during the time you said you had the car.

(*) times compressed for illustration purposes.

 

[mikek]

just noticed that supposedly EZ Pass MIGHT WORK
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/traffic/os-ezpass-central-florida-tolls-20171109-story.html

"...The E-ZPasses will be functional on toll roads managed by the Central Florida Expressway Authority: 118 miles on State Roads 408, 414, 417, 429, 451, 528 and 429. They will not work on toll roads managed by the Florida Department of Transportation, like Florida’s Turnpike...."
​

But i see conflicting info elsewhere.

anyone know for sure?

edit: seems like not yet but was supposed to be "early spring"-
https://www.cfxway.com/agency-infor...18.2070492452.1524866202-211874763.1524866202

"...Beginning in early Spring 2018, the more than 35 million E-ZPass customers in 16 states — from Maine to North Carolina and west through Illinois — will experience the convenience of nonstop travel in Metro Orlando without fumbling for change at toll gantries...."​

 

[Cloudboy]

One question if anybody has experienced this or not with SunPass.

In Massachusetts we switched to fully automated tolls. I have an EZ Pass, and for a couple of weeks had to get a couple different rental cars. The problem was that whoever had rented the car before put the plate number on their pass, but didn't remove it when they were done. Therefor, I could not put my plate on it and couldn't use my pass. Has anyone encountered anything like this in Florida, or does it allow multiple passes per plate?