What are the latest tips on Fl. tolls, should we buy a transponder?

I'm wondering if I bought an epass xtra- I can use it on my car at home, do I need to switch the license plate info to the rental car temporarily while using it in FL? is there an simple way to do this using the app?
 
I'm wondering if I bought an epass xtra- I can use it on my car at home, do I need to switch the license plate info to the rental car temporarily while using it in FL?
Yes. This is necessary in case there is an issue with the toll plaza reading the transponder. If it doesn't read for some reason, they use the plate number to tie back to your account. If they can't find that tag number on an active account, the toll would be sent to the rental agency instead and the rental agency would charge it back to you (at the cash rate PLUS fees).
Is there an simple way to do this using the app?
It can easily be done using the new E-PASS mobile app.
 
Yes. This is necessary in case there is an issue with the toll plaza reading the transponder. If it doesn't read for some reason, they use the plate number to tie back to your account. If they can't find that tag number on an active account, the toll would be sent to the rental agency instead and the rental agency would charge it back to you (at the cash rate PLUS fees).

It can easily be done using the new E-PASS mobile app.
thanks!
 
anyone have experience with merging an ezpass account with epass xtra? I see an option on the website. If I can't merge then I may just get an epass sticker to use in FL since that's free
 


anyone have experience with merging an ezpass account with epass xtra? I see an option on the website. If I can't merge then I may just get an epass sticker to use in FL since that's free
AFAIK, you can't merge an E-ZPass & E-PASS (Central FL Expressway Authority) account. You would need to close the E-ZPass account after you open the E-PASS account.

If you are traveling between MCO and a Disney Resort, there's a route that you can take which will allow you to use your existing E-ZPass transponder (if it's removable). If you take the South Exit out of MCO and get on SR-417 Southbound, you can take 417 to Exit 6 (World Center Dr/International Dr).
 
I'm wondering if I bought an epass xtra- I can use it on my car at home, do I need to switch the license plate info to the rental car temporarily while using it in FL? is there an simple way to do this using the app?
I’ve had the Epass transponder for some time now, and have used it for multiple trips to FL. It has worked for all of the central FL and gulf coast toll road and bridge tolls I’ve encountered. Not yet used it in the Miami area, but I will do so in January. I had been editing the rental car plate information for my transponder account using the CFX web site, but just switched to the iPhone version of the app Tuesday of this week. That made updating the plate and car information even more convenient. I have the regular suction-cup Epass ($10.70 including tax, delivered to my home in Illinois), but the Epass Xtra would work the same as well as provide EZ-pass interoperability. I had no need for that, since we have Ipass (EZ-pass) transponders in our cars at home and we normally only use rentals when visiting FL.
 
I rent a car and have a portable sunpass transponder which works great with Alamo and Dollar. But DO NOT use it with Budget or Avis. I had rented a car with Budget and they don't always recognize the Sunpass transponder. I was charged twice - once by Sunpass and once by Budget because they only were recognizing the E Pass. It was a big hassle to get a refund from Budget on the tolls.
 


We will be making a one time trip from WDW over to Ft Lauderdale in January. Curious how many toll booths we might encounter as we have never done anything but pay the cash tolls. Do I need to look into another option for the tolls?
 
I just got back from driving KC to WDW to Ft. Lauderdale and back. I only pay cash, have a coin tray on my Odyssey, bring $10 roll of quarters and have never had a problem in my own car (in a rental from off site from the airport, yes). No problems driving from WDW to Ft. Lauderdale. The toll road has signs for where you get off to connect with I 95. The cost is $9.80.
 
After reading all of this I'm very confused. We are driving our own vehicle from NY to Orlando and then on to Tampa. We currently have EZPass. It looks like the EZPass is good until we get out of NC and then we have to switch to a Florida system. Which is better? SunPass or EPass?

Any suggestions are welcome with the best way to approach this. Thank you.
 
After reading all of this I'm very confused. We are driving our own vehicle from NY to Orlando and then on to Tampa. We currently have EZPass. It looks like the EZPass is good until we get out of NC and then we have to switch to a Florida system. Which is better? SunPass or EPass?

Any suggestions are welcome with the best way to approach this. Thank you.
Your NY E-ZPass will work on some toll roads in Central FL. Depending on what toll roads you will be taking, you may not need to sign up for one of the FL eToll systems.
 
After reading all of this I'm very confused. We are driving our own vehicle from NY to Orlando and then on to Tampa. We currently have EZPass. It looks like the EZPass is good until we get out of NC and then we have to switch to a Florida system. Which is better? SunPass or EPass?

Any suggestions are welcome with the best way to approach this. Thank you.
If you're coming into FL on I-95 and stay on I-4 all the way to WDW, there will be no tolls in FL.

If you want to switch to FL-417 to loop around Orlando and avoid most of the I-4 construction, or stay on I-95 and come in from the east on the Beachline 528, you will need a FL transponder or pay cash. Or if you're coming down the west side of FL on I-75 and taking the Turnpike.

I'm not sure, but I don't think there are any tolls if you take I-75 north out of Tampa towards Atlanta. There are a couple of local toll roads in the Tampa area, and they are electronic only. It depends where you'll be driving in Tampa. I think they will bill by your license plate with an added service charge, if you don't have an E-Pass or SunPass. I'm not very familiar with the Tampa area.

E-Pass & SunPass work the same; it's just a matter of which government agency you pay. E-Pass is free for the permanent sticker, and cheaper than SunPass for the suction cup device.
 
Thanks for your help. I think we'll just stick with the NY EZPass system and pay cash where it doesn't work. Hopefully there is signage to tell us if it will work or not. And if it's cashless, I suppose it's probably cheaper to just pay the service fee for the mailed invoice for those few times. I think if we stick no tolls into Google Maps that will alleviate it all.
 
Hopefully there is signage to tell us if it will work or not.
There are signs some places, but all you need to remember is that E-Pass toll points accept E-ZPass, while SunPass toll points do not. If the main sign says E-Pass, you're good to go; if it's SunPass, pay cash.
 
The last time we went and paid cash at all of the tolls. I made sure the transponder was turned off on the rental car. A week after we returned home I started getting various charges from the rental company for the toll pass. I had to call and waited 75 minutes on the phone before speaking with a representative who reversed the charges. I would never pay cash again if I was renting a car.
 
Please help this confused Canadian. We are driving from WDW to Port Canaveral and back in a rental car. With a stop at Costco (anyone know which one is most convenient?). Will we be driving on toll roads? If so, should we pay cash? Or get a pass (which one)? Thanks!
 
Please help this confused Canadian. We are driving from WDW to Port Canaveral and back in a rental car. With a stop at Costco (anyone know which one is most convenient?). Will we be driving on toll roads? If so, should we pay cash? Or get a pass (which one)? Thanks!
You can pay cash. Just make sure you follow signs to the cash lanes, usually off to the right of the main roadway.

There are 2 routes you can take. From WDW, the southern route is 417 past the airport to 528. The northern route is I-4 east to 528. If you're on the northern route, there's a Costco a few exits east (actually north) of 528 on I-4, near Millenia Mall. There's one off the southern route a few miles north of 417 on 441, but they've made it a "business center" so it has a limited selection.

If you take the northern route, there are now express lanes on parts of 528 between I-4 and the airport. You must stay out of them if you are paying cash.
 
I was reading a blog entry at AutoSlash dated about a year ago that claims to provide a better deal than Florida-originating transponders. The NC Quick Pass E-ZPass appears to work on all SunPass and CFX roadways in Florida as well as the entire E-ZPass system in other states. It's $7.40 plus tax to buy it and NC requires $20 minimum prepaid toll balance. This might be worth investigating if the E-ZPass interoperability has value for you.
[Edited to remove erroneous remarks about not working with some FL toll roads.]
 
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They should just create a phone based app that works nationwide. Just keep you phone in your purse or pocket, never have to mount it to your plate or windshield. Just turn it on or off as needed. All the phones have a unique ID and they can track our location. Hello.
 

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