A woman says her husband avoids daily toll administrative fees when renting cars. But folks have some doubts that it actually works
TikTok user Saraida Cecilia (@eauxfamily) posted a clip detailing the toll tag “hack” that her husband employed when they rented a vehicle. According to the text overlay, this trick helps to curb toll fees in a rental.
“Husband Behavior: finding the toll tag on a rental and registering it with his toll tag to not get charged extra,” she writes.
“I would have never thought about the toll tag, just would have received the toll bill when it’d get mailed to the house,” Cecilia adds.
According to Cecilia’s husband’s logic, any tolls are billed to his account, and any presumed surcharges levied by the rental company are bypassed.
Can You Avoid Toll Administrative Fees Charged by Rental Companies?
Several people commented to say they don’t think Cecilia’s husband’s method for avoiding administrative toll fees rental companies charge is the best practice.
One remarked that this could be a surefire way to get hit with myriad charges after the fact. “Has he done this before? I feel like you are gonna keep getting charged because the rental company would have to go in and add it back when you are done, not sure that will happen automatically,” they wrote.
This same thought was echoed by another person, who penned, “Don’t forget to undo it when done.”
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Others said they tried doing the same thing with their own rental cars. One woman claimed it backfired. “Actually it doesn’t work! I thought this same thing. Tried it and they still send the bill to the rental company. They find out it doesn’t match the vehicle owner and then you owe higher fees,” she wrote.
However, another person said that it worked for them without a hitch. “Actually you can. I added a rental to my own N.C. Quick Pass and didn’t have any issues, just set the dates correctly with the correct plate and it’s a non issue,” they said.
Another user wrote that this technique is region-specific. “Depends on the state. In MD, PA, and DE it will charge to your account as long as you have the funds,” they said.
Car Rental Company Toll Fees
Others who commented on the post expressed frustrations with the added toll fees charged by car rental companies.
Do Not Pay says that Hertz “can multiply the cost of…rental[s] with stacking charges.” The outlet says that oftentimes these charges aren’t listed and come in the form of a “surprise 3 weeks after your rental ends.” Do Not Pay went on to list some charges, including the “daily fee for toll roads” and a charge for using Hertz’s own PlatePass toll tag. It also claims that using a single toll road once initiates a charge for every day thereafter under your rental agreement.
AAA also mentioned Hertz, but noted that the company offers an all-inclusive tolling plan. This comes out to about $19 per day and is available in 25 states, AAA writes, but that it might not be an option at all Hertz agencies. In contrast, Enterprise hits users with a $3.95 to $4.95 daily toll fee in addition to the cost of the tolls themselves, it reports. But AAA also states that airport locations can charge more.
Avis, AAA adds, offers two plans: a direct bill and an unlimited plan. The direct bill plan charges the driver an additional $6.95 fee each day a toll is incurred. Under the unlimited plan, customers simply pay a daily fee.
Just Bring Your Own Transponder?
If you live in an area that offers toll transponders, such as E-ZPass, AAA recommends simply bringing your own. Most rental cars with toll transponders have a cover cage apparatus that can prevent the tag from being pinged whenever the car passes through a toll lane. Ensure this is covered, and consider adding the car’s license plate and make and model to your transponder.
In case there are any incongruities/double charges by the toll agency during your trip. AAA also recommends cash lanes, but concedes that some states have negated this option altogether. Which means that you’ll be hit with tolls regardless. In these instances, it might be best to inquire as to what daily unlimited toll option rates are offered by the company you’re renting your car from.
If all else fails, utilizing popular navigation options like Google Maps allows you to avoid toll roads altogether. This way, you can ensure that you’re not getting hit with any surprise charges.
Motor1 has reached out to Cecilia via email for further information. We’ll update this if she responds.
