# Opting "safely" out of THRIFTY car rental’s PlatePass All-Inclusive Service



## nortel'd (Mar 20, 2012)

My daughter and her family are coming for a two week vacation to Orlando. They are renting a van from Orlando International Airport’s THRIFTY car rental location.
Does the THRIFTY car rental company help you set up to use your own SUNPASS transponder in Florida?
If so what procedure did you follow to avoid ...  If you have a personal transponder or account, it may not transfer to the rental vehicle and you will be charged a toll violation …  

When asked, the Thrifty representative informed her their PlatePass option for a per/day charge that allows the driver to bypass all toll booths ranges from $10.49- $21.00 per day depending on the location it’s used. Sounds pretty hefty to me !!!! 

We have a SUNPASS account with and a portable SUNPASS transponder that allows us to drive through designated SunPass, E-PASS, and LEEWAY lanes. If it is possible, our daughter would rather use our portable transponder than THRIFTY’S rental option for paying the tolls. It is stated in the Central Florida Expressway Q&A:
If you own an E-PASS Portable, you could move it to the rental car provided that you inform the rental car agency that you’re using it in their vehicle. You also must update your account information with the rental vehicle’s license plate number. 

I called THRIFTY and asked a representative what their procedure was if we use our own transponder. I was given a run around. At first the representative told me Thrifty does not allow personal portable transponders. After I read to him what is stated in the Central Florida Expressway Q&A, he started humming and hawing something about it must be approved at the time the car is rented. Meaning what? Some say yes, some say no. Their online statement "If you have a personal transponder or account, it may not transfer to the rental vehicle and you will be charged a toll violation" comes across like Thrifty’s is using fear tactics to make you sign up for their very expensive PlatePass option. 

_2. PlatePass All-Inclusive Service: In a few cities, we offer an option to purchase the PlatePass All-Inclusive Service for a per/day charge that allows the driver to bypass all toll booths and avoid electronic toll charges on all the toll roads in the city or state, as applicable; and, as many times a day as necessary. If you decline to purchase the PlatePass All-Inclusive Service, you will pay us for all unpaid toll occurrences and toll violations (including violations captured by camera) charged by the toll authority plus a $15.00 administrative fee (FL - $9.99 per occurrence) per toll occurrence or toll violation. If you have a personal transponder or account, it may not transfer to the rental vehicle and you will be charged a toll violation. Please be advised that some toll roads are managed electronically and have no manned booths. In areas where toll roads have converted to All Electronic Tolling, you should check with the tolling authority for other available payment options.
“NOTE: If you decline the optional PlatePass All-Inclusive service at the commencement of the rental period, but still use electronic toll roads and/or bridges during the rental period (including “cashless” or “all electronic” toll roads and bridges, as noted above), you will be liable for and we will charge you: (a) all tolls incurred for such use (at the highest, undiscounted applicable toll rate); (b) a $15.00 administrative fee (FL - $9.99 per occurrence) for each toll incurred (subject to a $90.00 cap for such toll-related cfees for the rental period); and (c) all other applicable toll charges or fees, if any.”_


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## Video_Frank (Aug 2, 2013)

From here:



> Travelers need to prepare for the high car rental toll road fees. If you are traveling from another state, bring your transponder with you. SunPass is compatible with other state tolling systems.
> 
> When you get your rental car, you’ll have to notify the tolling authority. You need the make and model of the car, plus the license plate. That way the tolling authority knows the toll pass is temporarily associated with another vehicle.


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## nortel'd (Mar 20, 2012)

Thank you Video_Frank for your informative link.

I apologize for taking so long to respond. I needed to make sure my son-in-law did not get stuck with unexpected after-the-fact toll charges to his BMO MasterCard. It has been six weeks since he returned the rental and all is well.

My husband dropped me off at the Orlando airport where I met up with our daughter and her family. My son-in-law registered the rental car in my SunPass account for a start time and end time, made sure the transponder was properly mounted and we traveled all over central Florida without a problem for two weeks. My SunPass account statement shows we spent $18.33 on tolls. 

I thought Thrifty's toll road option was ridiculous until I found out they charged $100 for each child’s booster seat. Had my daughter told me beforehand, at $40 US each, I would have purchased two Graco High Back Turbo Booster Car Seats from Walmart and brought them with me to the airport.


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## Video_Frank (Aug 2, 2013)

Here's an update to the story. 


> The Visitor Toll Pass, which the Expressway Authority quietly rolled out this month, is a free tag that hangs from a car's rearview mirror. A driver can pick up the tag right after picking up a rental car. A credit card number, the car's license plate number, and the day when the trip will be over must be provided. And that's it.


As an FYI we often referred to mousesavers.com for tips about our Florida vacation. This page outlines some tips for car rentals. They included one of my wife's tips on saving money with car seats.


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