This week's 'Ask Evan' question comes from Paul S and is about E-ZPass.. Paul asks, "What about people like me who rent cars for work in order to not put miles on our own cars. We used to be able to throw the E-ZPass in the car and use it for tolls. Now apparently the solution is to pay a fine or edit the E-ZPass account after renting the car so we know what the plate is for the rental?"
I reached out to folks with the PA Turnpike Commission for an answer and they offer a few tips for people who want to use E-ZPass with a rental car. First, customers with rental vehicles should check with the rental company about their policy with regards to travel on toll roads. Each rental company may have a unique process for handling tolls or violations incurred with a rental vehicle.
Some rental companies may provide an E-ZPass transponder, or customers may also choose to use their own personal E-ZPass in a rental vehicle. If you want to use your own transponder in a rental car, E-ZPass customers can add their rental vehicle information to their existing pa turnpike E-ZPass account. You can either call the E-ZPass customer service center or log in to your account online to provide your rental vehicle information with the start and end dates you plan to use it. Once the information is added to your account, you can use the E-ZPass transponder in your rental vehicle.
There is also an app available where you can do all of that from your phone. And, don't forget to remove your E-ZPass transponder from the rental vehicle when you return the vehicle!
Also keep in mind that if you drive through a cashless tolling point or utilize an E-ZPass only interchange in a rental vehicle without E-ZPass, the rental company will receive an invoice for the tolls and then process according to your customer agreement and their policies-- which could cost you much more than just the actual toll.
If you have a question you'd like to ask send me an email to AskEvan@FOX43.com. Please put 'Ask Evan in the subject line. You can also reach out to me on Facebook at Evan Forrester FOX43. Whatever the topic I'll do my best to track down answers you are looking for.