The heavy Toll of Easy Pass!

Ever wonder what it costs to ride the EZ Pass lanes in the US when you don’t have an EZPass account? A lot!

While some toll booths let you pay by plate, others charge an extra admin fee for doing so, and others charge a toll violation! In the case if New Jersey, it is $25 to $50 per toll!

In June I rented one of my bikes to a customer who did not tell me he was planning a trip north through toll roads. Customers/renters are responsible for paying their own tolls, so the appropriate thing for all of us to do when we rent a vehicle is to pay our tolls, rent an Easy Pass, or bring our own. Well, my customer didn’t do any of this. He also didn’t bother to tell me he had gone through tolls without paying!

So imagine my surprise when I received not one but five toll charges in the mail, with fees of $175!

Yes, $25-$50 per toll booth passed, regardless of the day! Tolls by mail do cost more!

Not all bad news though! I asked my customer to pay online or refund me the money and I would pay. He chose to send me the money. That worked out in his favor! Fortunately I have VA easy pass and I was able to add my bike retroactively to the account. The customer also paid me the entire amount due without making a big deal about it. Working with EZ Pass to get the fees waived was relatively easy because I have an account in good standing. So I refunded my customer his $175 in admin fees. It is what I would have wanted someone to do for me.

In the end it all worked out, but it sure was shocking to get that initial bill! So, I was happy, my customer was happy, and we all lived happily ever after! But from now on, all my bikes are on Easy Pass, and I’ll be sure to remind renters to be mindful of the costs! The end!

You can rent any of my awesome bikes on Riders Share and Twisted Road!