EZPass users

[MoeJoe]

We want to get EZpass now that they finally have it in Ohio and we do travel to NY every once in a while, as well. But, going thru the different websites has gotten a bit confusing, so I was wondering if any EZ Pass users can help me out:
1- If you have it from NY or NJ or OH, please tell me if you pay a monthly/yearly fee.
2- Does the discount depend on where you are registered or where you are paying the toll?

I think that is all the questions I have for right now.

TIA!

[LD92599]

Mine is NJ and there's a monthly $1 fee for the statement, but that's the only fee i've seen (I should look into it to see if there's another option for that!).

I have 4 transponders on my account.

Not sure about discounts since we tend to use it on off-peak times.

[michellerw]

Does the state you buy it from matter?

If not, we have ours in Virginia (I think we're EZ Pass now, but it still might be called SmartTag -- they all work together). We don't pay a monthly fee at all and we have 2 on our account.

You might want to look into MD as well for buying it, if it really doesn't matter.

[amldaley]

Ours is from MD, but we used it driving through NY & NJ on trips to MA all the time. Payment depends on how frequently you use it. It adjusted montly according to usage. The take a certain amount from my checking and then deduct from that until it runs out. Then, according to my useage, they would raise or lower the amount they withdrew that month. I have not used mine now in some time, so they no longer withdraw money, they just send me an annual statement.

As we drove through each state, that states tolls and policies to discounts applied. But the management of my account remained with MD.

[caleymama]

Payment depends on how frequently you use it. It adjusted montly according to usage. The take a certain amount from my checking and then deduct from that until it runs out. Then, according to my useage, they would raise or lower the amount they withdrew that month. I have not used mine now in some time, so they no longer withdraw money, they just send me an annual statement.

We have EZPass in NY and that's exactly how ours works. Except DH uses his on his commute so we get a statement regularly. I get e-statements about once a month. I also get an email notifying me each time $$ has been deducted. Like PP said, it's a set amount that has been adjusted a time or two in the 5+ years we've had the EZPass.

[maestramommy]

Mine is from NH, but I can use it going all the way through NJ and probably beyond. There was a map at the EZ pass website showing where my transponder would work. There was only only one state where it wouldn't, although I can't remember it now.

I get a monthly statement emailed to me, and I drop money into my account as needed.

[TwinFoxes]

I'm so glad I finally clicked on this post. I had NO idea that EZ-pass was a multi-state program. I totally thought you just bought one and used it in that state. Now I'll think about buying one. But since no one's mentioned Pennsylvania I'm assuming it's not good on the Penna. Turnpike? Even if it's not, it's still a good idea.

[egoldber]

EZ Pass is EZ Pass. I've used mine in VA, DE, PA, NJ, NY, etc. Love the EZ Pass. I was so happy when VA ditched Smart Tag for EZ Pass!

[K-Bear]

I'm so glad I finally clicked on this post. I had NO idea that EZ-pass was a multi-state program. I totally thought you just bought one and used it in that state. Now I'll think about buying one. But since no one's mentioned Pennsylvania I'm assuming it's not good on the Penna. Turnpike? Even if it's not, it's still a good idea.
I've used my MD EZ Pass on the PA Turnpike before!

[amldaley]

I've used my MD EZ Pass on the PA Turnpike before!

We did too, many times. As another PP said, EZ Pass is EZ Pass. Works wherever you see the sign.

[TwinFoxes]

We did too, many times. As another PP said, EZ Pass is EZ Pass. Works wherever you see the sign.

I'm new to the East, I wasn't sure if PA used EZ-pass or something else! :). I do know if I'm ever going to commit a crime, to take my EZ-pass out of the car (thanks Law and Order!) ;)

[boolady]

EZ Pass is EZ Pass. I've used mine in VA, DE, PA, NJ, NY, etc. Love the EZ Pass.

:yeahthat: Yup. We've used it in all of these states, and maybe some others in NE (I can't remember) as well.

[lizzywednesday]

EZ Pass works from MA down to VA for sure (DH and I have used it on multiple trips in each of our cars with no problems) ... IDK how much further south it's available, but it doesn't usually matter.

PA definitely uses EZ Pass. If it didn't, I'd have been SOL with fitting my wedding gown (bought from a shop out in PA located near my DH's aunt) and visiting family in the Lehigh Valley area!

Depending on the state, the payment setup varies.

The one thing I found frustrating about NJ EZ Pass was they wouldn't let you adjust your own monthly amount, so for the 1st month I had mine (I am a daily commuter) even though I KNEW I needed at least $45 banked, I had to start out at $25 and have the account auto-replenished whenever it hit $10 or under. Which was every 3rd day until they adjusted my initial balance. GRRRR!

Also, my tag didn't work properly the 1st day I had it, but, fortunately, I worked a mile from one of the service centers so I got it resolved immediately.

My DH said that if you pay your balance by credit card, there's no $1 service fee; I'm not so sure. (And he probably never noticed his $1/month charge.)

[Tinkerbell313]

Does the state you buy it from matter?

If not, we have ours in Virginia (I think we're EZ Pass now, but it still might be called SmartTag -- they all work together). We don't pay a monthly fee at all and we have 2 on our account.

You might want to look into MD as well for buying it, if it really doesn't matter.

There is a fee...but its waived if you meet certain requirements. For example, in VA our fee is waived for numerous reasons including having EZPass/SmartTag automatically replenish on your credit card/debit card.

The discount (off peak/peak) is determined at the time you go through the toll and not what state you bought it from.

The one thing to remember...if you travel out of state frequently as we do, it may take several days for the other states to place your tolls on your account...so just make sure you have enough on the transponder. We live in Virginia and travel up to New England frequently, apparently NY state takes several days for the tolls to show up (at least that is what EZpass told me)...we ran into an issue last year over the holidays...we thought we had more on our transponder than we actually did. My husband had traveled on a Thursday and Friday through NY going trhough several tolls. I checked our account the following Tuesday and it said we had $12.00. However, the NY tolls were not yet taken out of that amount. Hence now, we have auto replenishment.

Here in VA we get cash back if we use it frequently on several roads here in VA...I like that!!

[MoeJoe]

Thanks for all the info!
I thought for some reason that there was a base fee charge... glad to hear I'm wrong. Well, besides for Ohio- on their website they say it is .75 a month.

We live in Ohio, but can get from NY, NJ or MD too bec. we have family that lives there. I was trying to figure out which place has the best deal to get it from.... But, it doesn't sound like there is a drastic difference between them.

[michellerw]

One weird EZ Pass thing:

A friend of mine had her EZ Pass registered in MD and when she got married she and her partner rented a larger car to drive to Vermont. They moved the EZ Pass into the rental and had some issues in NYS with the EZ Pass because it wasn't on the car it was originally registered for!

(PS: EZ Pass definitely works in PA -- my mom lives in Lancaster County and we use our Virginia EZ Passes when we go to visit all the time.)

[lizzywednesday]

One weird EZ Pass thing:

A friend of mine had her EZ Pass registered in MD and when she got married she and her partner rented a larger car to drive to Vermont. They moved the EZ Pass into the rental and had some issues in NYS with the EZ Pass because it wasn't on the car it was originally registered for! ...

That's not weird; the tag is set up for your license plate, so you're not supposed to switch it between vehicles.

If it's scanned by a car with different plates, that could mean it had been stolen.

You will risk getting a ticket in NJ if you do that.

[Toba]

I'm so glad I finally clicked on this post. I had NO idea that EZ-pass was a multi-state program.

We use ours to travel from New Jersey to Maine .... each state we pass through uses EZPass. We've had it since it first came out and LOVE it. My DH does a daily 2 hour commute and it comes in quite handy.

[michellerw]

That's not weird; the tag is set up for your license plate, so you're not supposed to switch it between vehicles.

If it's scanned by a car with different plates, that could mean it had been stolen.

You will risk getting a ticket in NJ if you do that.

They don't enforce this in Virginia at all. We switched ours between vehicles for a couple of years before we added a transponder. I think the tristate area enforces this more.

[pastrygirl]

Mine is from NY, because I used to live in NJ and you could only get the NY one back then. I now live in MA, which has Fast Lane (similar), but still use my NY EZ-Pass. I don't pay a fee; it just replenishes my account based on what I tell it to do. I usually have it refill to $25 when I reach $10 or something like that.

[pastrygirl]

The one thing to remember...if you travel out of state frequently as we do, it may take several days for the other states to place your tolls on your account...so just make sure you have enough on the transponder.:yeahthat: I chose my automatic replenishment "rules" based on how much my most expensive trip used to cost (it was something like $14 to go from NJ to NYC). I probably need to revisit the rules, though I no longer make that particular trip.

[shoxie]

NJ does have a $1 monthly fee. I wonder if it's possible to register in another state to avoid the fee?? Seems like the rules should be the same across the board if the system is the same, right? We don't even use it all that much, but it's a huge timesaver when we do use it, so it's worth the fee for us.

[lizzywednesday]

They don't enforce this in Virginia at all. We switched ours between vehicles for a couple of years before we added a transponder. I think the tristate area enforces this more.

More tolls and more $$ to be made with us for sure! Some days it feels like there's a million and a half cars on the road around here. (Not that the DC-metro doesn't; I've driven there around rush hour and it's about as much fun as getting teeth pulled.)

I spent 3 weeks this summer in a rental PARANOID that I was going to get a ticket for using my tag with a non-registered vehicle because I've got friends who've gotten them.

[catsnkid]

I have a MA one I got several years ago when we lived there. I don't believe that the tolls are any lower though possibly in certain parts of Boston. It used to be initially 25 dollars but I heard it is now free. I don't think it works in FL and possibly NH- there are a few toll roads there. Luckily we have no tolls in CT anymore. Woohoo.

[newg]

DH's family lives in IL......we live in southern Ohio....so we bought an EZ Pass for traveling back and forth....

We have an nominal (sp?) amount on there and it deducts from it everytime we drive through one..............and when the amount gets down to $0, it pulls the "said" nominal amount again from our checking account (if that makes any sense) and starts deducting all over again.......

[MamaKath]

I need to ask dh what state ours is now out of. We had NJ/PA Port Authority ones and they added fees. So now we got new ones from another state. 3 on the account and no fees. Love them!

[Swimfreak78]

No fees for our ME easy pass. We use it in NE (ME, NH, MA). I think MA has a free ez pass now too but since ours is in ME that's where we have kept it. If I know I'm going to be driving a different car -- I just login and put the car info in on the registration. Easy!

[Lindymagoo]

I have had an IL IPass account for years, to visit family in the Chicago area. There is no monthly fee, you can set your account for your threshold/replinish amounts, and it is very easy to use. You can add or switch vehicle information right from your account as well. Very easy if you are using a rental car, or loaning it out.

Indiana recently went to IZoom, and now, finally, Ohio has the EZ Pass. I was elated that we could finally use our transponder here in OH, but I had a feeling, OH would find a way to mess it up. Of course, they are charging a monthly fee. Sigh.

We have used our transponder to travel to the East Coast, and back, and it it is so convenient. We love our IPass. We now have one for my hubby's car, and IL only charged me an additional $10 deposit for the transponder. We share the balance on the account. Easy Peasy!

[kali]

EZPass rocks. DH and I are always amazed at the number of cars that don't have it as we approach tolls and see the lines for the exact change lanes. It only took us one road trip to figure out that we should definitely get one--the lines can be really long sometimes, especially compared to the new EZPass lanes which let you cruise through without hardly slowing down!

It was free in MD until a few months ago and then they started charging a monthly fee of $1.50. I am considering switching to another state, but am feeling a bit lazy about shipping the transponder back and setting up a new account, especially when there's no guarantee that the new account won't be subject to fees eventually as well.

In the good old days ~10 years ago there were tolls that actually charged less if you had EZPass, so it's annoying that now the EZPass people are charging service fees!