Quick Summary:
- Look for “Cashless Tolling” signs and EZ-Pass-only lanes at crossings.
- Toll-by-mail uses the number plate, rentals then pass charges on.
- Keep your rental agreement, timestamps, and route proof to dispute errors.
- Ask how your car hire handles tolls, transponders, and admin fees.
New York has moved many major bridges, tunnels and parkways to no-cash tolling. For drivers using car hire, this changes what happens at the toll point and how charges show up later. Instead of paying a person in a booth, cameras read number plates and, on some roads, detect transponders. The toll is then billed to the vehicle owner or to the tag account, and with rentals the “owner” is usually the hire company.
This guide focuses on three things: how to spot cashless-only toll points before you commit to a lane, what “toll-by-mail” or “toll-by-plate” means when you are not the vehicle owner, and what evidence to keep if you are billed incorrectly after your trip. The aim is to help you drive confidently in New York, avoid surprise charges, and resolve any mistakes quickly.
What “no-cash tolls” means in New York
At a cashless toll point you will not be able to hand over cash or use a card at a booth. Instead, cameras take images of the vehicle and number plate as you pass under a gantry or through a camera zone. If the vehicle has an E‑ZPass tag, that account may be charged. If not, the toll authority sends a bill to the registered owner using the plate details, commonly described as toll-by-mail or toll-by-plate.
For car hire, the toll authority usually bills the hire company first. The hire company then identifies your rental period and passes the toll charge on to you, typically with an additional toll processing or administration fee. The exact handling varies, so it is worth knowing your agreement terms before driving through tolled crossings.
How to spot cashless-only toll points before you reach them
In New York and nearby states you will often get clues well before the tolling point. Being able to recognise them matters because you cannot “pull over to pay” once you have entered a cashless zone.
Watch for specific wording on signs. Common phrases include “Cashless Tolling”, “No Cash”, “Tolls By Mail”, “Toll By Plate”, or “E‑ZPass”. These signs may appear on approach roads to bridges and tunnels, and also on parkways where gantries span the lanes.
Look at lane design and road layout. Cashless tolling typically uses overhead gantries with multiple cameras and sensors. You may see a structure across the road with equipment boxes and cameras aimed at each lane. If there are no booth plazas and no barriers, it is very likely a cashless toll point.
Know the difference between “E‑ZPass only” and “Tolls by mail”. Some approaches still advertise E‑ZPass lanes prominently, but on a fully cashless crossing the system can bill by plate as well. The practical takeaway for car hire drivers is that you can generally drive through without stopping, but you should expect a later charge through your rental provider if you are not using a tag tied to your own account.
Use your route plan to avoid surprises. If you are collecting a vehicle around the airports, your first drive can quickly run into tolled crossings. For example, travellers collecting near Newark may cross into New York via tolled routes. If your trip starts at car rental Newark EWR or car hire Newark EWR, it is sensible to check whether your planned route includes a bridge or tunnel toll and how your rental handles it.
What toll-by-mail or toll-by-plate means for car hire
Toll-by-mail and toll-by-plate are terms for billing that relies on the vehicle’s number plate, not a cash payment and not necessarily a personal toll account. When you drive a hire car through a cashless toll point, you are authorising the toll authority to bill the registered owner, then the hire company to pass the charge to you under the rental agreement.
Here is what typically happens in practice:
1) The toll is captured. As you pass through the toll zone, the system records time, location, vehicle class, and plate images.
2) The toll authority issues a bill. If a transponder is detected, the tag account may be charged. If not, a bill is generated against the plate, directed to the registered owner of the vehicle.
3) The hire company identifies the renter. The hire company matches the toll event time with your rental contract and your details.
4) You are charged later. The toll amount and any processing fee are charged to the card on file. The timing can be days or even weeks after the rental ends, depending on how quickly toll data is received and processed.
It is important to understand that toll-by-mail does not mean you will personally receive a bill at your home address. With car hire, it usually means the bill goes to the hire company first. Your job is to keep enough proof of where you drove and when, so you can verify the toll events and challenge anything that does not match your trip.
Common toll billing setups with rentals
Different fleets and brands handle tolls differently, even within New York. While details are set out in your rental terms, most arrangements fall into one of these patterns:
Included transponder with pay-per-use. The vehicle has a tag. When you pass through a toll, the system charges the hire company’s toll account, then you are billed the toll plus a daily or per-use fee depending on the programme.
Opt-in toll package. Some rentals offer a toll pass option that bundles toll use with a fixed daily fee. This can be convenient if you expect multiple crossings each day, but it may cost more for light toll use. Understand whether the fee applies only on days you incur tolls or on every day of the rental.
No tag, plate billing only. If there is no active transponder, tolls are billed by plate to the hire company and passed on to you. This can involve higher toll rates than tag rates on some roads, plus processing fees.
Airport pickups can be particularly confusing because some lots and access roads also use automated billing. If you are hiring near JFK, such as via van rental New York JFK or Thrifty car rental New York JFK, confirm at the desk what toll programme is active on your vehicle and how charges appear on your receipt.
What to keep as proof, in case you are billed incorrectly
Cashless tolling is designed to be efficient, but errors can happen. Plates can be misread, a toll can be attributed to the wrong rental period, or a duplicate charge can appear if a tag and plate both trigger records that are not properly reconciled. The best defence is a simple evidence pack you can assemble without much effort.
Keep your rental agreement and final receipt. These documents show the vehicle registration details, your contract number, pickup and return timestamps, and the payment method on file. If a toll appears outside your rental period, this is your primary proof.
Take a photo of the number plate and the vehicle at pickup. This helps if you later need to demonstrate which plate you had, especially if a toll notice references a slightly different sequence. Do this in the pickup lot before you drive away.
Save your route evidence. Keep location history from your phone mapping app or screenshots of the day’s route, especially on days you cross major bridges or tunnels. You do not need to track every street, but it helps to have confirmation of which crossings you used and roughly when.
Keep fuel, parking, and hotel receipts with times. Timestamped receipts help confirm you were elsewhere if a toll is attributed to the wrong time. They can be surprisingly effective for disputes.
Record the toll gantry location if possible. If you notice a toll sign you did not expect, note the road name and direction. A quick voice note like “crossed into Manhattan via tunnel, 16:40” can save time later.
Keep communication in writing. If you report a suspected error to the hire company, use email or in-app messaging so you have a dated record of what was raised and when.
How to check a toll charge on your statement
When tolls are passed through from a car hire provider, they can show up as multiple line items: the toll itself, and a separate administrative or processing fee. To verify a charge, compare it against three things: the date and time window of your rental, your likely crossings that day, and how many times you crossed.
If you have a single day in Manhattan but see multiple bridge or tunnel charges, consider whether your route crossed borough boundaries more than once. If you stayed local but see a toll associated with a far-away crossing, that is a red flag and worth disputing.
Also look for duplicates. A duplicate can occur if a transponder record and a plate record both get generated and later billed separately. It should be corrected, but it can take persistence, and your proof pack makes it easier.
How to dispute a toll that is not yours
If you believe you were billed incorrectly, act promptly. Delays can make it harder for the hire company to locate the underlying toll event and the images captured. Use a straightforward approach:
1) Gather your documents. Rental agreement, final invoice, plate photo, and any route evidence for the disputed time.
2) Identify the disputed line item. Note the amount, date charged, and any reference numbers shown on your statement or rental invoice.
3) Ask for the toll detail. Request the toll date and time, toll facility name, and the plate or tag identifier used to generate the charge. If they can provide the toll notice or a transaction record, compare it with your rental period.
4) Explain the mismatch clearly. For example, “The toll event time is after the vehicle was returned,” or “The facility is not on my route, and my location history shows I was elsewhere.”
5) Keep a paper trail. If the first response is generic, reply with your evidence attached and ask for escalation or a review by the toll billing team.
In many cases, hire companies can correct the charge once they confirm it falls outside your contract window or does not match the vehicle you had. If the charge is correct but the fee structure surprises you, the best next step is to review the toll programme section of the rental terms for future rentals, especially if you regularly drive between New York and New Jersey via EWR routes such as Avis car rental New Jersey EWR.
Tips to minimise toll surprises on your New York trip
Review toll options at pickup. Ask whether the vehicle has an active tag, whether tolls are billed by plate, and what processing fees apply. A one-minute conversation can prevent confusion later.
Plan crossings intentionally. If you will cross a bridge or tunnel multiple times, be prepared for multiple toll events. If you only need one crossing, avoid extra loops by confirming navigation before you move off.
Keep your own simple log. Note the day you crossed into another borough or state and roughly what time. This does not need to be perfect, just consistent.
Check charges after you return the car. Do not assume the final receipt includes all tolls. Monitor your payment method for a few weeks and keep your rental documents until tolls are settled.
FAQ
How do I know a bridge or tunnel is cashless in New York? Look for “Cashless Tolling” or “Tolls by Mail” signs and overhead gantries with cameras. If there are no booths to stop at, it is cashless.
What does toll-by-mail mean when I am using car hire? It usually means the toll is billed to the hire company via the number plate, then passed to you later under your rental agreement, often with a processing fee.
Will I receive a toll bill at my home address? Typically no. With rentals, the registered owner is the hire company, so they receive the billing and then charge the payment method you provided.
Why did I get charged weeks after returning the car? Toll authorities can take time to process plate reads and send records to rental fleets. The hire company then applies the charge once it is matched to your contract.
What proof should I keep if a toll charge seems wrong? Keep your rental agreement and receipt, a photo of the number plate at pickup, and route evidence such as location history or timestamped receipts.
