Hertz introduces new toll options including an all you can eat pass

[markis10]

Managing toll payments can be difficult and time consuming. We are simplifying how we process road tolls, so you can focus on getting to your destination on time.
Launching on September 15, the new Hertz Toll Day Pass will cover all your toll charges under one flat fee. The rate is $9.90 incl GST per rental day for passenger cars. Heavy vehicles will incur a higher variable toll charge per rental day. You can choose to take this option at any time during your rental. Charges for the service will then appear on your invoice at the end of the rental period, and you will never receive any subsequent toll charges or administration fees.


This means you won’t need to worry about keeping records of all toll roads and sorting out payments via various websites – and for many drivers this will mean saving money when crossing numerous tollways. With our new Hertz Toll Day Pass, you can be assured there won’t be any surprise toll payments you’ve missed, and you’ll know exactly what you need to pay from the start.


If your Gold Plus Rewards profile currently includes a toll payment option, from September 15 it will no longer automatically accept tolls. Instead, you can opt for the new toll product at the rental counter, exit booth or when returning a vehicle.

Hertz will now invoice all toll usage directly, you will no longer be billed by any third parties such as Roam Express and all charges will only appear on Hertz issued invoices.


We hope this will provide a simpler and easier way to manage toll payments. If you have any questions around how these toll changes affect you, please email the Gold Plus Rewards team [email protected].


For longer term rentals, there is an alternate option that records all toll roads you’ve driven on, and the actual toll amounts and matching fee plus a per rental/monthly fee of $11 incl GST to cover administration costs and matching fee will be invoiced to you by Hertz shortly after your rental.

We look forward to welcoming you at a location soon.

Rent fast. Rent easy. Less hassles.

http://www.hertz.com.au/rentacar/pr..._5_1&selectedRegion=Australia and New Zealand

 

[SeatBackForward]

Hooray. I had a torturous time in 2009 using the RTA site to get eTolls..Apparently 2 days car hire was two calendar days, not a 48hr period. Got hit multiple times for tolls + Admin Fees. This should prevent such occurring again.

 

[AdMEL]

There are positives and negatives to this, compared with the current third party arrangement and the previous system from a couple of years ago.

Positives:

- Simple, clear fee structure;
- Billed by Hertz.

Negatives:

- Expensive, unless you use tolls a significant amount.

It's still not clear to me if you will be billed for every day f the rental, or only those days you use tolls. If it is every day of the rental, then I will not be using it, as it will be too expensive.

From my perspective, as someone who doesn't own a car and therefore don't have my own e-tag, but occasionally need to use tolls in a rental car, the Avis RTA system is the most cost effective, given it charges a nominal daily fee of $2.20 for only the days you use tolls, plus toll costs plus a 50c matching fee. The only thing I don't like about the Avis system is the lack of clarity of what you are actually being charged for. They could easily remedy this by issuing an email invoice of wht the actual tolls and charges are. The Hertz roam express system was initially very similar, until they increased the daily fee to $4.95 (I'm not sure when that happened, as I don't think I received any notification), making it expensive once toll charges and the video matching fee of $0.75 were added.

 

[austgap]

AdMEL,
It's a $9.90 per rental day fee, regardless of using the tolls or not on a particular day.

 

[AdMEL]

AdMEL,
It's a $9.90 per rental day fee, regardless of using the tolls or not on a particular day.

That's what I suspected! Effectively, it's back to what all of the rental car companies offered a few years ago - a high daily fee for every day of your rental! A terribly expensive offering if you only want to use tolls on one day of a multi day rental. And I assume it will end up being even more expensive once the admin fee and airport surcharge are added!

Their most recent previous offering was much cheaper - the only positive is this is more convenient, at a huge cost!

 

[anat0l]

Which kinds of commutes would common use a lot of tolls everyday?

In Brisbane it'd probably be someone who uses a lot of the Gateway. I suppose you could include the CLEM7, GBB and AirportLink, but unless you were doing a lot of ferrying through those routes where it then became time critical, it's unlikely anyone (sensible enough) would use these tollways anyway (as the saving in time is not noticeable except in peak).

Not sure about the other cities (mainly because I'm unaware of the tollways in those cities).

Mind you, if it's not on your personal coin, not having to sort out tolls with the respective authorities vs. just paying a premium to Hertz could be a huge advantage. And believe me when I say some of those authorities are real PITAs to deal with just to pay an untagged toll.

Heh, if someone has an axe to grind they could take this rental for a day and see how much they can "run up" on Hertz in tolls in a day (i.e. in excess of $9.90), just to stick it to them!

 

[markis10]

It would not be hard to rack up a lot in Brisbane, a day trip ex the Airport to southside would we close to $20 alone in return Airport Link and Clem 7 charges.

 

[docjames]

FWIW the citylink site in melbourne now lets you set a timeframe on a registration so now I just do that on the mobile as soon as i get the car (and know the rego) and take my tag from my car with me to use. They used to only allow you to manually add or remove (not set a time period).

So no forgetting to "switch it off" and pay for someone else's rental toll usage.

 

[muppet]

FWIW the citylink site in melbourne now lets you set a timeframe on a registration so now I just do that on the mobile as soon as i get the car (and know the rego) and take my tag from my car with me to use. They used to only allow you to manually add or remove (not set a time period).

So no forgetting to "switch it off" and pay for someone else's rental toll usage.

I did that a few weeks ago.
Toll never showed up on my citylink account and a week later I get the $4.95 charge. Seems hertz settings overrule citylink!

To make it easier i think i'll start carrying my etag when i travel.

 

[boomy]

The new arrangement is very good for driving in Sydney. Only 2 trips through the eastern distributor and the fee is more then covered.

 

[docjames]

I did that a few weeks ago.
Toll never showed up on my citylink account and a week later I get the $4.95 charge. Seems hertz settings overrule citylink!

To make it easier i think i'll start carrying my etag when i travel.

Worked for me 2 weeks ago.

Did the tag beep? I've had issues in the past without the tag in place.

 

[anat0l]

It should be noted that it's $9.90 per day. Whilst your trip from the airport may be "toll heavy", that's only one day of your rental.

If you regularly have one or two day rentals, probably easily pays for itself in that regard. For longer term rentals, one has to really then weigh up this option depending on where you're travelling.

I'm probably thinking, for a longer term rental, what kind of commutes will rack up tolls on a daily basis. Sydney's ED and Harbour Bridge (I'm guessing!) might be the easiest ideas. Of course, you still weigh up whether you would actually use those tollways if you didn't have the benefit of a pass, or this tolling option, in the first place (i.e. would you genuinely save time).

 

[SeatBackForward]

It should be noted that it's $9.90 per day. Whilst your trip from the airport may be "toll heavy", that's only one day of your rental.

If you regularly have one or two day rentals, probably easily pays for itself in that regard. For longer term rentals, one has to really then weigh up this option depending on where you're travelling.

I'm probably thinking, for a longer term rental, what kind of commutes will rack up tolls on a daily basis. Sydney's ED and Harbour Bridge (I'm guessing!) might be the easiest ideas. Of course, you still weigh up whether you would actually use those tollways if you didn't have the benefit of a pass, or this tolling option, in the first place (i.e. would you genuinely save time).

Used it for one days hire driving on the M2 and lane cove tunnel. $18 worth of tolls for $9.95 fee. Hertz is good!