Key Post eTags for toll roads

[Brendan Burgess]

I was thinking of getting an eTag, and found all the information confusing. So I have written a Key Post. Corrections and tips welcome.
What is an eTag?
A little transponder which sits on your windscreen and tells the toll to charge your account and lift the barrier. You don’t need cash.

What is the advantage of eTags?
You don’t have to have cash handy.
There is usually not a queue (If there is you can pay at one of the cash barriers instead)
If you use the M50 West Link you can’t pay by cash, so you have to pay for each trip
Are eTags cheaper than cash?
The M50 charges eTag users €2 compared to €3 for Pay as You Go


You can pay cash at all tolls except the West Link on the M50

If I don’t have a tag how do I pay for the West Link?
You use Pay as You Go – which you can pay before or after the trip.
You must pay by 8 pm the following day. If you don’t, the price rises.
You can pay online, by phone or in any shop which has the Payzone sign – cost €3 (compared with €2 for tag registration)

Can I just register for the M50 West Link?
Yes, you can opt for video registration. It is €2.50 per trip but there is no admin fee

Which is the best eTag company to go for?
[broken link removed] from the National Roads Authority to compare the different suppliers
They all work on all tolls




Frequently Asked Questions

What if I go through the M50 without prepaying on my way to Dublin Airport for 2 weeks' holidays?
You can pay in the Spar shop in the airport. If you wait until you come back you could end up with a big fine.



Some tolls seem to offer parking? What is that about?

 

[Marion]

Penalties for not paying toll fees

Tolls and penalties can be recovered either through a criminal or civil procedure.

Criminal procedure

You can be charged with an offence of not paying your toll or not obeying the instruction of an authorised person. The penalty on summary conviction is a fine not exceeding €5,000 or a term of imprisonment not exceeding 6 months, or both.

On the M50, the bye-laws set out penalties for those who fail, refuse or neglect to pay toll fees. For standard vehicles these are as follows:

Initial toll - €3.00
Initial default toll - €3.00
Additional default toll - €38.00
Final default toll - €98.50
Total fines per passage - €142.50

Citizensinformation.ie

 

[Brendan Burgess]

Thanks Marion

I think that this bit from eflow.ie describes it better ( and is presumably up to date?)

Penalties

To avoid any penalties, we strongly recommend that you register for an electronic tag or a video (number plate) account. These are the cheapest and easiest ways to pay the toll.


For unregistered users, if you don't pay your toll before 8pm on the day following your journey, a penalty of €3 is added to the outstanding amount.(total €6)


If you fail to pay the toll and this €3 penalty within the next 14 days, a further penalty of €39.50 will be levied.(total €45.50)


Failure to pay the full amount due within a further 56 days will result in an additional €98.50 penalty. (Total €144)



Then if you still have not paid the total amount due, legal proceedings will be initiated.

 

[Brendan Burgess]

I see that there are 8 suppliers of eTags.

http://www.etoll.ie/getting-a-tag/irish-tag-companies/index.xml

Why should I choose?

I had a quick look and it's hard to figure out what each one is offering.

Tolling

Park magic : also covers parking in the UK and Ireland – 10% transaction charge

If you are a light user you can choose our [broken link removed] option from just €30, and we even give you €4.40 free credit! Heavier Users can choose between our [broken link removed] or [broken link removed] payment plans.







Easy trip - Also does parking. I have no idea what car parks. Website is irritating – I can’t find a summary of the information in a hurry.

eFlow – from the National Roads Authority

Three options

eFlow Tag Account - €1.23 per month admin fee. €1 cheaper than unregistered journeys on the M50



eFlow Video Account – 50 cents cheaper than the M50 , doesn’t say if there is an admin charge. I presume not.



The rest seem to cover specific tolls only. They might cover them all, but it’s not immediately clear from their websites



Direct Route – appears to be for the Limerick Tunnel only.

EuroLink – seems to be for the M4 only




Brendan

 

[mathepac]

I have the eFlow Video account

It applies ONLY on the M50

On other tolled roads I must pay full toll

eFlow Video Account, I registered with a Debit Card online (or use a Credit Card)

Tolls, less 10% discount for having the account, are deducted from the Debit Card monthly

There is no registration fee

 

[tomwa]

Easy trip - Also does parking. I have no idea what car parks. Website is irritating – I can’t find a summary of the information in a hurry.

Easytrip covers a lot of the QPark car parks.

The list is here: [broken link removed]

They do post-paid billing and cover tolling throughout the EU but only for business.

They do purchased tags for about €30 which roughly halves the monthly admin fee, but the reduction would take you two and half years to make back the purchase cost.

 

[rayn]

You can pay e-tolls in advance on M50 if you are going on a 14 day holiday.