New FASTag rules will come into effect on September 15th. If your tag is inactive or your balance is low, you will be charged double the toll. Here’s how you can avoid the double toll charge:
FASTag Rules: How to Avoid Double Toll Charges
If you travel on the highway, you’ve likely heard of FASTag—the tag that sits on your vehicle’s windshield and automatically pays tolls. However, this system is set to undergo some significant changes starting in 2025. If your FASTag is inactive, has a low balance, or doesn’t have a tag at all, you won’t have to pay double tolls as before. Instead, you can pay only 1.25% of the toll fee via UPI. This change will be implemented at all national highway toll plazas across India starting November 15, 2025. But if you want to avoid double tolls, be sure to know these things:
This rule was in effect before.
These rules, which will come into effect from 2025, aim to make toll payments completely digital and reduce cash transactions. Previously, if your FASTag didn’t work or had no balance, you had to pay double the toll fee. This caused many people to lose money, and sometimes even when the FASTag scan failed, they had to pay double the amount.
What are the new FASTag rules?
The government has now improved this system. If your FASTag has a problem, but you pay at the toll booth using UPI (e.g., PhonePe, Paytm, Google Pay, etc.), you’ll only have to pay 1.25 times the toll. That means, not double, but only 25% more. However, if you pay in cash, you’ll still have to pay 2x (double the toll).
How to avoid double toll charges?
1. Keep UPI ready: Under the new rules, if your FASTag has any issues, you can pay using UPI at the toll booth. By making a UPI payment, you’ll now have to pay only 1.25x the toll fee, not double. This means that if the toll is ₹100, you’ll have to pay ₹125. However, if you pay in cash, you’ll have to pay double the amount, ₹200, as before.
2. Check the balance before your trip
First, check your FASTag balance before every trip. You can check it in seconds using Paytm, Amazon Pay, Google Pay, Airtel Payments Bank, or your linked bank’s app. If your balance is low, recharge immediately.
3. Turn on Auto Recharge
Second, enable the Auto Recharge feature on your FASTag. Many apps offer this option, which will automatically recharge your FASTag as soon as your balance drops below a certain threshold. This will ensure your tag never becomes inactive.
4. Keep your UPI ready
If your tag doesn’t scan at a toll booth, make a quick payment using a UPI scanner. QR codes are now being installed at every toll plaza, making payments easy and quick.
5. 60 minutes of time
The government has also provided that if your tag has a low balance, you will have 60 minutes to recharge it. This means that if you recharge your tag within an hour, you will not incur any additional charges.
6. Avoid Blacklisting
Remember to regularly check your KYC updates and linked bank status to prevent your tag from being blacklisted. A few precautions, such as regularly checking your balance, enabling auto-recharge, and making payments using UPI when necessary, can help you cross toll plazas without hassle and avoid double toll charges altogether.
What happens if your FASTag is inactive, blacklisted, or has a low balance?
It’s common for your FASTag to become blacklisted or inactive, meaning it can’t connect to the linked bank or service provider’s server. If this happens and you don’t recharge or activate it in time, your vehicle will be stopped at the toll plaza and you’ll be charged 1.25x or 2x.
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