Rental Car Toll Payment Options

RiverLink is the all-electronic tolling system for three bridges connecting Louisville, Kentucky and Southern Indiana. Because there are no toll booths, traffic flows normally without stopping. Drivers with prepaid accounts in good standing and transponders pay the lowest rates. For those who do not have prepaid accounts, invoices are sent to the registered owner of the vehicle. In the case of rental cars, these invoices are sent to the rental car company.

RiverLink charges rental car companies the same toll rates as all other drivers. However, rental car companies may charge drivers additional fees that are not collected by RiverLink and are not part of toll charges. To avoid higher rates and additional fees, some drivers use their own transponder in a rental vehicle, as described below. Another option is to use one of the Non-Tolled Alternatives.

Check with your rental car company for its policy and options for paying tolls. Each company has its own policy.

How to Use Your Own Transponder in a Rental Vehicle

This option may help drivers renting a car save on tolls and avoid additional fees. Whether you use a transponder you already own or acquire a new transponder, keep these important steps in mind:

  1. Check with your rental car company to ensure you can use your own transponder.
  2. Properly install the transponder in the rental vehicle. If the transponder is not properly installed, the rental car company will receive an invoice from RiverLink and the company may charge the driver added fees. Transponder Mounting Instructions
  3. Add the rental vehicle to your RiverLink account. You’ll need the following information: make, model, year, color and license plate number/state.
  4. If the rental vehicle already has a transponder installed, be sure to switch it off. Use of multiple transponders may result in incorrect or double tolling charges.
  5. When you return the rental vehicle, remove your transponder from the vehicle AND remove the vehicle information from your account. Otherwise, tolls charged to that vehicle will be your responsibility as long as the vehicle is on your account.

 

If you want to use your own transponder in a rental vehicle, options include:

E-ZPass Transponder Registered With Another Tolling System

The E-ZPass transponder will work for the Louisville-Southern Indiana tolled bridges. More About Transponders From Other States

RiverLink E-ZPass or Local Transponder

The RiverLink system offers you two different transponders to choose from: the RiverLink local transponder and the RiverLink E-ZPass transponder. Keep in mind that the RiverLink E-ZPass transponder is transferable among vehicles registered to a single RiverLink account, but the RiverLink local transponder is destroyed and no longer usable when removed from the rental vehicle.  Compare RiverLink Transponder Options

RiverLink local and RiverLink E-ZPass transponders are mailed, free of charge, after you open a prepaid RiverLink account. You will pay the lower, transponder toll rate while waiting for your transponder to arrive, if the vehicle is registered to your account. How to Get a RiverLink Transponder