Are there discounts for ETC toll fees?
3 Answers
According to the relevant regulations of the State Council, there are discounts for ETC, but the banks handling the process offer greater incentives to promote and encourage ETC adoption. Starting from 2020, vehicles without ETC or not using ETC will not enjoy toll discounts. In the future, only one manual lane will remain at highway toll stations, requiring drivers to pay tolls manually, with lower efficiency compared to ETC lanes. ETC Deduction Principles: There are one or more ETC lanes on highways. Through dedicated short-range microwave communication between the vehicle's on-board electronic tag installed on the windshield and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane, combined with computer networking technology for backend bank settlement, vehicles can pass toll stations without stopping to pay tolls. This is all based on the principle of 'pass first, deduct later.' Benefits of Installing ETC: Time-saving: Eliminates the hassle of waiting in queues; Green and eco-friendly: Low-carbon, as vehicles pass toll stations without stopping, reducing noise and exhaust emissions, thereby minimizing pollution; Reduced wear and tear: Saves costs by decreasing the frequency of vehicle starts and brakes, lowering wear and fuel consumption; Improved efficiency: ETC lanes can theoretically increase passing efficiency by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC faster, more advanced, and high-tech. Compared to license plate payment, ETC technology is more mature and advantageous. More Policy Support: The State Council explicitly stated in the "13th Five-Year Plan for the Development of a Modern Comprehensive Transportation System" that "by 2020, intercity transportation cards will be widely used in key city clusters, and the adoption rate of ETC will significantly increase." It also set a target in the "13th Five-Year" comprehensive transportation development indicators: "By 2020, the ETC usage rate for passenger vehicles on roads should reach 50%. More Future Possibilities: In addition to continuously improving the convenience of ETC installation and usage rates for passenger vehicles, future efforts will focus on promoting ETC adoption for trucks and exploring deeper integration of ETC systems with smart transportation developments such as vehicle-to-vehicle communication and vehicle-road coordination, providing comprehensive travel services for car owners. This means more application scenarios will support ETC usage. ETC Usage Notes: The ETC transaction sensing range is 8 meters. If the vehicle ahead stops, maintain a distance of over 10 meters to prevent accidental toll payment for the vehicle ahead due to ETC device failure or absence. The recognition speed for ETC lanes is 20 km/h. Driving too fast may result in failure to read vehicle device information, leading to deduction failure. Unauthorized removal or movement of the OBU device, or detachment/loosening of the ETC electronic tag, will render the tag invalid. It can be taken to the bank where the ETC card was issued or a highway service office for inspection. Non-deliberate loosening or detachment only requires reactivation. When using a debit card linked to ETC, insufficient balance may cause deduction failure. Follow on-site staff guidance to use manual MTC lanes for cash or card payment. Thick windshields may cause poor signal reception, especially for vehicles with replaced or modified windshields after accidents.
ETC tolls do offer discounts. I've been using my ETC card on highways for almost three years and noticed each toll is about 5% cheaper than cash payment—for example, a ¥100 toll only costs ¥95. Initially, I worried the installation would be troublesome, but it was straightforward: just visit a bank or highway service center to get the device linked to a bank card. The discount isn’t just pocket change—over time, it saves me thousands yearly, especially with frequent long-distance trips. Plus, commuting is faster without queuing for tolls, easing congestion stress. I’ve also heard some regions offer extra holiday promotions, like bonus discount points for new registrations, but the base discount stays steady. Post-installation, my driving life feels much smoother, and the savings even help offset fuel costs—it’s practically perfect!
Talking about ETC toll discounts, it's really common, with most places offering 5% or higher discounts. From a cost perspective, the initial installation costs about 50-100 yuan for the device, but each trip saves a few yuan with the discount. Running 20 trips on the highway a year can cover the cost. For example, the highway near my home saves 5 yuan per trip, 50 yuan a month for 10 trips, plus the time value—saving 10 minutes per trip by skipping queues, which significantly improves efficiency. Policies promote this to encourage ETC usage, reducing congestion at toll stations and saving fuel while cutting emissions. Don’t worry about changes—basic discounts are usually permanent, and some regions even offer floating incentives like double discounts during peak hours. In short, the economic calculation proves installation is worth it!
