Can ETC activation be done without taking a photo of the car?
2 Answers
ETC activation cannot be done without taking a photo of the car. You need to upload a photo of the front of the vehicle to complete the activation. ETC activation method: Insert and remove the ETC card twice in succession until the electronic tag screen displays "Bluetooth is on." If inserting and removing the card twice without the electronic tag attached shows "Tag invalid," this is normal and does not affect activation. Alternatively, you can directly press the button on the top of the electronic tag to enable Bluetooth. Turn on your phone's Bluetooth, open the corresponding mobile app (usually there is a download QR code on the electronic tag), and enter the device activation interface. Click "Device Connection" and wait patiently for the "Connection Successful" prompt. After successful connection, upload a photo of the front of the vehicle to complete activation. ETC installation positions: For small vehicles such as cars and minivans, the ETC card and OBU device should be installed in the upper middle part of the front windshield. For large vehicles such as trucks and buses, the installation position is in the lower middle part.
I encountered this issue when activating my ETC before. The app required photos of the car, including front and side views, otherwise the activation process would get stuck. It's mainly to verify the device-vehicle match and prevent misuse or installation on wrong vehicles. I tried skipping that step, but the system immediately reported an error showing verification failure. I recommend using official apps like Alipay or WeChat ETC services to check current requirements – they might have updated to accept vehicle license photos as an alternative, but taking pictures is still the most straightforward method. Choose a well-lit location when photographing to ensure the license plate is clearly recognizable. The entire activation process takes just a few minutes. Remember to bind your bank card first to avoid unnecessary back-and-forth.
