Can only one ETC be issued per vehicle?

[MargaretMarie]

Only one ETC can be issued per vehicle. According to the "Implementation Plan for Accelerating the Application Service of Electronic Non-stop Toll Collection on Expressways" issued by the Ministry of Transport, the issuance of ETC is related to the vehicle's driving license. If you own multiple vehicles, you can use different driving licenses to apply for ETC. Documents required for ETC application: The original valid ID card of the vehicle owner, the original and a copy of the vehicle's driving license, with the page showing the most recent annual inspection stamp. If applying on behalf of someone else, the original valid ID card of the agent is also required. If applying for ETC through major bank branches, you will also need to prepare a debit or credit card from the corresponding bank. Some banks only support ETC binding with credit cards, while others may require freezing a portion of the amount as a deposit when binding ETC with a debit card. ETC deduction principle: There will be one or more ETC lanes on the expressway. Through dedicated short-range microwave communication between the on-board electronic tag installed on the vehicle's windshield and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane of the toll station, computer networking technology is used to settle accounts with the bank in the background, achieving the purpose of paying tolls without stopping at the toll station. All of this is based on the principle of passing first and deducting fees later. Benefits of installing ETC: Time-saving: eliminates the hassle of waiting in line; Green and environmentally friendly: green and low-carbon, vehicles pass through toll stations without stopping, reducing noise and exhaust emissions and minimizing pollution; Reduced wear and tear: saves costs, reduces the frequency of vehicle starts and brakes, lowers wear and fuel consumption, and users can also enjoy a 5% discount on tolls; Improved efficiency: the theoretical efficiency of ETC lanes can be increased by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC updates faster and more high-tech. Compared to license plate payment, ETC technology is more mature and advantageous. More policy support: The State Council clearly stated in the "13th Five-Year Plan for the Development of a Modern Comprehensive Transportation System" that "by 2020, the interoperability of transportation cards in key city clusters will be basically achieved, and the proportion of vehicles equipped with ETC will be significantly increased." It also set a clear target in the main indicators of the "13th Five-Year" comprehensive transportation development: "by 2020, the ETC usage rate for road passenger vehicles will reach 50%." More future possibilities: In addition to continuously improving the convenience of ETC installation and usage and the ETC usage rate for passenger vehicles, the future will also promote the use of ETC for trucks and explore the deep integration of the ETC system with the development directions of smart transportation such as vehicle-to-vehicle communication and vehicle-road coordination, providing comprehensive travel services for vehicle owners. This means that more application scenarios will support ETC applications. ETC usage precautions: The ETC transaction sensing area is 8 meters. When encountering a vehicle in front that has stopped, to prevent the ETC device of the vehicle in front from malfunctioning or not having an ETC device at all, maintain a distance of more than 10 meters from the vehicle in front to avoid automatic sensing and paying for the vehicle in front. The recognition speed for ETC lane passage is 20 km/h. If the speed is too fast, the vehicle's device information cannot be read, and the fee deduction will fail. Unauthorized removal or movement of the OBU device, detachment or loosening of the ETC electronic tag, etc., will cause the electronic tag to fail. It can be sent to the bank where the ETC card was issued or the expressway service office for testing. For non-human-induced loosening or detachment, only reactivation is required. When using a debit card bound to ETC, insufficient balance will also cause the fee deduction to fail. Follow the guidance of on-site staff to use the manual MTC lane and pass by cash or card. Excessive thickness of the car windshield can cause poor sensing. This is especially important for vehicles that have been repaired after an accident and had their windshields replaced, or for those who have modified their front windshields.

[MacEmiliano]

Actually, each vehicle can only have one ETC device. When I worked on the highway, I saw many car owners misunderstanding this. Some thought they could get another ETC card by switching banks, but the system simply wouldn't allow it. That's because ETC is tied to fixed information like license plate and VIN—just like an ID number, each vehicle can only correspond to one account in the traffic system. My neighbor learned this the hard way. Unhappy with the discount from his original ETC, he secretly applied for a new one at another bank without canceling the old one. When he drove on the highway, the barrier system got confused and stopped him. Now that everything is networked, the toll booth system immediately flashes a red warning: 'Duplicate ETC application.' So if you want to switch ETC providers, make sure to cancel the old one first—otherwise, it's a wasted trip.

[LaIsabella]

As a veteran truck driver with over a decade of freight experience, I can definitely tell you that only one ETC device can be registered per vehicle. Take my Dongfeng truck for example – when I went to the card issuance point to apply for the device, the staff checked the system with my vehicle license and said they could immediately detect if the truck already had an ETC. The principle is simple: ETC lane sensors use dual identification through license plates and electronic tags, just like how a supermarket barcode scanner can't read two barcodes simultaneously. Last year, a rookie in our fleet didn't believe this and applied for devices at two different banks, only to find the new card couldn't be activated at all. He eventually had to cancel one, delaying work for several days. My advice is don't bother trying workarounds – if the device breaks, get it repaired; if you lose the card, get it reissued. Don't try getting spare devices as backups.

[BryceAnn]

Last time I helped my wife apply for an ETC for her new car, I specifically asked the customer service, and the answer was that each car is limited to one ETC. The system locks the device through the license plate and vehicle identification number, just like the real-name system for mobile phone numbers. If you don't cancel the old device, the new application will be directly rejected by the system. Aunt Wang in our neighborhood suffered a loss because she sold her old car without canceling the ETC, and as a result, she couldn't apply for one for her newly purchased car and had to go to a service outlet to resolve it. Actually, ETC is now universally usable nationwide, so there's no need for multiple devices. If you really encounter any issues, just call customer service, and they can solve it remotely in five minutes.

[AriannaAnn]

Last week, I accompanied a friend to the ETC service point, and the staff clearly stated that only one device can be installed per vehicle. The principle is not complicated: the OBU device attached to the windshield of each vehicle emits a specific signal. When the highway gantry receives it, it's like verifying a code—repeated signals can cause the system to crash. My friend didn't believe it at first and tried inserting the newly issued card into the old device, hoping for luck, but the toll booth didn't respond at all. In the end, they had to properly cancel and reapply. Note that if you replace the windshield, the device also needs to be reactivated; otherwise, the signal will be intermittent.

[StAlexa]

I remember when I first bought my car, I also thought I could apply for multiple ETC cards to use interchangeably, but I got lectured by the bank manager. Each vehicle's ETC account is unique in the transportation system, just like the main account of a bank card. You can switch banks for services, but you must first close the old account. Last year when I moved to another city, my out-of-province ETC device still worked fine, and even the top-up wasn't affected. If there's anything to complain about, it's that I'd suggest everyone to take good care of their cards—reporting a loss and getting a replacement is much easier than reapplying.