Is the ETC card one card per vehicle?

[VanJeffrey]

ETC is one card per vehicle, and one card can be bound to multiple vehicles. According to the "Rules for the Use of the Non-stop Fast Passing System," when applying for an ETC card, you need to fill out the "ETC Service Deduction Authorization Form," where you can list multiple vehicles as the designated payment vehicles. This means there is no limit to the number of vehicles that can be bound to a single ETC card for payment purposes. ETC is a non-stop electronic toll collection system, also known as an automatic road toll system. It is specifically designed for toll roads, commonly found on highways, bridges or tunnels with toll policies, and certain urban road sections to alleviate traffic congestion. ETC Deduction Principle: Highways have one or more ETC lanes. Through dedicated short-range microwave communication between the onboard electronic tag installed on the vehicle's windshield and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane at the toll station, the system uses computer networking technology to settle payments with banks in the background. This allows vehicles to pay tolls without stopping at toll booths, 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: Promotes low-carbon travel by reducing noise and exhaust emissions since vehicles do not stop at toll stations; Reduced wear and tear: Saves costs by minimizing the frequency of vehicle starts and brakes, thereby reducing wear and fuel consumption; Improved efficiency: ETC lanes can theoretically increase vehicle throughput by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC faster, more advanced, and more efficient. 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, the interoperability of transportation cards in key city clusters will be basically achieved, and the proportion of vehicles equipped with 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 road passenger vehicles should reach 50%." More future possibilities: In addition to continuously improving the convenience of ETC installation and usage and increasing the ETC adoption rate for passenger vehicles, efforts will be made to promote ETC usage for trucks in the future. There will also be exploration into deeper integration of the ETC system with vehicle-to-vehicle communication, vehicle-to-infrastructure coordination, and other smart transportation development directions, providing comprehensive travel services for vehicle owners. This means more application scenarios will support ETC usage.

[TannerDella]

I just installed an ETC and found that it's indeed vehicle-specific, meaning one card for one car. The ETC card needs to be inserted into the onboard OBU device, which is bound to your license plate number and cannot be arbitrarily transferred to another vehicle. Otherwise, the toll station scanner might misidentify it, leading to failed passage or being flagged as fraudulent use. Once, I wanted to lend it to a friend's car, but the customer service said no—I had to apply for a new set. The benefits are practical: no queuing at highway tolls, and fees are automatically deducted from the card. If you change cars, you can contact the service provider to unbind and reactivate it, which isn't too troublesome. In short, safety first—don’t share it to avoid fines. Installation is convenient; nowadays, you can apply online and get it done in minutes.

[GarrettRose]

As a regular car owner, I've tried ETC. It requires each vehicle to have its own card and device, following a one-card-per-vehicle policy. Last time when I applied for the card at the bank, the staff emphasized it could only be used for the registered vehicle to prevent fraud by matching license plates. I asked if it could be used for multiple household vehicles, but was told no—the device would detect errors. In practice, it's hassle-free: no traffic jams at highway tolls, plus discounted fees. When changing cars, you need to rebind it, which takes just a few minutes. It's advised to protect the card from loss and check the balance regularly. While the design lacks flexibility, it significantly improves traffic efficiency.