What Card is Needed for Installing ETC in a Car?

[StKimberly]

A debit card or credit card is required. 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 original valid ID card of the vehicle owner, the original and photocopy of the vehicle registration certificate, and the page of the registration certificate with the latest annual inspection stamp must be provided. If the ETC is processed on behalf of others, the original valid ID card of the agent must also be provided. If applying for ETC through the business halls of major banks, a debit card or credit card from the corresponding bank must also be prepared. 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. The principle of ETC deduction: There will be one or more ETC lanes on the expressway. Through the dedicated microwave short-range communication between the vehicle-mounted electronic tag installed on the vehicle windshield and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane of the toll station, the computer network technology is used to settle with the bank in the background, achieving the purpose of paying road and bridge 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, and lowers wear and fuel consumption; 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 explicitly set the goal in the main indicators of the "13th Five-Year" comprehensive transportation development to "achieve a 50% ETC usage rate for road passenger vehicles by 2020." 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 stopped vehicle ahead, to prevent the ETC device of the vehicle ahead from malfunctioning or not having an ETC device at all, maintain a distance of more than 10 meters from the vehicle ahead to avoid automatically sensing and paying for the vehicle ahead. The recognition speed for ETC lane passage is 20 km/h. If the speed is too fast, the vehicle device information cannot be read, which will also result in a failed fee deduction. Unauthorized removal or movement of the OBU device, or detachment or loosening of the ETC electronic tag, will cause the electronic tag to fail. It can be sent to the bank where the ETC card was processed or the highway service hall for testing. If the loosening or detachment is not man-made, it only needs to be reactivated. When using a debit card bound to ETC, insufficient balance will also result in a failed fee deduction. 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 may cause poor sensing. This is especially important for vehicles that have been repaired or had their windshields replaced after an accident, or for those who have modified their front windshields.

[Clay]

Last time I installed an ETC, I specifically researched this issue. You need to bring a bank card under your own name to apply, either a debit card or a credit card will work. For a debit card, a few hundred yuan deposit will be frozen in the account and cannot be used, while a credit card doesn't require a deposit but needs sufficient credit limit. Personally, I recommend binding a credit card for more convenience, so you won't be tied up by the deposit. You also need to bring your ID card and the original vehicle registration certificate. You can apply either at the bank counter or online, and the whole process takes about twenty minutes. Pay special attention that the vehicle owner's name must match the name on the bank card. For company vehicles, a corporate credit card must be used. Finally, insert the ETC card provided by the bank into the device, and it's done. Remember to check the card's validity annually.