FASTag

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) designed the National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) programme for enabling the collection of tolls on highways electronically. FASTag is the device developed under the NETC programme through which electronic payment of tolls can be made. FASTag employs Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for enabling toll payment directly when the vehicle is in motion. 

FASTag is a reloadable and easy to use tag affixed to the vehicle’s windscreen. It is detected when the vehicle passes through the FASTag enabled lanes on the highways, and the toll payment is directly deducted from the customers FASTag linked account. Thus, the vehicles need not stop in the toll plaza to pay manually. 

Presently, all lanes at National Highway toll plazas have adopted FASTag lanes. Many are still hybrid lanes. Hybrid lanes mean where both cash and electronic payment of toll are present. In the hybrid lanes, the people who do not have a FASTag can go in the non-FASTag lane and pay the toll by cash. However, if a non-FASTag user goes in the FASTag lane, the user will be charged double the toll fee. All vehicles must be FASTag enabled.

Obtaining FASTag For Vehicles

All vehicles must mandatorily have a FASTag. The FASTag for a vehicle can be obtained by visiting the Point of Sale (POS) locations at a toll plaza or applying online at the NETC member banks website.

The list of the NETC member banks is available on the NPCI website. It can also be applied online on the IHMCL website or My FASTag App. Once FASTag is obtained for a vehicle and affixed to it, there can be no transfer of FASTag to another vehicle.

The user can link a bank account or a prepaid wallet to FASTag. If it is linked to a prepaid wallet or debit/credit card, it needs to be recharged by the user for automatic deduction of toll payment. If it is linked to a bank’s savings account, there will be an automatic deduction of toll payment when the vehicle passes through the FASTag lane. The user will get an SMS alert when the toll payment gets deducted.

Documents Required for Obtaining FASTag

The user needs to submit the following documents along with the FASTag application form:

• Registration Certificate (RC) of the vehicle.
• KYC documents, including the Driving License as per the category of the vehicle owner.
• Passport size photograph of the vehicle owner.

Benefits of FASTag

The benefits of FASTag for vehicles are as follows:

• There is no need to stop at the toll plaza for payment of the toll fee.
• There is no need to carry cash and wait for receiving the exact change.
• It saves time and fuel as the vehicles need not stop and wait in the toll plaza for payment.
• The exact amount of toll is deducted, reducing the journey time and not worrying about carrying changes.
• The vehicle owner will receive the SMS of the amount deducted on the registered mobile number.
• Online wallets can be linked to FASTag, and toll payments will be deducted from credit/debit card or UPI payment wallet directly.
• Easy to link a bank account to FASTag.
• FASTag can be recharged online through credit/debit card, NEFT or net banking.
• The users can access their statements by logging into the FASTag portal.
• The users can avail monthly passes specific to each toll plaza, which benefits users travelling in a particular route several times in a month.