Licence Plate Number Matching Fees

A growing number of electronic tag account customers choose to pay their toll using a licence plate number (LPN) in place of a tag.

To recover administrative costs incurred by the M5 South West Motorway, a Licence Plate Number Matching Fee or Toll Notice Fee applies for E-way customers (from 10 October, 2011), Roam Express customers (7 January, 2012) and Roam customers (1 July, 2012).

Q. What is the Licence Plate Number Matching Fee for?

A. A $0.45 LPN Matching Fee only applies if you use the M5 South West Motorway:

• With an invalid tag account (ie, your account has insufficient funds at the time of travel); or
• You do not have your tag correctly installed at the time of travel; or
• You travel without a tag in your vehicle.

Q. What is the LPN Matching Toll Notice Fee for?

A. A Toll Notice Fee applies to customers that receive an M5 South West Motorway Toll Notice.

• The $1.10 fee applies for each toll notice received by the customer.
• This fee recovers the administrative costs of issuing a Toll Notice. (Note the LPN matching fee is not applied if the Toll Notice fee is charged)

These fees will be refunded if your tag is not working and you have taken reasonable steps to replace it.

Q. Why are these extra fees being applied?

A. The charges recover the administrative costs of matching an LPN to your tag account, or the costs to issue a Toll Notice.

• The costs involved with the LPN Matching Fee include reviewing an image reading of the licence plate number details. The fee recovers some of the additional costs associated with processing these journeys.
• The Toll Notice fee recovers the processing costs of issuing a Toll Notice.

Q. How can I avoid these fees?

A. These fees can be avoided by:

• Ensuring you travel at all times with a correctly installed, functioning tag in your vehicle;
• Ensuring you have sufficient funds in your account to cover the cost of your tolls; and
• (To avoid the $1.10 Toll Notice Fee) - Ensuring your licence plate number(s) is registered on your E-way or Roam Express account.

Q. I think my tag is faulty. Will I be charged these fees because my tag has not been working?

A. If you receive a fee and you believe your tag was correctly installed at the time of the trip, and you had sufficient funds in your account, please contact your tag provider. Note that fees will be refunded if your tag is not working and you have taken steps to replace it. A replacement tag will be provided at no charge. Your Electronic tag is correctly working if it “beeps” or “trills” once as you pass through the toll collection point.

Q. Will these fees apply to my trips on other motorways or just the M5 South West Motorway?

A. At this stage, only E-way and Roam Express customers will be charged the LPN fee on the M5 South West Motorway. For information on charges from other motorways please contact your tag provider.

Q. How will I know if I have enough funds in my account, or if my tag is working properly?

A. If your tag has not beeped, or “trilled” at all, then it has not been read and you have not paid the toll. If your tag beeps or trills more than once then it is likely that you have insufficient funds in your account. To check the status of your account, please contact your tag provider.

Q. I think my tag is faulty. Will I be charged these fees because my tag has not been working?

A. If you receive a fee and you believe your tag was correctly installed at the time of the trip, and you had sufficient funds in your account, please contact your tag provider.

For information on refunds on these fees, please contact your tag provider.

For refunds of the toll please visit www.m5motorway.com.au or telephone 1300 555 833

Q. Why are these charges being introduced now?

• The charges recover the processing costs of matching a customer’s Licence Plate Number to their tag account and issuing Toll Notices.
• Similar fees exist for other motorways in the Sydney network, as well as in Melbourne and Brisbane.
• These fees encourage customers to make an appropriate arrangement to pay their toll, either by using a cash booth on the M5 South West Motorway or via a correctly installed, functioning tag with sufficient funds to cover the cost of trips.

Q. I am using a motorcycle, will I be charged the fee?

A. Yes, these fees will be applied to E-way and Roam Express motorcycle customers. These fees can be avoided by travelling at all times with a correctly installed tag (arm band or motorcycle pouch) and enough funds in your account to pay the toll.

E-way is the only tag provider which offers motorcycle riders the E-way Toll Rider, a product which allows an E-way tag to be attached directly onto a motorcycle or worn in a pouch as an armband.

Q. I am using a trailer/caravan, will the trailer/caravan be charged the Licence Plate Number Matching Fee?

A. No, trailers and caravans are not required to use a tag.

• A tag should, however, be correctly installed in the vehicle pulling the trailer/caravan.

Q. Can I still use my E-way or Roam Express tag in other vehicles?

A. Yes, E-way and Roam Express tags can be exchanged between vehicles as they are now.

• If tags are regularly used in multiple vehicles, we encourage customers to:

- Ensure tags are correctly installed and functioning, and accounts have sufficient funds to cover the cost of each trip.
- Register the licence plate numbers of all vehicles to their tag account. Multiple licence plate numbers can be registered free of charge. Please contact your tag provider for information on how to do this.
- Multiple tags can also be issued for a single account.

Q. How will I know if I have incurred a Licence Plate Number Matching Fee or a Toll Notice Fee?

A. The fee will be clearly identified on your account statement.

• If you receive an LPN Matching Fee, you are encouraged to check to ensure your tag is correctly installed and functioning, and your account has sufficient funds.
• If you are unsure whether the fee has been correctly applied, please contact your tag provider.

Q. I think I have been charged these fees by mistake. What should I do?

A. If you are unsure whether the fee has been correctly applied, please contact your tag provider.

Q. How are you letting customers know about the implementation of these fees?

A. E-way Customers were informed by letter or email in September 2011 about the introduction of these fees from the M5 South West Motorway.

Other Tag issuers will be notified by the M5 South West Motorway Website and the Tag Provider Website.
If a customer has incurred these fees, they will appear:

• In mailed or emailed statement transaction listings
• In transaction or usage listings customers download when they log onto their tag providers websites

Q. Can I claim Cashback on the fees

A. Cashback is an initiative of the NSW Government. Only the toll (GST excluded) is eligible to be claimed on Cashback. Questions on its operation and eligibility should be directed to the RTA on 1300 133 310.

Q. Is GST factored in to these fees?

A. Yes