Attention Travellers - All You Need to Know About FASTag

As we know that FASTag is now mandatory across all national highway toll gates in the country. If you are a highway user, we should know everything about fastag before we use it,

Why FASTag?

As we know that FASTag is now mandatory across all national highway toll gates in the country. If you are a highway user, we should know everything about fastag before we use it, If you are the one who’s using your car in highways, FASTag is an easy way to pay your toll charges electronically using the RFID tag fixed on your windshield. This will save your waiting time and helps other cars as well to travel smoothly. For example, we are wasting 2+ hours in toll gates when we do a 10 hour travel in highways. People usually won’t notice this delay, however if you ever tried using FASTag, you would have noticed the difference. This tag is similar to a paytm wallet where we recharge and use the tag.

Also, FASTag users will get 5% cash back in every toll gate and the same will be credited in FASTag account after every three months.

How & Where can we buy a FASTag?

All vehicles registered after 2017 financial year has mandatory FASTag installed by respective RTO during registration. Most of the people might not have even noticed this as they never use highways or toll-gates in village areas. However, if your vehicle was registered after 2017, you can check your vehicle’s tag and find the tag provider, it could be PayTM, HDFC or any such financial company who had tie-up with the car dealer provided it for you. You can simply contact the tag provider company and check the status of it and recharge it for further use.

If your vehicle do not have a FASTag installed, you can buy a new one (where to buy FASTag is given below). Before you buy a new FASTag, remember that a new tag costs around 500-650 rupees only. This includes 200 rupees security deposit and 150 rupees wallet balance. So ensure that the dealer is not cheating you by charging too much. However, each companies charge different prices and service charges based on location and demand which is unfortunate.

You can buy tag at any NHAI Toll gates as well, Below are other options to bu FASTag.

• NHAI Toll Gate Offices
• AXIS BANK Fastag
• HDFC Fastag
• ICICI Bank Fastag
• PayTM Fastag

Documents required for FASTag Purchase

You need to submit a copy of your RC book, as one vehicle can have only one FASTag. This is provided by NHAI’s centralised system.

Where to paste / install FASTag?

FASTag should be pasted in the exact position where the reader can detect it while passing through toll gate. Otherwise you must be created a delay and they have to manually read it with a handheld reader.

How can we use FASTag?

All NHAI Toll gates have dedicated FASTag lane, where only fastag vehicles will be allowed. You don’t need to wait for toll payment as the RFID tag will be automatically read and amount will be deducted from your fastag wallet. Usually these lanes won’t be crowded. We can expect all lanes to be FASTag lanes from now on-wards as the tag is now mandatory by government.

When you move through the FASTag lane, tag will be detected and charges will be deducted from your online FASTag wallet. You will also get SMS to your mobile number along with a receipt to your email address. However, these SMS and email is little late as you won’t immediately get it when amount deducted.

If the tag is valid and has amount to deduct, till payment will be successful and green light will glow and you can pass through.

FASTag - Common Problems & Fixes

In most cases FASTag won’t show any issues, however it may not read properly at certain toll gates. You may have to take your car a little backward and proceed further to make it work. Also the position of your tag must be correct enough to read the tag.

Also if you do not use your FASTag for a longer period or due to varying climatic conditions. The tag may come out of the windshield and requires a strong press to stick it better before you try your tag in toll gates. This can avoid confusion and delays.

There are complaints heard that few companies are deducting charges from FASTag event though you are not using it. You should remember that FASTag is like a prepaid wallet and it doesn’t need to be linked to your bank account. So if the dealer insists you to link account, do not buy their FASTag. There are multiple other options outside.

What if you use FASTag lane / Toll gate without money in wallet?

When you buy a new FASTag, Rs. 200 is being added as a security deposit. This can be used during emergency, for example if you don’t have balance in your main FASTag wallet account, amount will be deducted from this security deposit, so you can use one or two toll gates during an emergency. After that, when you recharge the wallet, this 200 will be reloaded first and rest of the amount will be loaded in main balance.

If you exhaust this 200 rupees as well and tries to use the toll gate, then you won’t be allowed to pass through. Also the tag will be ‘blacklisted’ for 48 hours by NHAI. In this case, your travel will be spoiled and you may have to contact NHAI Helpdesk to reactivate the FASTag.

NHAI Customer Care Number - 1033

New FASTag - Things to Remember

• Buy tag from the company which is trustworthy for you. Most of the banks provide fastag, so get it from the one you believe.
• Get the tag from most user friendly dealer, such as companies who provide online account, mobile application and website.
• NEVER BUY a FASTag which requires you to link your bank account. Instead prefer, prepaid one.
• Remember FASTag account details and make sure you recharge before you travel.