FASTag FAQs: 11 Things You Need to Know

Looking for a good FASTag FAQs guide that will answer all your questions? You reached the right place. Read on and if you still have questions at the end – shoot us an email.

Whenever you pass by a state or a national highway, you will encounter tolls. Often, there are long lines at the toll because of the transaction method that has been used until now. As per the current model, the traveler pays the toll via Cash or Digital Payment mode like the card, UPI or Paytm. This can’t take anywhere between 30 seconds to 2 minutes. If the change is not handy or if the network of Card Machines is slow, the time is towards the higher end. On average, you will encounter 5 to 10 cars in the queue before you. This translated into a long delay and it slowed down the traffic. There are some notorious tolls in India which are known for long traffic jams as well.

What if you didn’t have to stop on the toll for making the payment? Well, this is what the government thought as well. It certainly makes things easy for the traveler and it reduces traffic jams as well. To resolve this issue, the government came up with FASTag. This initiative was launched by the National Highway Authority of India and it was a part of the Electronic Toll Collection Program.

FASTag FAQs – Everything You Need to Know

On this page, you will find all the information about the FASTag so go ahead and check out these sections one by one.

#1. What is FASTag?

FASTag is an RFID device which means that it works on the Radio Frequency. This is an identification tag that connects to your digital wallet or your bank account. The toll charges are deducted automatically from the FASTag and this eliminates the need of stopping for the cash transaction or any other digital form of transaction. You do not have to stop your car for the deduction as the RFID tag is identified while you are passing through the toll booth.

You have to paste the FASTag on the windshield just behind the rearview mirror and that is it. If you are using a digital wallet to pay for the toll then you just have to load the money in the digital wallet before you pass from the toll. You can even load surplus money which will take care of multiple journeys. If your tag is connected to the bank account then you just need to ensure that there is enough balance in the account.

#2. How does the RFID know the Deduction Amount?

In the standard model, the toll deduction is dependent on two factors. The first thing is the type of vehicle that you are driving and the second thing is the exit point. In the traditional system, you tell the toll operator about the destination or you pay the toll at the exit point. This depends on the highway and the model they follow. When you use a FASTag, the car details are embedded in the RFID. The information about your entry point and exit points are captured via the RFID readers and depending on that, the toll is charged. This automates the whole process which is certainly of the best thing about using FASTag.

#3. Is there a validity associated with FASTag?

Yes, there is a validity associated with FASTag. Once you obtain the FASTag, it is valid for a period of 5 years. You can recharge that any number of times depending on the usage and the requirement. You can load the funds once and use it until it exhausts. Then you can add the funds again to your FASTag. Moreover, it should be noted that presently, there are over 240 toll plazas that accept FASTag. A lot of toll plazas are still under the process of activating the FASTag.

#4. Do I really need a FASTag?

As per the government notification, the FASTag has been mandated from 15 January 2020. If you travel frequently on the toll roads then it is certainly a blessing for you. People who travel on the toll roads occasionally may have a doubt. Well, we are sure that you do not wish to be in the long queues for paying the toll. The FASTag takes care of the fact that you do not have to stop for the payment and that there is no time wasted in the process. It also reduces air pollution because the cars are not at a halt with the ignition turned on. Also, if you do not have a FASTag enabled then you will have to pay double the toll as a penalty. This means that if a toll plaza charges Rs 200 as a regular fee then you will end up shelling out Rs 400. In such a case, we would say that Yes, you do need a FASTag.

#5. What are the Benefits of FASTag?

Let us list all the benefits of FASTag for you. This will surely enable you to understand the kind of benefits NHAI brought to the people and the environment.

Extra Savings – FASTag saves a lot of time and a lot of fuel. You do not have to stop at the toll because of the queues and this reduces the fuel burned during the journey. It also leads to less frustration.
Total Control – You have all the control while using the FASTag. You can choose to disable it or enable it as and when you like. It is 100% secure and encrypted. In addition to this, you can recharge your FASTag wallet as and when you like. The wallet supports multiple methods of recharge for you. You also get notified as and when the transaction is made.
Environmental Benefit – The undeniable fact is that the environment is benefited because of the FASTag. The less fuel burned on the road means fewer emissions and we are sure that you would agree with us on that.
No More Dependency on Cash – There are times when you might run out of cash or when you might forget the wallet. Well, FASTag kills all such dependencies and you would not have to be embarrassed about the situation anymore. There is no worry about not having the change or not having cash at all.

#6. How to Get FASTag?

You can buy FASTag online or offline. If you want to purchase it offline then you can visit the issuer’s office and you can request a FASTag from them. You will be asked to fill up some forms and submit the required documents. Once this is done, the FASTag will be generated and mailed to you at your residential address. If you wish to procure the FASTag online then that is possible as well. For this, you need to visit the issuer’s website and order the FASTag for yourself. During the order, you will be asked to submit the personal details along with the documents required for the FASTag. It should be noted that the fee also needs to be submitted at the time of submitting the application. This is true for offline as well as online methods.

The documents that you would need to submit are listed below

Copy of Registration Certificate
KYC Documents of the Individual or the Organization.
Passport Size Photo.

While submitting the KYC Document, you will need to submit the identity and address proof. This would include the document listed below. It is best to submit the Aadhaar card as it will meet the purpose of address proof as well as identity proof.

Aadhaar Card
Driving License
PAN Card
Passport
Voter ID Card

#7. Which Banks are providing FASTag?

At present, there is a long list of institutes that provide FASTag for your vehicle. Below are the details.

Axis Bank
Bank of Baroda
City Union Bank
Equitas Small Finance Bank
Federal Bank
Fino Payment Bank
HDFC Bank
ICICI Bank
IDFC Bank
IndusInd Bank
Karur Vysya Bank
Kotak Mahindra Bank
Nagpur Nagarik Sahakari Bank
Paytm Payments bank
POS Location of Tolls
Punjab & Maharashtra Co-Op Bank
Punjab National bank
Saraswat Bank
South India Bank
State Bank of India
Syndicate Bank
Union Bank

Some of these institutes offer instant issue services which means that they will provide you the FASTag instantly without having to wait for it to be delivered at your home. You can choose the issuer as per your likings and visit their website to order the FASTag for your vehicle. It should be noted that the same FASTag can’t be used with multiple vehicles.

#8. What is the FASTag Fee?

The fee may differ from one financial institution to another and hence we would not be able to provide you with the exact amount. Just to give you an idea, the average activation fee for the FASTag is Rs 100. In addition to this, you will have to pay the deposit and the initial recharge amount. Find more details about the same in the table listed below. Before you check out the details, please note that there can be certain variations in the security deposit and the first recharge amount.

Class of Vehicle	Type of Vehicle	First Recharge Amount (Usable)	Security Deposit (Refundable)
4	Tata Ace and similar mini light commercial vehicle	Rs.100	Rs.200
5	Minibus/light commercial vehicle	Rs.140	Rs.300
4	Jeep/Van/Car	Rs.200	Rs.200
6	Bus 3 Axle	Rs.300	Rs.400
6	Truck 3 Axle	Rs.300	Rs.500
7	Truck 2 Axle/Bus 2 Axle	Rs.300	Rs.400
12	Truck 4,5,6 Axle/Tractor/Tractor with trailer	Rs.300	Rs.500
15	Truck 7 Axle and above	Rs.300	Rs.500
16	Earth Moving/Heavy Construction Machinery	Rs.300	Rs.500

#9. How to activate FASTag?

There can be a variation in this context as well. The FASTag activation can be done via the issuer’s website but the generalized procedure remains the same. You will start seeing the FASTag on the portal of the issuer. From there, click on Manage FASTag and you will notice a tab for activating the FASTag. Click on that and you are done. If required, you can temporarily deactivate the FASTag as per your wish. In addition to this, it should be noted that the FASTag is activated a day after the delivery if it is sent via post. If you are procuring it from the POS then the FASTag will be activated as soon as the verification of the KYC documents is completed. You can choose to add money immediately after the activation.

#10. Can I Surrender the FASTag?

Yes, you can surrender your FASTag. Whenever you are selling the vehicle, you need to ensure that you are not giving away for FASTag along with that. In such a case, you would need to contact the issuer and let them know about the transfer of your vehicle. They will deactivate the FASTag and they will share the process of sending the FASTag back to them. Once they receive the FASTag back, they will refund the remaining amount along with the security deposit that you submitted with the FASTag. The process is easy but at the same time, you need to ensure that you do not damage the FASTag while removing it from the vehicle. It has to be done very carefully otherwise you might end up destroying the FASTag. If there is damage to the FASTag then the deposit will be fortified by the issuing agencies. It is best to check more details with the issuer of the FASTag as they will provide you with the updated information.

#11. I have Multiple FASTag Deductions, What shall I do?

There are some cases when the customer encountered incorrect deductions. If you also came across such a scenario then there is a way out. You just need to call the customer services and share the details of the deduction and journey with them. They will file a complaint on your behalf. After the analysis of the data, the money will be refunded back to your account. The customer care number would have been shared with you when you purchased the FASTag. This is basically the same issuer agency that provided you with the FASTag. Also, if you are not satisfied with the resolution, you can follow the escalation matrix and escalate this to a higher level.