Pay By Plate
Pay By Plate from the Illinois Tollway allows customers without an I-PASS Account or E-ZPass transponder to safely and securely pay unpaid tolls. While I-PASS and E-ZPass are still the most cost-effective way to pay tolls, Pay By Plate is built on the I-PASS payment platform giving you a range of payment options while ensuring you avoid costly fines and fees, all without a transponder.
Whether you just traveled or are about to travel, simply provide your plate, payment and dates of travel and you're all set.
What can I do with Pay By Plate?
- Already miss a toll? No problem. For up to 14 days after you’ve traveled, you can now enter your vehicle and payment information into the Pay By Plate system, and you’ll have the peace of mind knowing you’ll avoid added fines and fees. TIP - If you’ve already traveled, be sure to backdate your plate information to reflect your beginning date of travel.
- Renting or Borrowing a Vehicle? If you’re in a rented, borrowed or temporary vehicle and you do not have an I-PASS or E-ZPass transponder, Pay By Plate is right for you. Simply enter the plate, payment and dates of travel within 14 days of your initial travel and you’re all set.
- Managing Multiple Vehicles? You can do that on Pay By Plate, too! While I-PASS is the most cost-effective way to manage your vehicles, you can add multiple vehicles and manage your payment methods within the Pay By Plate system.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Pay By Plate work?
The Illinois Tollway’s Pay By Plate feature allows you to enter your license plate and payment information up to 14 days after travel to capture your tolls and allow you to avoid fines and fees. The Illinois Tollway will charge your credit card the cash rate for tolls. A valid credit card must remain on the account until the tolls are fully processed, which may take up to 30 days after you use the Tollway. Once the credit card is deleted, the Pay By Plate service is disabled. You may reactivate the service, as needed, by adding credit card information. The Pay By Plate service is an ideal option for non-I-PASS customers and travelers to Illinois. Please note, Pay By Plate is only usable on the Illinois Tollway. It is not usable on the Skyway (in Illinois) or in other states.
Why haven’t my tolls shown up on Pay By Plate yet?
It may take up to 30 days for tolls to show on Pay By Plate and be charged to your payment method. Be certain to keep your credit card information accurate and current until the Tollway has processed all your tolls. If your credit card information is not current, Pay By Plate will be unable to process your tolls and you will receive an invoice for them by mail. Also, if your vehicle’s license plate information was entered inaccurately, Pay By Plate will be unable to process your tolls and you may receive an invoice for them by mail. It is important to keep both your payment and license plate information accurate and current on Pay By Plate.
Why was I charged multiple times for tolls?
Pay By Plate searches for tolls and bills your credit card for any matching tolls twice per week. Tolls may take up to 30 days to show on Pay By Plate. Depending on when you travel, tolls may not all show on Pay By Plate in the same week; thus, you may be charged in separate transactions. You will not be charged multiple times for the same tolls; you may be charged once for each toll across separate credit card transactions.
Why am I being asked to update my payment information when I haven’t used the Illinois Tollway recently and don’t plan to?
To continue to use Pay By Plate in the future, the Tollway will inform you if your payment information is near expiration, as well as when it has expired. At any time, you may remove your payment information, which will render Pay By Plate unusable. If the payment information on your Pay By Plate is removed or cannot be processed due to inaccuracy, such as your credit card has expired, you will not be able to use Pay By Plate to pay your tolls. You may receive an invoice for any such tolls by mail.
I believe I was charged improperly for tolls; what should I do?
To dispute a charge, you’ll need to log into Pay By Plate and review your toll uses and charges. There you will find instructions on how to submit a dispute.
Why was I sent an invoice for tolls when I used Pay By Plate?
Pay By Plate will not process, and you will receive an invoice by mail, in the following scenarios:
- You were unable to add Pay By Plate within 14 days of using a toll or tolls.
- A valid, current credit card was not on file at the time your tolls were processed by the Tollway.
- The vehicle license plate information on Pay By Plate was not accurate at the time tolls were processed by the Tollway.