E-ZPass shake-up could change how families use toll transponders

Had you heard the news about that E-ZPass transponder velcroed to the glass behind your rearview mirror? I shared the news recently that the technology is going away. It’s being replaced by something new.

Basically, those rectangular transponders we’ve been using have a battery that lasts for years, but once it runs out, the whole unit is replaced. That costs the New Jersey Turnpike money — $8 million for 900,000 transponders a few years ago, for example.

Read More: How New Jersey's E-ZPass could shift to battery-free stickers

The new tech

So the new technology now being tested and assumed to be on its way is a much smaller little sticker that you’ll put on a different part of your windshield. Embedded is an RFID chip.

Of course, this is Jersey, so nothing can be without controversy, right?

Turns out many drivers are already wondering if they’ll still be able to switch the new sticker to another car in the family like the old transponder. NJ.com reports the short answer is no.

Tearing the sticker off, even carefully, will damage the RFID chip inside and render it useless. So no, when this technology hits the Garden State, you won’t be able to move it from one vehicle to another.

However, there’s good news.

While the old-style rectangular transponder we use now costs a customer a $10 deposit, these new stickers will be less than a buck, and you can simply order more for your other cars.

So all’s well that ends well, which is something New Jersey doesn’t experience very often.