What is FASTag scanner and how does it work?

What is FASTag scanner and how does it work?

Long queues at national toll plazas have become a thing of the past ever since FASTag was introduced in India. Surely you also have a FASTag in your car which you have used extensively. But have you ever wondered how FASTag scanners work? How is the process made so smooth by these advanced scanners? Find the answer to that question below.

What exactly is FASTag?

FASTag is a digitalised Toll Collection system that is currently available on all National Highways of India. A vehicle owner has to apply for a FASTag registration and pay for the FASTag balance to complete the process. The validity of this registration is for 5 years. After you successfully register, you receive a sticker that has to be affixed to the windscreen of your vehicle.

Every time the vehicle passes through a toll plaza, the sticker gets scanned and a balance is deducted. Since Feb 16, 2021, FASTag has become compulsory for all vehicles passing through a toll plaza. You will have to pay double the tax if you do not have the FASTag sticker on your car.

About FASTag scanner.

At present, a FASTag scanner is present across all toll plazas in the country. It is a device that helps in electronic toll collection by scanning the FASTag sticker affixed on the windscreen of your vehicle. So, you can keep moving through the toll gate without needing to stop and make a cash payment.

FASTag scanner is like a Barcode Scanner that gets readings from that sticker on your car to deduct a particular amount as a toll tax from the digital wallet linked to the FASTag Account.

Understanding how a FASTag scanner works.

Here’s hoping that you have already bought a FASTag and affixed the sticker on the windshield. When you pass through any toll plaza under the National Highways Authority of India, this is how the scanner works:

• The scanners activate their RFID technology and scan the FASTag sticker on the windscreen of the vehicle

• A signal is sent by the scanner to that sticker to deduct the amount from the digital wallet linked to your FASTag

• You can check your FASTag balance and other details of the toll tax by generating a FASTag statement.

With the FASTag system in action, the waiting time at the toll plazas has been brought down to a fraction of what it was earlier.

How does one check the balance in FASTag through ICICI Bank’s eToll app?

What happens when the FASTag scanner identifies that your FASTag balance is nil? You end up paying double the toll tax in cash even though you have FASTag on your vehicle. Thus, it is important to keep checking the FASTag balance. You can do it easily using the ICICI Bank eToll app.

This app is like a one-stop destination for all your FASTag related needs. You can recharge your account, check your balance and get a statement from one platform. Thus, keeping track of your FASTag Account becomes a lot easier. You will be notified if your account has a low balance avoiding a situation like the one mentioned above.

So, if you are yet to use the eToll app, go ahead and download it now. It will be easier for you to keep track of your FASTag Account. For more details about the app, contact your nearest ICICI Bank Branch right away.