Frequently Asked Questions

PayByCar is a simple, touchless, secure way to pay for on-the-go transactions like gas fill-ups and drive-thru pick-ups. We combine text messaging with electronic toll transponder technology to facilitate everyday drive-up transactions.

There is no cost to enroll in PayByCar. When using PayByCar to buy gas, there is no additional fee on top of your fuel purchase. When using PayByCar for parking lots and garages, there may be a small convenience fee on top of your parking charge (although some parking operators may choose not to charge you a convenience fee).

No, they are separate accounts. PayByCar is a private company that has partnered with the 20-state E-ZPass Group to launch a non-toll program called DrivenByE-ZPass. PayByCar does not have access to your E-ZPass account, nor does E-ZPass have access to your PayByCar account. Payments made through PayByCar do not get deducted from your E-ZPass account.

It’s an account where you link a toll transponder (like E-ZPass) with a credit or debit card of your choice to use for any kind of non-tolling transactions. Examples include fuel purchases at a gas station, fast food drive-thrus, car washes, parking garages, etc. Just like you have a tolling account with E-ZPass, you can create a non-tolling account with PayByCar.

No, there are a few methods to pay for gas or parking with PayByCar:

1. You can use a PayByCar Smart Tag, which uses the same kind of radio frequency identification technology (RFID) as an E-ZPass. The Smart Tag is a sticker that you attach to your windshield so that it can be read by the RFID reader at the participating gas station or other available location. (Note: The PayByCar Smart Tag does NOT work for toll payments.)

   

   To receive a PayByCar Smart Sticker by mail, you must be enrolled with PayByCar. Click here to enroll.

2. For buying gas (but not parking) you can Text ‘PBC’ to 617-249-7524. You will receive a link on your phone which will give you the ability to pay for gas using your phone. (This Pay-By-Web-Interface can only be accessed if you have enrolled for PayByCar, and only works for buying gas).

The only “location tracking” involved is the short-range RFID technology that alerts PayByCar when your toll transponder is at a participating location. We use two-factor identification by texting your smartphone for confirmation. We don’t know where you came from before you got there or where you’re going after you drive away. The range of the RFID reader is limited to that specific location. PayByCar is a private company - your account with us is separate from your E-ZPass account. We don’t have access to your toll account and E-ZPass doesn’t have access to your non-toll account.

When you drive into a participating gas station, PayByCar recognizes your toll transponder (or Smart Tag, if you have one) and sends you a welcome text message to confirm that you’d like to purchase gas with PayByCar. You reply with the pump number, and we turn on that specific pump. After fueling up and you return the nozzle to the pump cradle, you receive a text and email with a digital receipt. (If you do not wish to use PayByCar during a particular visit to the gas station, simply reply to our text with “N” to cancel, or do nothing and the text will time out.)

When you arrive at a participating lot or garage, the gate (if any) will automatically open upon your arrival. After you drive through the entrance, you will automatically receive a text with a link to a live session parking that will run until you exit. This way you can easily keep track of how long your parking session is. There is no need for a paper ticket, no more struggling to reach out the car window to pull a ticket. When you depart, the exit gate (if any) automatically opens for you as you approach. No need to bring a paper ticket to pay at a walk-up kiosk. (No more lost paper tickets!) As you depart the facility, you’ll receive a text with a link to your digital receipt showing the time of arrival and departure and the amount of the charge.

PayByCar is available at a growing number of gas stations in Massachusetts, with several hundred more coming soon in Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, New York and Virginia. Enrollees will be kept notified as we add additional locations. We are also adding other types of uses, such as off-street parking, fast-food drive-thru, car washes and more.

For a list of current locations, click here.

For a list of locations, click here.

Follow us on Facebook & Instagram to stay in the loop about new locations and other PayByCar news and updates.

You will soon be able to use your PBC for parking lots and garages. We are completing 3 parking pilots in NY, MD and GA and will be announcing them soon. If you sign up for PBC you’ll be among the first people notified of garages and lots as they become PBC partners.  

PayByCar is working with gas stations, parking lots and garages closely and you’ll see offers soon.

Your transponder number appears between the two asterisks (*) on your E-ZPass.

You can add more than one transponder, however, at this time we only allow one smartphone number per account. This means that only the account owner will receive a text message when one of your transponders arrives at a participating location.

For now, we can only save one credit/debit card to your account. However, we plan to launch multi-card support soon.

PayByCar transactions are separate and do not currently accrue loyalty points. We are working with multiple retailers to integrate their loyalty programs into PayByCar. In the meantime, we do have occasional discounts offered only to PayByCar members. We announce them in emails to our members and on our social media.

PayByCar uses the credit card on your account, so if your card awards points for gas purchases, PayByCar transactions should still be eligible.

You can request a Smart Tag during the enrollment process, but if you’ve already enrolled with a transponder number and decide you’d like to use a Smart Tag instead, please contact us.

You may not have driven under the RFID reader – these are located in the canopy above the gas pumps at the station. If you are at a participating gas station but have not pulled up to a pump yet, you may not be close enough to the reader.

• If your E-ZPass transponder is older than 10 years it may need to be replaced, as the battery life may be at its end. Toll transponders may begin to weaken at that point. To get a new toll transponder, you should contact the toll agency’s customer service center’s number usually visible on the transponder itself. We can also send you a non-toll PayByCar Smart Tag if you email us at support@mypaybycar.com including your current tag number or smartphone number and a mailing address where you receive mail.
• Your transponder may be mounted to your windshield incorrectly, or your windshield has special features that make it difficult to scan your transponder. Click here for a list of vehicles with these features and suggestions for alternative transponder placement.
• You may have entered your transponder number incorrectly when you added it to your PayByCar profile.
• There may be a text delay due to cellular network congestion in the area.
• We may be doing system maintenance, which typically occurs for a short period of time between 2am-4am EST. If we are experiencing an unplanned system outage (for example, a power outage in the area), we will send an email to alert all PayByCar members who may be affected.

If none of these reasons apply, contact us so we can help.

The issuing bank of your credit card has declined to authorize a transaction. This may be due to situations such as insufficient funds, an expired card, a security issue on your account, or your card may not be in a supported network (we support VISA, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express only.) Sometimes, if it is the first time you are using PayByCar, your bank, out of an abundance of caution, may decline to authorize it. Please call your credit card customer support number for assistance.

There are two common scenarios for entering the wrong pump number:

• Inactive pump or the pump is already in use: If the pump number you entered is already in use or inactive, you will receive a text message asking you to choose a different pump number.
• Activated the wrong pump: If you activate the wrong pump, you will have to physically go to the pump, remove the nozzle from the holder, and put it back to cancel the transaction.

Please email your request to support@mypaybycar.com. Remember to include both your current and new email address and your default phone number.

Sign in to your account here to access your PayByCar dashboard. From there, select Wallet to access the payment methods on your account.

When you arrive at a participating location, you will get a text reminder if you have not yet added a credit card to your profile. Once you sign in and complete this part of your enrollment, you can proceed with the transaction.

Please note that, for security reasons, your on-arrival text notification expires after 10 minutes. After completing your enrollment, you may need to drive under the RFID reader again to receive a new on-arrival text so that you can make a fuel purchase.

After fueling up and you return the nozzle to the pump cradle, you receive a text and email with link to a digital receipt. You can also access past receipts from your account dashboard.

If you would like to cancel your account, please send the following email:

Email to: support@mypaybycar.com
SUBJECT = delete
BODY = Your mobile phone# that is used to create the PayByCar account.

We will delete your account and send a confirmation email back to you.