An ETC card is a smart card used for automatic payment of toll fees charged when driving on Japanese expressways. It enables you to drive through toll gates without bringing your car to a stop. To use an ETC card you not need the card , but also an ETC device to slot it into. Not every rental vehicle is guaranteed to come equipped with an ETC device. Before renting a car, please confirm whether or not it comes equipped with an ETC device. Web-rentacar.com indicates ETC availability using an ETC icon. Vehicles with the ETC sign will come with an ETC device installed.
When renting a car in Japan, customers are generally required to bring their own ETC card. Even when the rental vehicle is equipped with an ETC device, don't expect an ETC card to be included. If you have misplaced or do not have an ETC card, some rental offices are able to provide you with an ETC card on request.
The table below aims to shed some light on the availability of ETC card lending at a few major Japanese rental chains. When borrowing an ETC card, any accumulated toll charges must be settled with the rental office upon return of the vehicle.
If you are web-rentacar.com user and wish to rent an ETC card, please contact us after you have made a reservation online. We will contact a rental car company for you.
| Nissan Rent-a-Car | Borrowing possible at some designated rental offices. |
|---|---|
| See here for details (redirects to the Nissan Rent-A-Car Website) | |
| Times Rent-a-Car | ETC cards cannot be borrowed |
* Given the limited number of ETC cards that a rental office can lend out simultaneously, there is no guarantee that an ETC card will be available.
We have already mentioned that you don't need to stop when going through a toll gate in a car equipped with ETC, but there are other benefits as well.
✓ Because you can pass through an ETC lane that does not require stopping, you can avoid traffic lined up in front of the toll booths!
By avoiding such traffic jams you can save on gasoline and its burden on your wallet.
✓ There are exclusive discounts for ETC card holders only!
Late night discounts and holiday discounts apply exclusively to ETC. The specifics depend on the region.
✓ Receive one consolidated bill alleviating the need to pay for individual transactions.
When paying in cash at the toll booths, you need to make sure to have the required amounts on hand; whereas an ETC card lets you pay by credit card or a lump sum in cash when dropping off your vehicle.
✓ The fixed price Expressway Passes are passes that are only available to foreigners on vacation in Japan. They allow you to make unlimited use of expressways within their designated regions for a set number of days without paying the toll that would otherwise be charged for every kilometer of expressway driven.
Each pass applies to a single major region. E.g., Hokkaido Expressway Pass (HEP), Tohoku Expressway Pass (TEP), and Central Nippon Expressway Pass (CEP).
*If you wish to apply, please notify the Web-rentacar.com Support Center of your request by email after making a booking. We will then contact the rental office on your behalf.
Clearly, an ETC card can be quite convenient. We hope that this information may help you to make effective use of one!
