Is it possible to pre-pay for M50 as unregistered user?

CiniO

I don't have any tag or video account for M50, and not intending to get one as I use the road very occasionally.
However I'll need to use it soon, and I was wondering if it's possible to f.e. pay it online before I cross the toll point (f.e. in the morning before I leave)?

PeteK*

Yeah. Just do it online with your car's registration.
You can basically put your registration into credit.

CiniO

Thanks.
Checked website now and it's clear it's possible so all good.

I was confused as last time I checked I couldn't find such option on their website, so they either changed rules or updated the website to more userfriendly
I should have really checked the website first before asking obvious questions

PeteK*

I have the tag and it beeped twice on three occasions when travelling the M50. I knew it was only supposed to beep once but I did the payments online anyway. Turns out after third time (over the space of a month or two) I called and they said I was in credit by three trips.

CiniO

PeteK* wrote: »

I have the tag and it beeped twice on three occasions when travelling the M50. I knew it was only supposed to beep once but I did the payments online anyway. Turns out after third time (over the space of a month or two) I called and they said I was in credit by three trips.

So you're saying - buy a tag and travel for free

PeteK*

CiniO wrote: »

So you're saying - buy a tag and travel for free

No.. sure I was paying twice! :pac:
(But didn't lose out in the end)

Odyssey 2005

Didn't think you could be charged twice within 10/15 mins

PeteK*

My trips were during the summer.. they were days or even weeks apart.
I thought my tag was broken but it was working on the M1 for the same journey.

cml387

CiniO wrote: »

I don't have any tag or video account for M50, and not intending to get one as I use the road very occasionally.
However I'll need to use it soon, and I was wondering if it's possible to f.e. pay it online before I cross the toll point (f.e. in the morning before I leave)?

You don't need a tag, but AFAIK a video account costs nothing but you don't need worry if you have to traverse the M50 unexpectedly, it will just go on the account without penalty if you don't pay immediately

Alun

CiniO wrote: »

I don't have any tag or video account for M50, and not intending to get one as I use the road very occasionally.

Just register for a video account, there are no ongoing costs at all, nothing, nada , zilch, and you only pay for the trips you make.

Yep, video account is the way to go, even for very seldom m50 bridge users.

HeidiHeidi

Alun wrote: »

Just register for a video account, there are no ongoing costs at all, nothing, nada , zilch, and you only pay for the trips you make.

+1

I was a divil for using the toll bridge about three times a year, and without fail forgetting to pay the toll.

Video account takes care of that for the princely sum of - nothing. (except the toll obviously!) And the toll is cheaper than paying manually.

It's a complete no-brainer.

CiniO

Is there no risk with video account, that someone will clone your reg, pass toll bridge several times, and you'll be charged?

HeidiHeidi

CiniO wrote: »

Is there no risk with video account, that someone will clone your reg, pass toll bridge several times, and you'll be charged?

That's a lot of trouble to go to to save about a tenner

If someone is going to clone your reg, they're going to do it anyway, and it'll be for far more nefarious reasons than saving an auld toll or two.

Being serious, I have never heard of this happening, and even if it did I'm sure you could protest/appeal it with eflow, who seem to be very reasonable people going on my (limited) experiences with them to date.

CiniO

CiniO wrote: »

Is there no risk with video account, that someone will clone your reg, pass toll bridge several times, and you'll be charged?

The same risk exists without one, the bills will rack up. With an account if you monitor your outgoings from credit card or current account that feeds the video account you'll spot the issue quicker.

blastman

I'm an occasional user of the M50 bridge (one or two crossings a month max.) and I've had a video account for ages without any issue. The main benefits are

- Toll is 50 cent cheaper per crossing
- I can put both cars plus my mum's on one account at no extra cost
- No setup or admin fees
- No need to worry about forgetting to pay

Even if you only pass through the toll once in your lifetime, you're coming out ahead.

CiniO

Augeo wrote: »

The same risk exists without one, the bills will rack up. With an account if you monitor your outgoings from credit card or current account that feeds the video account you'll spot the issue quicker.

Well not exactly the same, as without video account they will be trying to chase me to pay them up for money when someone crossed bridge few times with my cloned reg, while with video account, I'll have to chase them to return my money.

Marcusm

CiniO wrote: »

Well not exactly the same, as without video account they will be trying to chase me to pay them up for money when someone crossed bridge few times with my cloned reg, while with video account, I'll have to chase them to return my money.

The flip side of this is with a video account you'll likely have an earlier notification of a problem?

Alun

Marcusm wrote: »

The flip side of this is with a video account you'll likely have an earlier notification of a problem?

This ^^ You can easily check your account online, and if there has been any misuse you'll see it immediately, along with the exact date, time and direction of travel. I've had mine for several years now and not had any trouble with it at all.

HeidiHeidi

CiniO wrote: »

Well not exactly the same, as without video account they will be trying to chase me to pay them up for money when someone crossed bridge few times with my cloned reg, while with video account, I'll have to chase them to return my money.

I have to say, of all the reasons not to set up a video account (can't be bothered, too much technology involved, keep forgetting - that kind of thing), fear of someone cloning your reg is the most bizarre one I can think of.

What's the chances, like?

And as others have pointed out, they can clone your reg anyway, and a video account would surely be the least of your problems in the unlikely event of it happening.

CiniO

Alun wrote: »

This ^^ You can easily check your account online, and if there has been any misuse you'll see it immediately, along with the exact date, time and direction of travel. I've had mine for several years now and not had any trouble with it at all.

Is there an option on video account to have notifications by email every time you cross the toll?

Because if not, I hardly can see myself logging in every 2 days to check if someone didn't clone my reg and crossed the toll.
While penalty letter usually arrives within less than a week of crossing and not paying - at least from my experience

Alun

CiniO wrote: »

Is there an option on video account to have notifications by email every time you cross the toll?

Because if not, I hardly can see myself logging in every 2 days to check if someone didn't clone my reg and crossed the toll.
While penalty letter usually arrives within less than a week of crossing and not paying - at least from my experience

No there isn't, but seriously, do you think cloning of car regs is that much of a problem that it makes sense to make life more difficult (and expensive) for yourself? If nobody has cloned your reg so far, you registering for a video account won't make it any more likely to happen.

0lddog

Can tolls be paid from mobile phone credit ( like the way parking can ) ?

CiniO

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

That's a lot of trouble to go to to save about a tenner

If someone is going to clone your reg, they're going to do it anyway, and it'll be for far more nefarious reasons than saving an auld toll or two.

Being serious, I have never heard of this happening, and even if it did I'm sure you could protest/appeal it with eflow, who seem to be very reasonable people going on my (limited) experiences with them to date.

Augeo wrote: »

The same risk exists without one, the bills will rack up. With an account if you monitor your outgoings from credit card or current account that feeds the video account you'll spot the issue quicker.

blastman wrote: »

I'm an occasional user of the M50 bridge (one or two crossings a month max.) and I've had a video account for ages without any issue. The main benefits are

- Toll is 50 cent cheaper per crossing
- I can put both cars plus my mum's on one account at no extra cost
- No setup or admin fees
- No need to worry about forgetting to pay

Even if you only pass through the toll once in your lifetime, you're coming out ahead.

Marcusm wrote: »

The flip side of this is with a video account you'll likely have an earlier notification of a problem?

Alun wrote: »

This ^^ You can easily check your account online, and if there has been any misuse you'll see it immediately, along with the exact date, time and direction of travel. I've had mine for several years now and not had any trouble with it at all.

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

I have to say, of all the reasons not to set up a video account (can't be bothered, too much technology involved, keep forgetting - that kind of thing), fear of someone cloning your reg is the most bizarre one I can think of.

What's the chances, like?

And as others have pointed out, they can clone your reg anyway, and a video account would surely be the least of your problems in the unlikely event of it happening.

Alun wrote: »

No there isn't, but seriously, do you think cloning of car regs is that much of a problem that it makes sense to make life more difficult (and expensive) for yourself? If nobody has cloned your reg so far, you registering for a video account won't make it any more likely to happen.

0lddog wrote: »

Can tolls be paid from mobile phone credit ( like the way parking can ) ?

All right, all right.
You convinced me.
I signed up for video account few minutes ago.

Alun

CiniO wrote: »

All right, all right.
You convinced me.
I signed up for video account few minutes ago.

Yay!!!

What's your car reg by the way? I need to get some new plates made pretty quickly ...