FASTag: All you need to know about procuring & using it!

[vidyanand]

Originally Posted by sairamboko

I didn't get my cash back since September and also I have been debited wrong fare in one of the toll recently. Raised a support ticket but no use so far.

Hard to reach HDFC FasTag support numbers.
I have incorrect debits and raised support ticket for 3 incidents but no response and new one added.

[VeeTee]

Originally Posted by sairamboko

Does anyone have contacts for escalation with HDFC fastag? I didn't get my cash back since September and also I have been debited wrong fare in one of the toll recently. Raised a support ticket but no use so far.

I faced difficulty in reaching HDFC helpline. After tweeting them, the customer care sent me two numbers (9910410166 & 9910410669). I was able to get my issues sorted out. Try one of these numbers. Unsure why these numbers are not listed on the website

[for_cars1]

Used FasTag extensively during the last 10 days and it has been a smooth and hassle free process.
Big relief from scourging around for change, rolling down window, accumulating a huge pile of toll receipts and carrying cash for Tolls and ending up with Kopiko Toffees instead of change (I actually started liking receiving these after getting used to it )
With the hand-held scanners being used in all the lanes, it is adding to preventing bottlenecks and faster clearing of vehicles.

Only on NH48 just before Nelamangala at Kadabhalli (Kirasave) Toll plaza, ran into a bit of hassle:
- Entered the dedicated FasTag lane and the gate did not rise up.
- The person manning the lane (in Khaki uniform) mentioned that my FastTag is out of balance and invalid.
- I showed him the full PayTM balance and said it should have deducted for sure because I have full balance, to which said, its happening for lot of people today and they all have paid in cash.
- I even told him the display is not showing anything like "invalid toll" and instead displaying "Happy Journey" to which he laughed and said, it shows like that for everyone.
- He insisted (forced) me to pay Rs 40 in cash and went to the adjacent toll lane and got me the receipt. Around the same time, I got the SMS confirmation that the the amount has been deducted on FasTag and asked him to refund the cash paid to which he said "its not my problem, if the gate does not rise up, you have to pay and everyone has been made to pay."
- I could have let it go, but just decided to check it out, parked the car on the left after the toll (to prevent blocking other users) and calmly went to the other lane operator and told him that I have been charged on FasTag (SMS as proof) and forced to pay by cash as well" He immediately refunded the Rs 40 cash paid.

It is apparent that the toll is being charged but the gate is not rising up and I believe the person manning the FasTag lane is aware of the same and unnecessarily harassing the users to pay by cash. So many people would have ended up paying twice at the same toll which is unfortunate.

Thankfully the SMS came instantly on time, often it takes upto a few hours for the sms. Had the SMS not come, I would have had no option but to get charged twice consciously and move on.
Otherwise, it has been a hasslefree experience everywhere else throughout the NH48(75) and NH66. and the operators were co-operative except for this one toll booth.

[arun_josie]

Bangalore - Nagercoil/Kanyakumari - Bangalore.

All the 11 tolls have Fastag option, however at the last 4 tolls towards Nagercoil, its just the hand held device. At Kappalur and Nanguneri toll, they were lazy to go and pick the hand held device, so they let me go without scanning. This happened both ways.

And few tolls have scanners installed in all the lanes, but the toll guys told that it will take another 2 months to activate in all the lanes.

Today, at Krishnagiri toll,



Good part was, all the vehicles in Fastag lane had fastag. So, the queue moved in no time.

[F150]

Hi All,
I have applied for Fastag on ICICI bank website today.Paid Rs 601 and card should be delivered in 20 days as per ICICI bank.
Can the card be used at all Fastag booths irrespective of the bank that issued the card ?

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by F150

Applied for Fastag on ICICI bank website today , paid Rs 601 and card should be delivered in 20 days as per ICICI bank.
Can the card be used at all Fastag booths irrespective of the bank that issued the card ?

Yes, at all NHAI tolls. Here is the list, http://www.nhai.org/ATP.asp

[v_2rahjo]

Ordered a Paytm fastag on 26th dec and got it delivered on 31st dec. Got a Sms from them asking for my car RC to be uploaded on 29th. Really fast process.

Questions - How do I link it to my paytm account?
How do i validate if the card has my correct details?
How do I validate the balance
How do I check of the tag is active?

[naveen.raju]

Originally Posted by v_2rahjo

Questions - How do I link it to my paytm account?
How do i validate if the card has my correct details?
How do I validate the balance
How do I check of the tag is active?

All answers are in your Paytm account.

1) If you already have a Paytm account, you dont need to link it. Rs 150 will be reserved in the Fastag wallet. Just add money to you Paytm account.

2) Under "Your Wallet", you will see your Fastag wallet. In that you will see "Manage Fastags". Click that and you will see your vehicle details and the tag status. It will show active once they have verified your RC.

3) Same as point 2. If you check the passbook.

4) Same as point 2.

[rajesh1868]

Originally Posted by NPV

Thanks for the information.

Instead of depending on tribal knowledge, I think these toll plazas should have signage indicating that all lanes accept fastag, it is very misleading when you find the dedicated lanes blocked off.

I was told this by the operator in the lane next to the blocked dedicated lane last month. And to back myself up for this comment, today on my return to Bangalore I took the extreme right lane but the scanner did not work.
He confirmed that there is a scanner (I saw it too) but it was not functioning. He told other lanes are fine

[vidyanand]

Originally Posted by VeeTee

...the customer care sent me two numbers (9910410166 & 9910410669)....

These are Agency's number for issues related to activation, delivery, etc. of HDFC Fastag. They told they cannot help for any transaction issues. Provided me email (hdfcfastag@hdfcbank.com) for resolving transaction concerns. Will email them and wait to see if they take care.

[TorqueyTechie]

I had to do airport run last evening. I used the fasttag lane and I got a message immediately that I have been charged the toll amount. Though no problem with me being charged but it was a surprise as I was not charged last week when I had went to airport. Guess they fixed the glitch in the new year

[binand]

I now have two Fastags for one of my cars.

I got the RC of the car on 20/12; so the very next day I applied on HDFC Bank online. But since I did not hear from them at all (and having read here that they are quitting the tag business), I applied on PayTM on 22/12. The PayTM tag arrived on 28/12 and I used it for my Kerala trip on the same day. Now when I'm back in Bangalore, I see SMS from HDFC that my tag has been issued etc.

Does HDFC Bank refund the Rs. 300 I paid them? Or should I book a loss here?

[Dry Ice]

Regarding the KYC update to the tag wallets - I understand from the RBI circular that it is trying to classify all wallets under 1) Open 2) Closed 3) Semi-Closed

Under Semi-closed, further classifying as accounts with monthly limit of 10k, yearly 1 lakh.

I guess most of these fast tag accounts can fall into this classification.

Circular about the PPI and compliance - https://rbi.org.in/SCRIPTS/BS_ViewMa....aspx?id=11142

KYC Circular describing the required documents - https://rbi.org.in/Scripts/BS_ViewMa....aspx?id=10292

Excerpt from the above (KYC) circular -

vi. “Officially valid document” (OVD) means the passport, the driving licence, the Permanent Account Number (PAN) Card, the Voter's Identity Card issued by the Election Commission of India, job card issued by NREGA duly signed by an officer of the State Government, letter issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India containing details of name, address and Aadhaar number.

Explanation: Customers, at their option, shall submit one of the six OVDs for proof of identity and proof of address.

Provided that where ‘simplified measures’ are applied for verifying the identity of the customers the following documents shall be deemed to be OVD:

identity card with applicant’s photograph issued by Central/ State Government Departments, Statutory/ Regulatory Authorities, Public Sector Undertakings, Scheduled Commercial Banks, and Public Financial Institutions;

Letter issued by a Gazetted officer, with a duly attested photograph of the person.

Provided further that where ‘simplified measures’ are applied for verifying, for the limited purpose of, proof of address the following additional documents are deemed to be OVDs :

Utility bill, which is not more than two months old, of any service provider (electricity, telephone, post-paid mobile phone, piped gas, water bill);

Property or Municipal Tax receipt;

Bank account or Post Office savings bank account statement;

Pension or family Pension Payment Orders (PPOs) issued to retired employees by Government Departments or Public Sector Undertakings, if they contain the address;

Letter of allotment of accommodation from employer issued by State or Central Government departments, statutory or regulatory bodies, public sector undertakings, scheduled commercial banks, financial institutions and listed companies. Similarly, leave and license agreements with such employers allotting official accommodation; and

Documents issued by Government departments of foreign jurisdictions or letter issued by Foreign Embassy or Mission in India.

Chapter VI
Customer Due Diligence (CDD) Procedure

Part I - CDD Procedure in case of Individuals

16. REs shall obtain the following documents from an individual while establishing an account based relationship:

one certified copy of an OVD as mentioned at Section 3(a)(vi) of Chapter I, containing details of identity and address;

one recent photograph; and

such other documents pertaining to the nature of business or financial status specified by the RE in their KYC policy.

Provided that information collected from customers for the purpose of opening of account shall be treated as confidential and details thereof shall not be divulged for the purpose of cross selling, or for any other purpose without the express permission of the customer.

Explanation: Customers, at their option, shall submit one of the six OVDs for proof of identity and proof of address.

I am wondering which particular section "mandates" linking our Aadhar number with the wallet in these circulars? So far, I have not been able to find any such wording. All it says is furnishing any of the 6 officially valid documents.

[hajaar]

I got my FASTag from Equitas in 3 days. Hassle free and quick service.

[motorguy]

Used my Fastag for the first time on a trip from Bangalore to Chennai on back a few days back.

Seamless experience in that the scanners read the tag flawlessly except for 2 tollgates where they used the manual scanner.

However, at most of the toll gates, there is a person standing (in the sun, unfortunately) to man the barricade where he prevents non-Fastag vehicles from going through. This is quite ridiculous and is contributes to the efficiency of using the Fastag. Moreover, he lets one vehicle pass each time and does not let the previous one pass through, till the the front passes the barricade and moves on.

The whole idea of using Fastag is to speed up the flow, but with this kind of ridiculous methods we are only reducing the efficiency.