New FASTag rules: 70-minute gap for balance updates

February 14, 2025 Hot from the Oven Valli Sarvani

FASTag users will need to adhere to stricter transaction guidelines to avoid payment failures at toll booths.

The new rules, issued by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), will take effect on February 17, 2025.

They are designed to enhance toll collection efficiency and minimize delays.

The major changes target vehicles with low FASTag balances, inactive FASTags, and blacklisted tags, which will now face automatic transaction failures.

If a FASTag remains in any of these conditions for more than 60 minutes before reaching a toll booth, the payment will be declined.

Moreover, if a FASTag is inactive for over 10 minutes after being scanned at the toll booth, the transaction will also fail.

There are several reasons a FASTag may be blacklisted, including insufficient balance, pending KYC (Know Your Customer) verification, or discrepancies in vehicle registration and chassis number.

If a transaction is rejected due to these issues, it will return Error Code 176, and the vehicle owner will be charged double the toll fee.

To avoid these problems, users are urged to follow certain preventive measures.

It is crucial to recharge the FASTag at least 70 minutes before approaching a toll booth to allow the system time to update the balance.

Users should also address any blacklist or KYC issues well ahead of their journey. Checking the FASTag status regularly before travelling is recommended to ensure smooth toll payments.

NPCI further warns that last-minute top-ups or removals from the blacklist may not be processed instantly.

This means that waiting until just before reaching a toll booth could result in rejected payments and additional fees.

The verification process will be based on the time when the FASTag is flagged and when it is scanned at the toll plaza.

If more than 60 minutes pass after a tag is flagged or 10 minutes after being scanned, the system will reject the transaction.

These new guidelines emphasize the importance of proper FASTag management to avoid disruptions and additional charges during travel.

Image Credit: Rsrikanth05, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons