What is FASTag? How to Check FASTag Balance Online

What is FASTag? How to Check FASTag Balance Online: To reduce the long waiting queue of vehicles and traffic jam at toll plazas on National Highways for the payment of toll taxes, the Government of India has introduced a digital service called FASTag, using which you can pay the toll fee at toll booths easily. There is no need to stop your vehicle at toll booths to make payments.

FASTag is made mandatory by the government for all private and commercial vehicle w.e.f February 15, 2021. FASTag is a device that is affixed on the windscreen of your vehicle and when you pass across the toll booth, sensors at toll plaza will automatically scan the FASTag of your vehicle, and toll payment is deducted from your linked wallet or account.

So, in this article you get to know about FAStag, its function, how to get FASTag and what are the different ways through which you can check FASTag balance online because if you don’t have have sufficient balance in your FASTag account, they you may have to pay more charges at the toll plaza.

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What is FASTag?

FASTag is a electronic device that is based on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology used to pay toll taxes at toll plaza/booth automatically as the vehicle passes through the toll booths. FASTag (RFID Tag) is affixed on the windscreen or side glass of the vehicle that enables the customer to make toll payments directly from their account which is linked to FASTag.

So there is no need to stop at toll booths to make toll payments which also saves fuel and time as you don’t have to stop at the toll plaza.

FASTag is introduced by National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and Ministry of Road Transport and Highway in order to make the toll collection system automatic and to reduce jam at the toll plaza. FASTag has been made mandatory for all the vehicles in India w.e.f February 15, 2021.

FASTag has a validity of 5 years from the date of purchase. Only you have to recharge your FASTag wallet or maintain sufficient balance as per your requirement in your FASTag account in order to make payment automatically in the toll plaza as your vehicle passes through it.

FASTag is also vehicle specific and once it is affixed to a vehicle, it cannot be transferred to another vehicle.

How To Get FASTag?

There are many different ways through which you can buy FASTag for your vehicle. FASTag can be bought from Point of Sales (PoS) locations at toll plaza, My FASTag App, FASTag portal, NETC member banks, Paytm and Airtel Payments Bank, Road Transport Authority offices or any other distribution agencies.

You can also purchase FASTag online by applying at one of the respective issuer bank’s websites or by visiting the official www.nhai.gov.in website.

You can apply for SBI FASTag, HDFC FASTag, ICICI FASTag, or FASTag of any other bank online simply by visiting their respective official websites or offline by visiting the branch.

After purchasing of FASTag, this will be linked with your UPI or bank account in order to make automatic payment at the toll plazas. And if your are using any FASTag wallet, then you have to recharge your wallet in order to make toll payment.

Also remember that once FASTag is activated from one bank, it cannot be used with the account of another bank.

FASTag NETC Member Bank List

SBI
HDFC
ICICI
Axis Bank
IDFC bank
Karur Vyasa Bank
EQUITAS Small Finance Bank
Paytm Payments Bank Ltd
Kotak Mahindra Bank
Syndicate Bank
Federal Bank
South Indian Bank
Punjab National Bank
Punjab & Maharashtra Co-op Bank
Saraswat Bank
Fino Payments Bank
City Union Bank
Bank of Baroda
Indusind Bank
Yes Bank
Union Bank
Nagpur Nagarik Sahakari Bank Ltd

Methods to Check FASTag Balance

There are many different online and offline methods through which you check your FASTag account balance easily. It is very necessary to know your FASTag balance as low on FASTag account can get you in trouble.`

Once your FASTag is linked to the prepaid wallet or account, then you have to recharge your wallet as per your requirement. If adequate balance is not maintained by the user, then there is chance that your FASTag will be blacklisted at the toll plaza.

In such a case if you are travelling through a toll booth without recharging or having sufficient balance in your FASTag account, then you won’t be able to avail the NETC online services and have to pay double charge of toll fare through cash.

So lets know what are the ways through which you can check FASTag account balance.

1. Check FASTag Balance on Website

FASTag balance can be checked by visiting the official website of your respective bank. Every bank has its own FASTag portal where users can log in to check their FASTag account balance. The login process may be slightly different for every bank, but the process to check the balance is same everywhere. But before log in to check the balance, users have to register themselves as a retail customer with the respective bank.

FASTag account balance and details can be checked and accessed by 13 Indian banks. Also you can apply for FASTag and recharge your account balance using their services.

Steps to check FASTag balance through Website:

Step 1: Visit your respective bank website.

Step 2: Now log in to the FASTag portal.

Step 3: Then click on View Balance option displayed on the screen.

2. Check FASTag Balance Through SMS

This is one of the easiest way to check your FASTag account balance.

Every time you pay toll taxes from your FASTag account, your balance gets deducted and a SMS is sent your registered mobile number. This message contains all the necessary information like the deducted amount, account balance after deduction, toll payment details, etc. Also you will also get notifications, if your FASTag account balance is low.

Through this SMS, you can know about your account balance easily. The only thing to do is to check for the last message that you received about FASTag deduction.

3. Check FASTag Balance on Mobile App

The another method of checking the FASTag account balance is by using My FASTag App. All you have do is to download My FASTag App from the Google play store.

Using the app, you can FASTag status of of vehicle, recharge FASTag account through UPI, FASTag wallet or bank portal. You can also buy FASTag online through this app.

This app is linked with NHAI Prepaid wallet, with the help of which you can pay toll taxes easily.

Steps to check FASTag account balance using MY FASTag App:

Step 1: Download and install My FASTag app from google play store. This app is compatible with both Android and iOS.

Step 2: Now go to NHAI FASTag wallet. If you don’t have wallet, then click on Create FASTag Wallet to create one.

Step 3: Upon clicking on Wallet, you will be redirected to a login page, where you have to enter your registered mobile number with password and captcha.

Step 4: Once entered, you will be able to see your FASTag account balance along with other details.

4. Check FASTag Balance Through Customer Care Helpline

You can check your FASTag account balance just by giving a missed call to the customer care helpline number from your registered mobile number.

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), has introduced a ‘Missed Call Alert Facility‘ for the users, so that they can check their FASTag account balance just by giving a missed call to the customer care toll free number – “+91 88843 33331”. This service is available 24×7.

This facility is only available to those who have registered their mobile number with the NHAI prepaid wallet. Upon missed call, you will receive a SMS regarding your current FASTag account balance. Also if you have linked more than one vehicle with the NHAI prepaid wallet, then the SMS will show the cumulative FASTag balance for all the registered vehicles.

Users who doesn’t linked their phone number with NHAI wallet or have registered their FASTag with any other wallet will not be able to avail this facility.

Also if your are an ICICI bank FASTag customer, then you can check your FAStag balance by simply sending a SMS as <ETCBAL Vehicle Registration Number> or by giving a missed call on “801092888” from your registered mobile number.

And if your are a HDFC bank FASTag customer, then you can check FASTag balance by giving a missed call on “720 805 3999” or by calling on bank customer care number “1800-120-1243” from your registered mobile number.

5. Check FASTag Balance with Paytm Wallet

If you have linked your FASTag account with Paytm, and have purchased FASTag online using Paytm Mall, then you can also check your FASTag account balance easily.

In order to check the FASTag balance, you have to log in to your Paytm wallet. In this case, your Paytm wallet balance will act as your FASTag balance itself because you have linked your Paytm wallet and FASTag account.

So every time you pay toll fee, the money will be deducted from your Paytm wallet. Also you can recharge you wallet using Debit/Credit cards, net banking, UPI, etc.

How to Recharge FASTag?

If your FASTag is linked with your bank’s saving account, there there is no need to recharge as the transactions are automatic. Whenever your vehicle crosses the toll plaza, the FASTag attached to your vehicle will get scanned by the toll booth sensors, and toll payment will be automatically deducted from your account and you will get a SMS alert on your registered mobile number regarding the deduction.

However, if your FASTag is linked with any prepaid account like wallet or credit card, then you have to recharge your FASTag account to make toll payment. This can be done by the following methods:

Payment through Cheque
Payment through Debit/Credit Card or Internet banking
Using UPI such as Phone Pe, Google Pay, Paytm, etc.

Steps to Recharge FAStag:

Step 1: Login to My FASTag App and look for FASTag Recharge option.

Step 2: Then select the issuing bank

Step 3: Now enter your vehicle registration number.

Step 4: After that proceed to enter the recharge amount and complete the payment.

NOTE: A maximum of ₹1 lakh is permissible as FASTag recharge (only for full KYC accounts). The same is ₹20,000 for limited KYC accounts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Where can I buy a FASTag?

FASTag can be bought from Point of Sales (PoS) locations at toll plaza, My FASTag App, FASTag portal, NETC member banks, Paytm and Airtel Payments Bank, Road Transport Authority offices or any other distribution agencies.
You can also purchase FASTag online by applying at one of the respective issuer bank’s websites or by visiting the official www.nhai.gov.in website.

Q2. How long is a FASTag valid?

FASTag is valid for a period of 5 years from the date of purchase.

Q3. What happens to a FASTag if I sell or transfer my car?

It is always recommended that you should inform the issuing authority of the FASTag about the sale or transfer of your vehicle. This will allow the authority to close your account.

Q4. How to check FASTag status?

Go to FASTag portal: https://www.npci.org.in/what-we-do/netc-fastag/check-your-netc-fastag-status, where you can check your FASTag status. This will tell you whether your FASTag chip is active or not.

Q5. How Much Does FASTag Cost?

Issuance cost of FASTag (One Time) is about Rs. 100 including GST. Also its reissuance cost is around Rs. 100 (includes GST). Your issuer agency, bank, or mobile wallet can ask you to deposit a minimum security amount at the time of FASTag purchase, which is refundable and varies for each vehicle.

Q6. Do I need to apply for a new FASTag if I moved to another city?

No, you will not be required to buy a new FASTag if you move to a different city or state. FASTags are designed to work across the country in all the toll plazas which are designed for it.

Q7. Is FASTag mandatory?

Yes, FASTag is mandatory for all vehicles in India from February 15, 2021.

Q8. Is there a minimum recharge limit for FASTag?

Yes, the minimum recharge limit for FASTag is ₹100.

Q9. How long will it take to get a FASTag?

It usually takes 10 to 15 days to receive a FASTag for your vehicle.