FASTag OneTag: Change your bank at home without buying a new sticker, old balance will also be returned; Know how this new portability feature works

There has been a revolutionary change in the toll payment system for crores of drivers traveling on national highways. It was often seen that if a bank’s Fastag wallet faced frequent server errors, problems in KYC updates or poor customer service, the vehicle owner had to scratch off the old sticker from the windshield of the vehicle to change the bank. After this, one had to close the old account and buy a new physical Fastag from the new bank.

To overcome this major problem of the drivers, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has launched a new scheme in collaboration with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). ‘OneTag’ Portability facility has been introduced. Just like you port your SIM to Airtel, Jio or Vi without changing your mobile number, now the RFID sticker on your car’s windshield and its ‘Tag ID’ will remain the same, but the bank (issuer bank) associated with it will change completely.

This new provision of portability is integrated at the NETC network level. The main benefits that the vehicle owner gets in this are as follows:

Once the portability request is completed, the old issuing bank will make the final financial settlement of your previous FASTag account:

• Security Deposit and Balance: If you have a balance of ₹500 or ₹1,000 or a security deposit of ₹200 stuck in your old Fastag wallet, the old bank will transfer the entire amount directly to your linked primary bank savings account or UPI account after all pending toll clearance.

• New beginning in new bank: Your old Fastag sticker will be mapped to the system of the new bank, after which you will be able to initiate a new recharge in the normal way through the new bank’s app, Google Pay, PhonePe or Paytm.

The ‘OneTag’ portability process has been officially implemented by NHAI. ‘Rajmargyatra’ Has been made live in the mobile app. To complete this follow the sequence given below:

1. Login to the app: Install ‘Rajmargyatra App’ on your smartphone and login by entering OTP from the same mobile number which is registered with your existing Fastag.

2. Select OneTag option: New visible on the home screen of the app ‘OneTag’ Tap the icon and ‘Check Portability’ Click on.

3. Enter vehicle number: Click on ‘Get Started’ and enter your vehicle registration number. The system will automatically check whether your tag is portable or not.

4. Verify Details: After cross-checking the existing bank and vehicle information displayed on the screen, click on ‘Proceed’ and give consent by entering the OTP received on the registered number.

5. Select New Bank: Select the bank to which you wish to transfer your FASTag from the list of participating banks connected to the NETC network.

6. Verification and Activation: Your existing physical tag will be successfully linked to the new bank once the clearance and refund request is processed from the old bank.

Please check these terms beforehand to avoid any interruption in the process or application rejection:

• No negative balance: The balance in the existing Fastag wallet should not be in minus. If there is any toll outstanding, do a normal recharge first.

• There should be no pending invoices or disputes: There should not be any pending charge or notice of illegal activity from any toll plaza registered on the vehicle.

• Tags should not be blacklisted or damaged: If the chip of your FASTag is physically broken or blacklisted under ‘One Vehicle, One FASTag’, it will not be ported; In such a situation a new tag will have to be purchased.

• Cooling Period: Once the bank is ported, immediate transfer of the same tag to a third bank will be prohibited for the next few months (cooling-off period).

This facility for more than 13 crore Fastags issued across the country will also promote competition among banks for better customer service and attractive offers.