The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has introduced new FASTag balance validation rules, set to take effect on February 17, 2025. The changes aim to streamline and speed up transactions at toll plazas nationwide.
FASTag rules: key changes commuters should know
As per NPCI’s latest circular, FASTag transactions will now be validated based on the time of scanning and the status of the FASTag, including whether it has been hotlisted, marked as low balance, or blacklisted.
FASTags may be blacklisted for various reasons, such as pending KYC updates, insufficient balance, or discrepancies in vehicle registration details. Under the new rules, transactions will be declined if a FASTag is hotlisted or blacklisted within 60 minutes before reaching the toll plaza.
Additionally, NPCI will reject transactions if the account remains inactive for 10 minutes after scanning at the toll booth.
FASTag rules: penalties
FASTag transactions will be declined with the error code 176 if an account doesn’t meet NPCI’s new guidelines.
As a penalty, FASTag account holders will have to pay two times the fee at the toll plaza.
That said, FASTag account holders have a time period of 10 minutes after scanning the RFID at a toll plaza for recharging their FASTag accounts.
Essentially, if users recharge their accounts within a span of 10 minutes after the scan at the toll plaza, they won’t have to pay any penalty. In other words, they will have to pay the standard toll charges only.
What can commuters do to avoid penalties?
FASTag users should ensure that there is sufficient balance in their accounts.
Commuters should also check their FASTag account balance before starting a journey.
FASTag users should also update their KYC details to ensure that their accounts are not blacklisted.