How are Sydney tolls charged to a rental car?
Every Sydney motorway is cashless. The NSW Government's toll road guide says gantries detect either an electronic tag or the number plate. The exits are marked with green signs and a yellow "TOLL" panel. If no tag or pass is linked to the plate, the bill goes to the registered operator. For a rental car, that is the rental company.
This is where visitors lose money. The same NSW page warns that when tolls in a rental car go unpaid, the company redirects the toll notice to you and charges at least A$30 per notice on top of the toll. A week of short motorway hops without any arrangement can add up to several notices, each with its own fee.
In practice, three things decide what you pay:
- The rental company's toll arrangement, which is set in its terms and often cannot be switched off.
- The roads you actually use. A single Harbour Bridge crossing and a trip across WestConnex are billed very differently.
- How many days you drive on toll roads, because several rental fees are charged per day, not per trip.
Which rental companies do what
| Rental company | What happens by default | Cost on top of tolls | Can you arrange your own? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avis, Budget, Europcar, Sixt, Apex | Linkt opens a Linkt Rental Account in your name | A$3.30 for each day you use a toll road | A tag from your own Linkt tag account can go in the car |
| Hertz, Toll Day Pass taken | Unlimited tolls for a flat daily rate | A$18.70 per day for a car collected in NSW | Not needed |
| Hertz, Toll Day Pass declined | Actual tolls invoiced after the rental | A per-rental processing fee | Yes, but Hertz says the usual 24 to 72 hour payment windows do not apply to its cars |
| Any company, no arrangement | Toll notice redirected to you | At least A$30 per notice (NSW Government) | Too late at that point |
The Linkt rental account page explains the default route for Avis, Budget, Europcar, Sixt, Goldcar and Apex. You do nothing at the counter. Linkt creates the account about 3 to 5 days after your first toll trip, sends login details by email or SMS, and charges the card you gave the rental company. The charge shows as "Linkt Sydney". Avis says account creation can take up to 14 days, and that on rentals over 10 days some trips may show on a second statement about 30 days later.
Hertz's Toll Day Pass page lists A$18.70 a day for passenger cars collected in NSW and A$17.00 in Victoria. The rate depends on the state where you pick up the car. Hertz's Australian toll page describes an older setup. Under it, tolls pass through with a 15% administration charge, and a flat A$71.50 fee applies when you opt out without your own tag or pass and still use a toll road. Ask the desk which version is on your rental agreement.
How much do Sydney toll roads cost in 2026?
These are car (Class A) prices from the operators. Most roads are indexed every quarter, so check the Linkt toll calculator before a long drive.
| Road | Car toll | Date of price |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney Harbour Bridge or Tunnel, peak | A$4.55 | From 1 July 2026 |
| Sydney Harbour Bridge or Tunnel, shoulder | A$3.41 | From 1 July 2026 |
| Sydney Harbour Bridge or Tunnel, off-peak | A$2.85 | From 1 July 2026 |
| WestConnex (M4, M8, M5 East, M4-M8 Link), maximum per trip | A$12.74 | From 1 January 2026 |
| M4 Parramatta to Haberfield | A$10.79 | From 1 January 2026 |
| M5 South-West | A$6.06 | From 1 July 2026 |
| Eastern Distributor | A$10.48 | From 1 July 2026 |
| Lane Cove Tunnel | A$4.30 | From 1 July 2026 |
| NorthConnex | A$10.64 | From 1 July 2026 |
| Westlink M7 | A$0.71 to A$10.50 | From 1 July 2026 |
Sources: E-Toll's Harbour Bridge and Tunnel price notice, Linkt's WestConnex price page and Linkt's July 2026 quarterly update.
The Harbour Bridge and Tunnel peak runs 6:30am to 9:30am and 4:00pm to 7:00pm on weekdays. The crossings are currently tolled in one direction only. The NSW Government has announced two-way tolling from late 2028, when the Western Harbour Tunnel opens.
Worked example: airport to the Blue Mountains
Take a five-day rental from Sydney Airport. On day one you drive to Katoomba via WestConnex and the M4, then spend the next days in the mountains and around Parramatta without toll roads. On day five you return the same way. That is two toll days, and each WestConnex trip is charged by distance up to the A$12.74 car cap. If you use the full length both ways, the tolls are about A$25.48.
| How you pay | Toll days | Fees | Estimated total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linkt Rental Account (Avis, Budget, Europcar, Sixt, Apex) | 2 | 2 × A$3.30 = A$6.60 | About A$32.08 |
| Hertz Toll Day Pass, if charged for all 5 rental days | 5 | 5 × A$18.70 | A$93.50, tolls included |
| Hertz Toll Day Pass, if charged only on toll days | 2 | 2 × A$18.70 | A$37.40, tolls included |
| Own Linkt Sydney Pass (if the rental company allows it) | 2 | A$1.50 start-up + 2 × A$0.75 video matching | About A$28.48 |
| No arrangement, notices redirected | 2 | At least 2 × A$30 | At least A$85.48 |
The pass fees come from Linkt's Sydney Pass fee schedule, effective 1 January 2026. The Sydney Pass covers 1 to 30 days of consecutive travel on all Australian toll roads.
The result is plain. For a trip with few toll days, the per-toll-day model is cheap. A flat daily pass pays off only on a trip where you use toll roads heavily every day. That could be a city-based week with daily crossings of the Harbour Bridge, the Eastern Distributor and WestConnex, which can exceed A$18.70 a day. Hertz's page doesn't say whether the pass is charged for every day of the rental, so ask before you sign.
For getting from the terminals into the city without a car, see Sydney Airport to the city centre.
What if you drove a Sydney toll road with no toll arrangement?
For a private car, NSW gives you 72 hours to pay a trip made without a tag or pass before a Toll Payment Demand is issued with a video matching fee added. A temporary pass can be set up up to 3 days after the trip. Trips on the Harbour Bridge and Tunnel are paid through E-Toll (1300 883 114). The Cross City Tunnel, M5, WestConnex, NorthConnex and other Linkt roads are paid through Linkt (13 33 31). The NSW payment page lists both.
Rule changes in 2026 that affect renters
Transport for NSW changed the unpaid toll process for trips from July 2026. E-Toll's summary sets out the new timeline. An Unpaid Toll Reminder goes out 2 to 3 days after travel. A separate Toll Payment Demand is issued from day 8 for each unpaid toll. Fines follow more quickly than before. Toll notice administration fees are being phased out, but video matching fees still apply. From July 2026 the vehicle owner is responsible for the toll whoever was driving, which is why rental companies bill renters directly rather than nominating them.
At the counter: what to check
- The toll line on the rental agreement: automatic Linkt account, flat daily pass, or pass-through tolls with a processing fee.
- Whether a daily toll fee is charged only on days you use a toll road or for every rental day.
- Whether the windscreen has a tag. If you bring your own Linkt tag, tell the desk and remove the tag when you return the car.
- The card the tolls will go to. It should stay open for at least two months after the trip.
If you continue south, Victoria's toll roads work differently. See renting a car and driving in Melbourne.