How is the 407 ETR billed to a Toronto rental car?
Highway 407 ETR is a privately operated, all-electronic toll road across the north of the Greater Toronto Area. It runs 108 km from Burlington in the west to Pickering in the east, according to 407 ETR's 2026 rate announcement. You never stop to pay. Gantries record where you enter and exit.
407 ETR's page for rental drivers sets out the chain:
- Cameras read the plate and record your entry and exit.
- 407 ETR bills the rental company as the vehicle's owner.
- The rental company matches the trip to your contract and bills you under your rental agreement.
Your bill can include the per-kilometre toll, a camera charge for each trip without a transponder, the account fee for plate-based trips and whatever service fee the rental company adds. 407 ETR states that it does not control rental companies' fees.
What the rental company adds
Each company runs its own program, so ask at the counter. Enterprise's Canadian toll FAQ describes TollPass, which covers the 407 ETR:
- C$5.35 per day, charged only on days you incur a toll
- A cap of C$35 per rental for that convenience charge
- The tolls themselves on top
- No option to pay tolls in cash or by card at the branch, and no online payment option; using the 407 enrols you automatically
The only way to avoid Enterprise's charge is to stay off the 407. Other companies use different fees and caps.
How much does the 407 ETR cost per km in 2026?
Rates depend on the direction, the zone, the day and the time you enter, per 407 ETR's light-vehicle rate chart, effective 1 January 2026. A car, van, SUV or small pickup under 5,000 kg counts as a light vehicle. Towing a trailer moves you into the medium class.
The central zones between Highway 427 and Highway 404 cost the most at rush hour. Zones 7, 8 and 9 run from Highway 427 to Highway 400, Highway 400 to Yonge Street and Yonge Street to Highway 404.
| Time you enter (zones 7 to 9) | Westbound | Eastbound |
|---|---|---|
| Weekday 7 a.m. | 108.79¢/km | 112.79¢/km |
| Weekday 10:30 a.m. | 72.82–76.22¢/km | 80.82–82.78¢/km |
| Weekday 3:30 p.m. | 108.79–108.80¢/km | 119.21¢/km |
| Any day from 9 p.m. | 50.56¢/km | 50.56¢/km |
| Weekend 10 a.m. | 78.86–87.27¢/km | 87.27¢/km |
Fees on top of the per-kilometre toll, from the same chart:
| Charge | Without a transponder |
|---|---|
| Trip toll charge | C$1 per trip |
| Camera charge | C$5.30 per trip |
| Account fee | C$5 per month on the bill |
| Unreadable or hidden plate | C$60 per trip |
If the system misses your entry or exit, a flat toll of up to C$13.65 at peak times or C$9.25 off-peak applies, plus the camera charge.
Worked example: Pearson area to Markham
Say you pick up a car near Pearson airport and join the 407 at Highway 427, heading east to Highway 404 for Markham. That stretch is roughly 25 km. This is an estimate from the interchange positions 407 ETR publishes; its toll calculator gives the exact figure for your route.
| Item | Weekday, enter 3:30 p.m. | Any day, enter after 9 p.m. |
|---|---|---|
| 25 km per-km toll | C$29.80 (25 × 119.21¢) | C$12.64 (25 × 50.56¢) |
| Trip toll charge | C$1.00 | C$1.00 |
| Camera charge | C$5.30 | C$5.30 |
| Account fee, once per bill | C$5.00 | C$5.00 |
| Enterprise TollPass, one toll day | C$5.35 | C$5.35 |
| Estimated total | C$46.45 | C$29.29 |
Two points change this estimate. Every extra trip in the rental period adds another C$1 plus C$5.30 but not another account fee. With Enterprise, the C$5.35 is charged on each day you use a toll road until it reaches C$35. Whether your rental company passes on the camera charge and account fee exactly as 407 ETR bills them, or builds them into its own fee, is set by your rental agreement.
Should you drive the 407 or the 401 in Toronto?
Highway 401 runs parallel to the south and has no tolls. The 407's value is time: the operator says its drivers save 20 to 60 minutes on a typical rush-hour trip, citing a report it commissioned from the consultancy Steer. Treat that as the operator's estimate, not a promise for your trip.
| Your situation | Better choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One off-peak trip, flexible schedule | Highway 401 | Saves the C$29.29 off-peak total in the example, and time matters less |
| Weekday rush hour, a flight or meeting to make | 407 ETR | You pay the premium rate, but the time saving counts most then |
| Several 407 days in one rental | 407 ETR, but check the cap | Enterprise's daily fee stops at C$35; the per-trip C$6.30 does not |
| Heading east past Pickering | Either; no toll after Brock Road | Highway 407 from Brock Road to Highway 115 is provincial and has been toll-free since 1 June 2025 |
| Towing a trailer | Check medium-vehicle rates | Higher rates apply |
The toll-free eastern section is confirmed on 407 ETR's rates page, and the Ontario government says it permanently removed tolls from the provincially owned Highway 407 East on 1 June 2025.
What do visitors need to rent a car in Ontario?
Licence and IDP
Ontario lets visitors staying less than 3 months drive on a valid licence from their home province, state or country, according to the Ontario government's visitor page. Visitors from another country staying longer than 3 months need an International Driving Permit, obtained at home before travelling: the province says you cannot apply for one once you are in Ontario. An IDP is only valid together with your home licence, never on its own.
Rental companies set their own document rules on top of the law. Check your company's licence requirements before you book, especially if your licence is in a non-Latin alphabet or is a digital-only licence.
Age
Enterprise's provincial age table sets 21 as the minimum in Ontario. Its under-25 FAQ puts the young renter fee at about C$25 a day on average, varying by branch, and limits drivers aged 21 to 24 to certain vehicle classes.
Insurance
The minimum third-party liability in a standard Ontario auto policy is C$200,000. Collision and comprehensive cover are optional add-ons, according to the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario. The province's visitor page also requires proper insurance for the vehicle you drive. At the counter, ask what liability limit comes with the rate and who pays for damage to the car itself. The rental's damage waiver, your credit card's benefit and your travel insurance each cover different things.
One rule that catches visitors
Holding a phone while driving is illegal in Ontario, even at a red light. The province's distracted-driving page sets a C$615 fine if you settle out of court, up to C$1,000 if you go to court and lose, and a 3-day licence suspension on a first conviction. A phone in a fixed mount is allowed for touching a button to answer or end a call.
If your Canadian trip continues west, see the sibling guide on winter tyres and renting a car in British Columbia, or reaching Banff without a car.