First question: does your rental company pay it?
The camera reads the plate, and the toll is applied to the registered owner, which for a hire car is the rental company. eFlow, which runs the toll for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), says many larger rental companies operate a "company pays" model and advises renters to confirm who pays before using any toll road.
That answer decides what you do after passing the gantry:
| Rental arrangement | What happens | What you do | Extra cost to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Company registered with eFlow, for example Avis | Toll billed to the company automatically | Nothing; do not pay on eflow.ie | Avis: €1.23 processing fee per crossing |
| Company adds tolls to your agreement, for example Irish Car Rentals | Toll plus an M50 administration fee added to your booking | Nothing, unless told otherwise | Fee set in the company's charges list |
| Company says the renter must pay | Notice goes to the company if unpaid | Pay by 8pm the next day | None if paid on time |
| Nobody has told you | Risk of paying twice or not at all | Ask at the desk before leaving | — |
Avis Ireland says all its vehicles are registered with eFlow. It charges the €3.80 toll plus a €1.23 processing fee per crossing to the card on file three days after the rental ends. Irish Car Rentals' terms, updated February 2026, add the toll and an M50 Toll Administration Fee to the rental agreement. If the toll notification arrives after you return the car, your card is charged later. Both leave every other Irish toll to the renter, who pays it at the plaza.
How much is the M50 toll in 2026?
TII's 2026 toll notice sets three prices for a car, depending on how the vehicle is registered with eFlow. VAT does not apply.
| How the car is registered | Car toll per passage |
|---|---|
| Electronic tag (on-board unit) | €2.60 |
| eFlow video account | €3.20 |
| Not registered | €3.80 |
A renter paying without an account pays the unregistered rate of €3.80, which is also the toll figure Avis passes on to its customers. The toll applies in both directions, so a return trip through the gantry is two passages.
What happens if you miss an M50 toll payment?
The penalties are set in the M50 toll bye-laws and listed in the same TII notice. The TII tolling FAQ explains the timing.
| Stage | Added | Running total for one car passage |
|---|---|---|
| Paid by 8pm the next day | — | €3.80 |
| Missed: first penalty notice, pay within 14 days | €4.00 | €7.80 |
| Unpaid Toll Notice | €51.00 | €58.80 |
| Final default toll | €128.00 | €186.80 |
After the notices, the case can go to eFlow's solicitors and then to civil or criminal enforcement. TII's payment page states that anyone liable who fails to pay can face a fine of up to €5,000 on summary conviction.
How do you pay the M50 toll in a rental car?
A payment on eflow.ie may be used to clear an older, unpaid journey on the same plate. In a rental car, that could be a previous renter's toll. If the amount looks wrong, stop and call eFlow rather than paying.
Worked example: Dublin Airport to Galway and back
The usual route from the airport to Galway runs south on the M50 through the toll between Junctions 6 and 7, then west on the M4 and M6. That route crosses three tolls each way. Car prices are TII's 2026 figures.
| Toll | How you pay | One way | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| M50, Junctions 6-7 | Camera; Avis bills it with its fee | €3.80 + €1.23 | €10.06 |
| M4 Kilcock-Enfield-Kinnegad | Plaza: cash, card or tag | €3.60 | €7.20 |
| M6 (N6 Galway-Ballinasloe) | Plaza: cash, card or tag | €2.30 | €4.60 |
| Total | €10.93 | €21.86 |
With a company that leaves the M50 toll to you, the return trip costs €19.40 if you pay the M50 part on time. Forget both M50 payments and each grows to €7.80 at the first notice, and to €58.80 if still unpaid, before the company's fee.
For choosing a rental company, insurance and licence rules, see renting a car in Ireland as a visitor. If you are staying in the city first, you may not need the car yet: see Dublin Airport to the city with a Leap Card.