NHAI clears the air on FASTag rules: No impact on users, seamless toll payments to continue

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has clarified that recent reports regarding changes in FASTag rules—specifically the decline of transactions on tags inactive for more than 60 minutes before and up to 10 minutes after read time—will have no impact on customers.

NHAI clarifies that all National Highway Toll Plazas operate on ICD 2.5 protocol which gives real-time tag status, hence the FASTag customers can recharge any time before crossing the Toll Plaza. This means customers can recharge their FASTag at any time without concern before crossing a toll plaza.

The clarification comes in response to concerns raised after the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) issued Circular No. NPCI/2024-25/NETC/004A, dated 28 January 2025. NHAI emphasized that the circular is intended to facilitate dispute resolution between Acquirer Banks and Issuer Banks regarding FASTag status at toll plazas, ensuring smoother transactions and preventing delayed deductions that could inconvenience users.

However, some toll plazas on State Highways still operate on the older ICD 2.4 protocol, which requires periodic tag status updates. Efforts are underway to upgrade these toll plazas to the latest ICD 2.5 protocol to enhance efficiency and user experience.

NHAI further encouraged FASTag users to link their wallets to UPI, current, or savings accounts with an auto-recharge feature. Additionally, users can continue to recharge their FASTag accounts any time before reaching a toll booth. NHAI said, "Customers can continue to recharge their FASTag any time before reaching the toll, using a variety of payment channels such as UPI, net banking, and more.

With these clarifications, NHAI aims to ensure that FASTag users experience uninterrupted service while travelling on India's highway network.