Mackinac Bridge to Add Surcharge to Credit and Debit Toll Payments

The Mackinac Bridge Authority has approved fees for credit and debit card transactions.

Starting January 1, the bridge authority will begin to charge a 2.3 percent convenience fee for tolls paid with credit and debit cards as a way to recoup increased costs related to those transactions. According to the authority, those costs totaled more than $341,000 so far this year, with around 12 to 13 percent of all tolls collected were paid with credit and debit cards. The new fee would add about nine cents to a $4 toll for passenger vehicles.

With relatively higher credit card processing fees for American Express, currently at 4.79 percent, the Authority also approved discontinuing acceptance of those credit cards for payment beginning January 1 also.

The Authority also reduced the initial account minimum deposit for MacPass from $80 to $40, and refill deposit minimums from $50 to $20. Those changes are expected to take effect December 1, or as soon as possible.