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Frequently Asked Questions

These FAQs are split into four sections to make it easier for you to find the information that you are looking for:

General Queries about the M50 Barrier Free Toll

Registered Customer queries and account information

Unregistered Toll users

Data Protection

How to pay for a trip on the M50?

Payment for the M50 Barrier Free Toll can be made in any of the 3 following ways:

Online at www.eflow.ie, select 'Pay a Toll as Unregistered' if paying on time or 'Pay a Penalty' if you have received a penalty notice number.
At any participating Payzone equipped retail outlet (see www.payzone.ie for a list of outlets near you).

Phone us on LoCall: 1890 50 10 50 from the Republic of Ireland, 0845 30 15 405 from the UK and Northern Ireland or +800 50 10 50 11 from any other country.

Always get a receipt or a receipt number for payments that you make.

What to do if you have passed through the M50 toll but not received a letter

When using the M50 toll road, payment should be made before 8:00pm the following day to avoid an additional charge of €3.00 being applied to the original toll. If you miss the 8:00pm next-day deadline, a "First Penalty Notice" will be issued to you by post and the "Journey Reference Number" must be used when making the penalty payment.

Even if you have not yet received the notice by post, payment can be made by contacting our call centre. Our contact details can be found under the “Contact Us “section.

You have received a letter but you were not on the M50 toll road at the time

On rare occasions notice letters can be issued to customers who have not made journeys on the M50. While our system uses the best number plate reading technology in the world, with an overall accuracy rate close to 100%, no system can achieve perfect readings under all conditions. Occasionally our cameras can misread the license plate numbers on vehicles for a variety of reasons. For example, if a plate has been deliberately altered / covered or the other vehicle has a broken, dirty or non-standard number plate. On these occasions we would advise that you contact our call centre by phone or by web query and one of our agents will review the image and cancel the notice accordingly.

What to do if you get a letter but you have a tag from another provider

The reason why your tag is not detected by eFlow is most likely due to an incorrect licence plate being associated with your tag or an incorrectly mounted tag. If your tag is mounted correctly please make sure that it has not been reported as lost / stolen / damaged. Also, please ensure that your account has sufficient credit available to cover the toll charges.

In order to transfer all unpaid eFlow tolls to your tag account please visit our website and complete our "Notice Cancellation" form. This option is located within the menu on the left hand side of our home page. Please choose 'Registered User Cancellation' and then you will be required to enter the following information:

Notice Number(s)
Name of Company which provided the Tag
Tag Account Number
Contact Telephone
Contact Email
Tag Number
Vehicle Licence Plate Number

This will enable us to check your details with your tag provider and transfer all outstanding toll charges to your existing tag account. In order to avoid receiving future penalty notices, please make sure your tag is valid and installed correctly in the vehicle registered with the tag.

Types of Registered accounts with eFlow

Tag	Video
Prepaid/ Postpaid	Prepaid/ Postpaid
Cover on M50 and all other toll roads in IRL	Cover on M50 only
Monthly fee per tag of €1.23	No Monthly fees
Monthly statements provided with list of transactions	Monthly statements provided with list of transactions
Up to 6 Vehicles can be added to a personal account	Up to 6 Vehicles can be added to a personal account

Registering for a tag account: costs €2.10 per trip (for a standard car) plus an account management fee of €1.23 per month per tag. There is no purchase price charge with the eFlow tag. Defective tags will be replaced, but there is a replacement charge of €24.60 for lost, damaged or stolen tags. Please note that the €1.23 management fee will be charged each month even if no trips are made. And the tag will need to be returned if you want to close the account or if requested by eFlow.

Registering for a video account: costs €2.60 per trip (for a standard car) and there is no account management fee.

Payment options on Tag or Video:

Pre-paid account (tag or video):

Visa /MasterCard / Laser
Direct Debit from a current account held in banks in the Republic of Ireland

Toll charges are automatically deducted from your account credit each time you make a journey on the tolled section of the M50. The initial start up credit for a Pre-paid account is €40. You must ensure that there are sufficient funds available from your chosen payment method to allow eFlow to top-up your account when required. We will automatically credit your account with your agreed top-up amount once the account reaches the low balance threshold of €12.00.

Post-paid account (tag or video):

Visa / MasterCard / Laser
Direct Debit from a current account held in banks in the Republic of Ireland

If you choose a post-paid account, the toll charges will accumulate on your account each time you make a journey on the tolled section of the M50. A monthly invoice is issued and your balance due is automatically charged from your payment method.

Account Set Up

eFlow accounts can be set up online or by phone.

You will need your full vehicle details and a valid payment method to complete the registration.

If you have any queries please contact us on LoCall: 1890 50 10 50 from the Republic of Ireland, 0845 30 15 405 from the UK and Northern Ireland or +800 50 10 50 11 from any other country.

What to do if you have sold your vehicle

Selling your car, your obligations.*

If you sell or trade-in your car, you are obliged to update the vehicle owner details on the National Vehicle and Driver File (NVDF). If the vehicle continues to remain in your name, you will be legally liable for any charges including, motor tax, toll charges and any penalties which may be incurred for any traffic violations (e.g. parking fines).

The law requires that all changes of vehicle ownership must be notified to the Department of Transport and the changes recorded on the National Vehicle and Driver File (NVDF). There are legal obligations on both the sellers and buyers of vehicles to comply with the procedures for notification of vehicle ownership and there are penalties, upon conviction, for non compliance.

For further information please download the information leaflet provided by the National Roads Authority and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.

*If you sell your vehicle to a motor dealer, you have to complete a FormRF105 (pdf) which is also made available to you from the motor dealer.

**If you are unregistered (registered customers must update their details online) and your address has been changed, the Driver and Vehicle Computer Services Division (DVCSD) should be notified for the vehicle ownership records to be updated. Once this has updated on their system, ours will update automatically.

Please contact the DVCSD by phone: 1890 20 20 21 or 01 888 2000

If your vehicle is registered in Northern Ireland, please contact the DVLNI

What to do if your postal address has changed

If you have changed your postal address, please contact the Driver and Vehicle Computer Services Division (DVCSD) by phone at: 1890 20 20 21 or 01 888 2000 to update your postal details.
If your vehicle is registered in Northern Ireland, please contact the DVLNI
If you have changed your postal address and you are an eFlow registered customer, your new postal address must be updated with a) the DVCSD and b) your eFlow account details. You can update your eFlow account details via our website.

Where is the M50 Toll road located?

The M50 toll point is located on the M50 motorway ring road between junction 6 (N3 road to Blanchardstown, Navan & Cavan) and junction 7 (N4 to Lucan, Athlone, Galway).

There are many signs in the area, on the roadside, on the overhead gantry, and the word "Toll" painted in white on the road surface itself.

Please click on M50 Map on the top right of the screen.

What to do if you received a letter from Pierse Fitzgibbon solicitors or Euro Parking Collections

When using the M50 toll road we request payment before 8:00pm the following day, failure to do so will incur an extra penalty charge of €3.00.

There is a time period of 14 days to pay these charges, after this time allowance an extra late penalty of €41.00 is charged. Failure to pay the full amount due within a further 56 days will result in an additional €102.50 penalty. If you still have not paid the total amount due, legal proceedings will be initiated. If a toll remains unpaid beyond the full time period, then it will be passed to the National Roads Authority solicitors, Pierse Fitzgibbon. If they contact you in relation to a toll by letter, then you must contact them as eFlow will not be in a position to assist you with this toll.

Please contact them on the details below to discuss the status of any unpaid journey:

Phone from Republic of Ireland:	0818 313 100

International:	00 353 68 50967

Website:	www.pierse.ie

Please be sure to forward all relevant information regarding the journey(s) in question to them as eFlow are not in a position to handle these particular cases.

If you have received a letter from Euro Parking Collections, please refer to www.epcplc.com/notice.php for further information.

Does the operation of the eFlow barrier-free tolling system breach my data protection rights?

The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner engaged in extensive interactions with the National Roads Authority in relation to the barrier-free tolling system. The operation of the system involves access by a private entity (BetEire Flow Ltd.) to official vehicle ownership data but an appropriate legislative basis exists for such access (under the provisions of the relevant Roads Acts). BetEire FLOW Ltd. is acting under the aegis of the National Roads Authority in the operation of the system and, subject to contracts between the two entities, it would be entitled to access the information in certain limited circumstances.

Which vehicles are exempt from the M50 toll?

If your vehicle is modified for disabled use you are exempt from paying road tax, this also applies to paying tolls.

If you have registered with the DVCSD (Driver & Vehicle Computer Services Division) in Shannon (formerly known as the VRU, Vehicle Registration Unit), the link we use to their database will automatically confirm this. When passing under the eFlow gantry on the M50, the video system will record images of your car and number plate. We will then use these details to confirm if your vehicle is exempt from paying the toll. The following classes of vehicles are also exempt from the M50 toll:

Motor cycles
Fingal County Council Vehicles
Army Vehicles
Vehicles modified for disabled use
Garda and Ambulance Service Vehicles
Vehicles performing maintenance on the M50

How to prove your vehicle is exempt

Republic of Ireland Registered Vehicle

If your vehicle is modified for disabled use you are exempt from paying road tax, this also applies to paying tolls. If you have registered with the DVCSD (Driver & Vehicle Computer Services Division) in Shannon (formerly known as the VRU, Vehicle Registration Unit), the link we use to their database will automatically confirm this. When passing under the eFlow gantry on the M50, the video system will record images of your car and number plate. We will then use these details to confirm if your vehicle is exempt from paying the toll. Vehicle Registered in Northern Ireland If your vehicle is registered in Northern Ireland, then you will need to provide proof to eFlow that your vehicle is disabled modified. Required documentation:

Proof that the vehicle is disabled modified
- Example – Engineer’s report from Mobility Ireland
Proof that the driver is a disabled person like:
- driving licence
- special parking permit for disabled people
- permit from another tag operator

What are the differences between Video and Tag accounts?

Customers have 2 options when registering for an eFlow account

The video account is exclusive to the M50 due to the vehicle recognition technology in place. Therefore, you will have to stop at the barrier and pay at all other toll roads. There is no monthly administration fee associated with the video account and any journeys made are charged at a reduced rate; for example, a video account customer with a car will pay €2.60 for every trip.

All customers who register for a tag account avail of interoperability. Interoperability means that the eFlow tag, similar to other branded tags approved by the NRA (National Roads Authority) e.g. easytrip (formerly known as EazyPass & eTrip) will be accepted on all toll roads within Ireland. The other toll roads are not barrier-free, but, using the eFlow tag on these roads will speed your passage through the toll plaza.

A tag will be automatically ordered for each vehicle registered to the account and will be linked to the licence plate number. You will receive your tag by regular mail. Each tag will be subject to a €1.23 (including VAT) monthly management fee but M50 toll charges will be charged at a further discounted rate (a tag account customer with a car will pay a toll charge of €2.10 for every trip).

You may register online at www.eflow.ie or by phone on the numbers provided below where an agent will be able to assist you.

Pre-paid account or post-paid account?

The following payment options are available for registered accounts;

Pre-paid
Post-paid

Customers who choose to register for a pre-paid eFlow tag account or video account will need to pay a start-up credit of €40. This is not a purchase fee, but is an initial pre-payment credit. Your tolls will automatically be deducted from your account credit each time you pass through the toll points. eFlow's systems will automatically credit your pre-paid account with the agreed top-up amount once your account reaches the agreed low balance threshold, which is currently €12. Pre-paid account holders must ensure that there are sufficient funds available from their chosen payment method to allow eFlow to top up the account when required.

If you choose a post-pay account, the toll charges will be incurred on the account every time you make a trip. A monthly invoice is issued and you are automatically charged by the payment method specified. The balance at the end of each month will be debited from your chosen payment method in the following month.

I want to change from a Video to a Tag Account, or vice versa

You may change your account type from a Video account to a Tag account if you would like to do so. However, this facility is not available on our website and can only be done by calling us.

A tag will be automatically ordered for each vehicle registered to the account and will be linked to the licence plate number. You will receive your tag by regular mail. Each tag will be subject to a €1.23 (including VAT) monthly management fee but M50 toll charges will be charged at a further discounted rate (from €2.10 including VAT). The account number allocated to your new tag account will remain the same as your video account.

Please note that it is not possible to change from a Tag account to a Video account. You would have to close your existing tag account and open a separate video account.

Updating your eFlow account with new credit/Visa Debit/Laser card details

If you have received a new card number*, or a new expiry date on your existing card, your online eFlow account details must also be updated with the new card information.

Simply:

Log into your account
If you have received a credit/Visa Debit/Laser card, with a NEW card number, please use the ‘Add New Card’ functionality within the 'Payment Method' section.
If you have received a new card, but only the EXPIRY DATE has changed, please use the ‘Update Card’ functionality within the 'Payment Method' section.

* Please be aware that many of our customers have recently received a new Visa Debit card. The banks aim to switch their customers from Laser card to Visa Debit card in the coming months. Please contact your banking service provider directly for more information.

How to access your registered eFlow account online? (for accounts setup via phone)

In order to access your new account online you will need to set up your new User ID and password. To web enable your account, open our website home page and click on 'My Account' (from the menu on the left of the page). Then select the link in the centre of the page for 'Web-enable account'.

You are required to enter your account details for verification; you will be requested to enter your eFlow account number and your surname. You will be prompted to choose a User ID (with alphanumeric characters) and a password (6-20 alphanumeric characters). A secret question and answer are also required, for the purpose of resetting a forgotten password. Remember to take note of these details and keep them in a safe place.

If you have chosen 'Email' as your preferred method of correspondence, you will also be required to enter and confirm your email address. Tick the box and then click 'Accept & Submit'. An automatic email will then be sent to you containing a link to verify your email address.

If you have web-enabled your account, you will need your User ID and password to access your account. If you have forgotten your User ID, you will need to contact by phone in order for us to assist you.

For security reasons, we do not hold passwords in visible files. If you have forgotten your password, go to the home page of our website and click on 'My Account' (from the menu on the left of the page). Then select the link in the centre of the page for 'Log into your account'.

Enter your User ID and click on "Forgotten Password". You will need to enter your email address (this must be the email address listed on your account) and one of the vehicle licence plate numbers (without any spaces or other punctuation) that is registered on your eFlow account. You will be prompted to answer your security question and then the password reset instructions will be sent to your email address. Remember that passwords are case sensitive while User IDs are not.

How to give someone else access to your registered account

In order to add an authorised contact to your registered account, you would need to contact us by telephone or in writing. Please note that any correspondence requesting an authorised contact be added to your account must contain your signature.

Once an authorised contact has been added to your account, we may discuss all aspects of your account with this contact. However, an authorised contact may not close your account or add another person as an authorised contact.

Will my Tag work on other toll roads?

The eFlow tag is accepted on all toll roads within the Republic of Ireland once your tag has been received and is placed in the correct position in your vehicle.

All existing toll tags provided by approved suppliers are accepted on all toll roads, including the M50. This is called "interoperability".This means that if you already have a tag from an approved supplier by the National Roads Authority (NRA) your tag will work on all toll roads.

To ensure that your existing tag is detected through the eFlow gantry, make sure that you install your tag correctly on your vehicle's windscreen. Please contact your supplier for instructions. If your tag is not positioned correctly it will not be detected by eFlow, and you will be charged the toll as an unregistered customer, which requires payment before 8PM the following day.

Note: New tags will work immediately on the M50 toll road; however it can take up to four working days from the issue date on the letter you received with your eFlow tag to become active on other toll roads. The eFlow tag is accepted on all toll roads within the Republic of Ireland. These are:

N8 Rathcormac/ Fermoy Bypass
M1 Motorway (Gormanston to Monasterboice)
M4 Kilcock – Enfield – Kinnegad Motorway
East Link Toll Bridge
Dublin Port Tunnel
N25 Waterford
N6 Galway – Ballinas M7/M8 Motorway (Portlaoise Castletown / Cullahill)
Limerick Tunnel
M3 Clonee-Kells (Clonee-Dunshaughlin)
M3 Clonee-Kells (Navan-Kells)

How to reassign your Tag to another vehicle

Changing the vehicle on your tag account but keeping the same tag involves reassigning your tag from your old vehicle to your new vehicle this is called “Tag Reassignment”.

Tag Reassignments cannot be done online; you must contact us by phone in order to do this.

There is no limit to the amount of times that your tag can be reassigned, however tags can only be reassigned to other vehicles that are of the same Motor Tax class.

Tags are not transferable from one vehicle to another unless they are reassigned. Because of the technology used, especially vehicle identification by automated image recognition, each tag is associated with only one specific vehicle at a time.

As tag reassignment is only available by contacting us by telephone, if a vehicle is removed online, the tag associated with the removed vehicle becomes inactive and must be returned to eFlow within 14 working days. Failure to return a tag within the required time frame will result in a €24.60 charge being applied to your account for non return of tag. (See to point 15.2 of eFlow Terms & Conditions).

My Tag does not work on other toll roads

If your tag is not working on other toll roads in Ireland then it is possible that any of the following may have happened:

Your account with eFlow has gone into suspension for non-payment. Find out more
The tag is not yet active. Please note, you are not required to manually activate your tag as it is automatically activated four working days from the issue date on the letter accompanying your new tag.
If the vehicle was removed from the account, your unwanted tag needs to be returned. Find out more
If your eFlow tag is defective, please contact us to resolve.

I need to send my Tag back to eFlow

As the tag remains the property of the National Roads Authority (NRA.) any tags on an account must be returned to eFlow if the tag is being replaced, or the account being closed or the vehicle the tag is assigned to is removed from the account.

Please note the tag must be returned to eFlow at anytime if requested.

Please post any tags back to eFlow, PO Box 11302, Dublin 17.

How to position your Tag in your vehicle

In a car, the eFlow tag should be positioned internally, high up and centred on the windscreen, preferably behind the rear view mirror (if the mirror is centred).

Clean and dry the area of the windscreen where the tag will be installed. Remove the protective cover from the adhesive. Then fix the holder on the windscreen.

Where a vehicle has an athermic (UV coated) windscreen, install the holder on the black dots. Push firmly with your thumb for 5 seconds.

The tag is then fixed in a horizontal position in the holder.

Do I need to activate my eFlow Tag

There is no need to activate your new tag as it will work immediately on the M50 toll road. However please be aware that it can take up to four working days from the issue date on the letter you received with your eFlow tag to become active on other toll roads.

What to do if your account has been suspended and what this means

Any failed payment attempts result in the temporary suspension of a registered account and any journeys a customer may make will be processed as unregistered customer journeys until the next successful payment is processed on their registered account. This can cause unnecessary penalties being applied to unpaid tolls and can cause disruption at other tolling points around the country.

Should this happen, please contact eFlow Customer Service as soon as possible to update your payment methods, alternatively you may do this online by logging in securely to your account using your unique User ID and password. Then choose "Payment Method" from the menu.

How to close your account

In order to close your account you will need to contact us.

Your account will remain open for 30 days to facilitate refunding or settlement of outstanding balances. However, please be advised that your M50 journeys will be charged at unregistered rates.

If you have a tag account then please return any tag(s) for your vehicle(s) to the P.O. Box address on the Contact Us section, within 14 days to allow us to proceed with full closure of the account.

Please be aware that, according to point 15.2 of eFlow Terms & Conditions, a charge of €24.60 (including VAT 23%) is issued for each tag if the tag(s) is (are) not returned within the required time.

What to do if you have received a penalty letter and you have already paid

If you have received a penalty letter, but you have already paid for your trip then please contact us (http://www.eflow.ie/contact_us/) and provide as much information as possible to assist us in resolving this.

If possible please provide the following:

Where you paid? (Payzone / Website / Automated Service / Phone agent)
Receipt information (if you have it)
When you paid? (Date & time)
Last 4 digits and expiry date of your credit card

Payment deadlines for trips made on the M50

When using the M50 toll road we request payment before 8:00pm the following day, failure to do so will incur an extra penalty charge of €3.00.

Penalty letters
- Standard Toll Request (STR)
- Unpaid Toll Notice (UTN)
- Toll Violation notice (TVN)

P&F / Euro Parking Collection

If you have not paid for your journey in full within the required 56-day period from the issue date of the Unpaid Toll Notice (UTN) it will be passed over to our legal agency, Pierse Fitzgibbon Solicitors, for review. Please contact them on 0818 313 100 (from Rep. of Ireland) or 00 353 68 50967 (from Northern Ireland, UK and overseas).

If your car is registered outside Ireland and you use the toll but do not pay by the deadline of 8:00pm the following day; you will be contacted in writing by a European collections agency to make arrangements for payment.

How to pay if you are driving a rental car

Car rental firms will be responsible for the payment of tolls as registered vehicle owners. If you check with the car rental firm they may have registered the car in advance as part of their services and may have charged you for whatever M50 tolls that were incurred when you dropped off the car.

Please make contact with your rental company and they will advise you if you need to make payment. If you are advised to make payment to eFlow you may make payment online on our website by clicking on "Pay a Toll" and entering the vehicle registration (vehicle registration) and the number of journeys taken on the M50 toll road.

Your rental firm will be able to confirm as to whether a penalty will be charged. Always retain your receipt/ reference number for your records.

If you are informed by your rental car company that you must pay, then you can make payment in the following ways:

Online at www.eflow.ie, select 'Pay a Toll as Unregistered'
At any participating Payzone equipped retail outlet (see www.payzone.ie for a list of outlets near you)
Phone us on LoCall: 1890 50 10 50 from the Republic of Ireland, 0845 30 15 405 from the UK and Northern Ireland or +800 50 10 50 11 from any other country.

How to pay if you are driving a foreign vehicle on the M50

Cars registered in the UK (including Northern Ireland) are also entitled to be registered to an eFlow account, the same as cars registered in the Republic of Ireland.

The onus is also on foreign motorists arriving in any country to be aware of different bye-laws and the rules of the road. Additional information can be obtained from different motoring organisations, car hire companies and tourist bodies both here and abroad.

For all motorists using the M50, whether registered or unregistered, national or foreign, the non payment of tolls is a criminal offence under the legislation. The NRA have therefore established a rigorous enforcement policy implemented through a trans European enforcement agency to assist in the recovery of unpaid toll charges and fines and the prosecution of all toll evaders of Irish or foreign registered vehicles.

If your car is registered outside Ireland, you use the toll and do not pay by the deadline of 8:00pm the following day; you will be contacted in writing by a European collections agency to make arrangements for payment.

What are the current Data Protection Acts?

The current Data Protection Acts are the Data Protection Acts (DPA) 1988 and 2003.

What is the purpose of the Data Protection Acts?

The Data Protection Acts are in place to regulate the use of personal information within all organisations. They are also in place to create a legal right for individuals to request access to their personal information.

What are the main sections of the Data Protection Acts?

The Data Protection Acts state that any organisation which processes personal information must be open about how that information is used and must comply with the following eight data protection principles:

Obtain and process personal information fairly and lawfully
Keep personal information only for one or more specified, explicit and lawful purposes
Use and disclose the personal data we collect only in ways compatible with the purpose for which the data was collected
Keep personal data safe and secure
Keep personal data accurate, complete and up-to-date
Ensure that the personal data collected is adequate, relevant and not excessive
Retain personal data for no longer than is necessary for the purpose for which it was collected
Provide a copy of his/her personal data to an individual on request

What access rights do I have to the information eFlow holds on me?

The Data Protection Acts gives individuals the rights, subject to certain exemptions, to:

Obtain a copy of the data an organisation is keeping about him or her
Know the categories of their data and the purposes for which it is being processed
Know the identity of those to whom the data is disclosed
Know the source of the data, unless it is contrary to public interest

If you wish to avail of any of these rights, please write to us at eFlow, PO Box 11302, Dublin 17, marked for the attention of the "Data Protection Officer". Please provide relevant details that will enable us to identify your data such as; Full name, Address, License Plate Number, eFlow account number.

Where can I find out more regarding the Data Protection Acts?

Further information about the Data Protection Acts can be found by contacting the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner directly, as follows:

The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner

Canal House Station Road

Portarlington

Co. Laois

LoCall: 1890 252 231

Tel: 057 868 4800

Fax: 057 868 4757

Email: info@dataprotection.ie

Website: www.dataprotection.ie