SOUTHERN INDIANA — Vehicle owners who have crossed the tolled bridges without a RiverLink account will soon have to pay the price.
The first invoices for tolled bridge crossings between Louisville and Southern Indiana will be sent Friday, with additional mailings to follow in the coming days, according to a news release from RiverLink.
It costs $2 for a passenger vehicle to cross a tolled bridge once with a prepaid RiverLink account and transponder, while passenger vehicles without an account or transponder are charged $4. The cameras captures their license plate and invoices are mailed to their vehicle’s registered owner. The toll rates are higher because of administrative costs.
It’s still possible for vehicle owners who receive their bills in the mail to obtain the lower toll rate, however. They have to contact RiverLink customer service, open a prepaid RiverLink account and request a transponder.
How the invoices work
Two one-way crossings in a passenger vehicle over any of the tolled bridges will trigger an invoice. Any additional crossings in the vehicle are collected for the next 15 days, and an invoice is mailed to the owner of the vehicle.
Additional tolled bridges crossings after the initial invoice and multiple vehicles registered to the same address will be billed in separate invoices. The bills are not combined.
Bills can be paid online, by mail, by phone or in person at a RiverLink customer service center. Online payers go to www.RiverLink.com and click on the green log-in button at the top right of the screen.
Invoices are mailed using the following schedule:
1. The first RiverLink invoice includes only tolls owed and no additional fees. Vehicle owners have 30 days to pay the bill.
2. If the bill is not paid, a second bill will be mailed that includes a $5 administrative fee. Vehicle owners have 20 days to pay the second invoice.
3. If the second bill is not paid, the vehicle owner is in violation and a $25 violation fee is added to the third invoice. The driver has 30 days to pay the third bill.
4. If the invoice is still not paid, the bill moves to collections and a $30 collections fee is added to the total amount. Vehicle owners in Kentucky and Indiana who do not pay their tolls may also face restrictions on vehicle registration until tolls and related fees are paid.
Drivers who want to lower their bill by opening a RiverLink account must open the account before the bill moves to the collection process. Vehicle owners are not able to open a RiverLink account online if there are outstanding tolls associated with the license plate.
Trips taken before opening a prepaid RiverLink account will not qualify for the frequent-user discount, which reduces toll rates for passenger vehicles from $2 a crossing to $1 if the vehicles crosses the tolled bridges 40 times in a calendar month.
Vehicle owners must complete three steps to receive the reduced toll rate after also receiving an invoice:
1. Call 855-RIV-LINK or visit a RiverLink customer service center.
2. Pay the current invoice (outstanding tolls will be reduced to transponder rates).
3. Open a prepaid RiverLink account.
If registering an account in person, drivers might not receive a physical transponder. Supplies of RiverLink local transponders for passenger vehicles have been depleted. Additional supplies are expected in February. Drivers with prepaid RiverLink accounts will still pay the lowest toll rates while they wait for their transponders to survive.
RiverLink E-ZPass transponders, which cost a one-time fee of $15, but are transferrable between vehicles and usable on tolled roads in other states, remain in stock.
Reviewing invoices
Vehicle owners are encouraged by RiverLink to check their invoices carefully for accuracy. Each statement will detail trips on tolled bridges for about a 15-day period. The invoice will include the date and time of each crossing, which tolled bridge was crossed and the amount of the toll.
Vehicle owners with questions about their invoices can contact RiverLink customer service by phone, by email (riverlink.inquiry@riverlink.com) or in person at one of two RiverLink customer service centers.
Customer service centers are located at 103 Quartermaster Court in Jeffersonville and 400 E. Main St. in Louisville. The centers are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. They are also open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.
High call volume and heavy traffic at customer service centers are expected as vehicle owners receive their first RiverLink invoices. Vehicle owners are asked to be prepared with their invoice number and license plate number.
A callback feature is in place for the morning, midday, and early afternoon hours. Customers who spend five minutes on hold have the option of leaving a preferred callback number. The callback feature is offered through 3 p.m., to help ensure representatives return calls in a timely fashion.