E-ZPass wins, and the gap is not small. On the six large MTA crossings in New York — the Verrazzano-Narrows, Bronx-Whitestone, Throgs Neck, and Robert F. Kennedy Bridges, and the Hugh L. Carey and Queens Midtown Tunnels — a car pays $7.46 with a New York E-ZPass and $12.03 by Tolls by Mail, under the MTA rates effective January 4, 2026. Same bridge, same car, same minute: $4.57 more for the mailed bill, about 61% more. On a JetBlack trip the toll is named in the quote at the actual E-ZPass amount, so the difference is not yours to pay — but knowing the gap tells you whether any quote you are shown is honest.
The numbers, crossing by crossing
The MTA runs nine tolled crossings, and the pattern is the same at every one: the E-ZPass rate is the lowest, the mid-tier rate sits in the middle for a tag that was not read, and Tolls by Mail is the highest. The six large crossings share one car rate — $7.46 with a New York E-ZPass, $9.79 mid-tier, $12.03 by mail. The Henry Hudson Bridge is cheaper in absolute terms but the gap is wider: $3.42 with E-ZPass, $5.42 mid-tier, $8.87 by mail, which is about 159% more by mail. The Cross Bay and Marine Parkway Bridges are $2.80 with E-ZPass, $4.42 mid-tier, and $6.02 by mail. The Port Authority crossings into New York — the George Washington Bridge, the Lincoln and Holland Tunnels, and the three Staten Island bridges from New Jersey — are $14.79 off-peak and $16.79 at peak with E-ZPass, and $23.30 by mail, collected only entering New York.
- Six large MTA crossings: $7.46 E-ZPass, $9.79 mid-tier, $12.03 by mail
- Henry Hudson Bridge: $3.42 E-ZPass, $5.42 mid-tier, $8.87 by mail
- Cross Bay and Marine Parkway: $2.80 E-ZPass, $4.42 mid-tier, $6.02 by mail
- Port Authority into New York: $14.79 off-peak, $16.79 peak, $23.30 by mail
- MTA rates effective January 4, 2026; Port Authority schedule July 2026
- A mailed bill unpaid after 30 days adds a $5 late fee, rising to $50 after 60 days
Two details catch people out. First, the E-ZPass rate at MTA crossings applies only to a New York Customer Service Center tag — a tag from another state’s E-ZPass program pays the Tolls by Mail rate at MTA crossings, even though the tag works. At Port Authority crossings the discount covers New York and New Jersey accounts. Second, the plate must be linked to the account: the MTA says your current license plate must be linked to your E-ZPass account to get the discounted rate, and an unmounted or unread tag falls to the mid-tier rate instead. A mailed bill is not just a higher toll, either — the MTA adds a $5 late fee after 30 days unpaid, rising to $50 after 60 days, so a forgotten bill compounds.
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Who pays the toll on a car-service trip
On a JetBlack trip, the toll is named in the written quote before you travel, at the actual E-ZPass amount, and the quoted price itself is fixed once given, with no surge. That is the rule that matters: a car service cannot pass the Tolls by Mail price on to a passenger for a crossing its own car took with an E-ZPass, and a quote that lists a toll should name the crossing — the Whitestone Bridge, the Queens Midtown Tunnel, the Verrazzano — so you can check the number against the MTA table. A charge for tolls or other expenses follows the same rule, and the cost of transportation from JFK Airport to the city center is the run where the toll question comes up most, because the route can cross a tolled bridge or run toll-free depending on the time of day. If a quote cannot name the crossing, it is not a quote, it is a guess.
E-ZPass, Tolls by Mail, and the taxi meter
The same gap shows up in the taxi, and the taxi rules are stricter. A yellow taxi meter starts at $3.00 and adds $0.70 for every fifth of a mile, which works out to $3.50 per mile, and the passenger pays the actual toll — the E-ZPass amount, not the mail amount. The taxi fare from NYC to LaGuardia Airport is metered that way, with a $5.00 surcharge on every trip to or from LaGuardia, and the average cost of a taxi ride from LaGuardia Airport to JFK Airport is metered too. The taxi driver cannot charge you $12.03 for a crossing the car took at $7.46, and the same principle applies to any car service: the toll line in the quote is the E-ZPass line. The most convenient way to travel from Newark Airport to Manhattan crosses Port Authority tolls, where the E-ZPass peak and off-peak rates differ by $2.00, and the mail rate of $23.30 is the number to watch for. Knowing the three rates — E-ZPass, mid-tier, mail — is the fastest way to read any airport quote in New York.
Which one should you use
If you drive in New York at all, get a New York E-ZPass and link your plate to the account — the tag pays for itself in a handful of crossings, and the discount is automatic once the account is funded and the tag is mounted. If you are a visitor renting a car, ask the rental company how tolls are billed before you drive, because rental toll programs add their own fees on top of the mail rate. And if you are booking a car service instead of driving, none of this is your problem to solve — but it is your problem to check: the quote should list the toll by crossing at the E-ZPass rate, the price should be fixed once given, and scheduling a car service in advance is how that fixed price is locked in. The closest of New York’s three major airports to Manhattan is LaGuardia, which is why its metered fare and its toll-free route come up so often — and the paying for a car service in advance option is available for travelers who want the whole trip settled before they land.
What is the difference between E-ZPass and Tolls by Mail in New York?
The same crossing costs less with E-ZPass. On the six large MTA crossings a car pays $7.46 with a New York E-ZPass, $9.79 mid-tier, and $12.03 by Tolls by Mail, under the MTA rates effective January 4, 2026. Tolls by Mail bills the registered owner from a plate photo, and a bill unpaid after 30 days adds a $5 late fee, rising to $50 after 60 days.
Does an out-of-state E-ZPass get the New York discount?
No, not at MTA crossings. The E-ZPass rate there applies only to a New York Customer Service Center tag; a tag from another state pays the Tolls by Mail rate. At Port Authority crossings the discount covers New York and New Jersey accounts. Your license plate must also be linked to the account to get the discounted rate.
Who pays the toll on a JetBlack trip?
The toll is named in the written quote before you travel, at the actual E-ZPass amount for the crossing on your route, and the quoted price is fixed once given with no surge. Flat rates exclude tolls, tip, governmental fees, and on-trip amenities, and the toll line should name the crossing.
How much more does Tolls by Mail cost over a month?
Ten crossings a month at a large MTA bridge cost $74.60 with E-ZPass and $120.30 by mail, a $45.70 difference for the exact same drives. At the Henry Hudson Bridge the mail rate is about 159% higher than the E-ZPass rate.
Sources
- MTA Bridges and Tunnels — tolls by vehicle type, rates effective January 4, 2026 (large crossings $7.46/$9.79/$12.03; Henry Hudson $3.42/$5.42/$8.87; Cross Bay and Marine Parkway $2.80/$4.42/$6.02), accessed 2026-11-08
- Port Authority of New York & New Jersey — toll schedule, July 2026 (E-ZPass $14.79 off-peak, $16.79 peak, Tolls by Mail $23.30, entering New York only), accessed 2026-11-08
- MTA — How to pay tolls (E-ZPass discount of at least 25%, $5 late fee after 30 days, $50 after 60 days; plate must be linked to the account), accessed 2026-11-08
- JetBlack Transportation — owner-confirmed service facts (per-trip quotes fixed once given, no surge, JFK–Manhattan economy sedan $65 flat, Economy Sedan $45/hr with a 3-hour minimum, 20% tip suggested, cancellation free before confirmation and $31 total after confirmation, child seats about $35 per seat for a fee, wheelchair-accessible vehicles provided), confirmed 2026-10-26
