The way motorists in France pay for tolls on motorways is changing. 'Free-flow' (flux libre) tollbooths with sensors and cameras have been introduced on some autoroutes - allowing people to drive straight through and pay later, either online or at the tabac.
All French tollbooths have special lanes for people who have the pre-paid télépéage badges, while other drivers have to stop and pay (using either cash or a card) - but the new flux libre tollbooths are entirely free-flow, with drivers having to pay later.
A sensor scan and an automatic photo of the vehicle will be taken, allowing people to keep driving without stopping - similar to the system in place at the Dartford Crossing in the UK.
The new French technology will first determine whether you have a pre-paid electronic toll badge (known as télépéage) in the car, then it will take note of the category of vehicle (make and model), plus the licence plate number to ensure the right person is billed.
Then, that person will be able to pay their bill either online or in person at certain tabacs afterwards, via the special 'Nirio' payment platform.
READ MORE: What is télépéage and how does it work?
Where will the new tolls be introduced?
One was already installed in 2022 along the A79 motorway, but in June a new free-flow system began to be implemented along the popular Paris-Normandy axis, which is operated by the Sanef organisation.
So far, it has been added to the A14 motorway which goes through the Yvelines département, and later on, on December 10th, 2024, it was implemented on the A13 motorway, which is 210km in length.
READ MORE: Drivers warned of fines at France's new free-flow tollbooths
If successful, it is expected that they will be gradually rolled out on more highways.
How does the payment work?
The plans to introduce free-flow tollbooths are to be headed up on autoroutes owned by the the North and Eastern motorway company (Société des Autoroutes du Nord et de l'Est de la France, or Sanef), although it is likely that other autoroute operators will follow, if it is a success.
As for the deadline for payment, according to Sanef you will have 72 hours to pay after passing through the toll.
To find out the amount to pay, you will either log onto the online payment platform via Sanef.com, or pay with the Nirio platform in the tabac. You will communicate your licence number to find your bill, and then you can pay either by card (online) or card/cash (in person).
Cheques will not be accepted, according to Actu France. The same process would also apply for hire cars.
You will also be able to pay in advance of your journey, if you prefer.
If you have a toll badge (the Liber-t tag) then as long as it is positioned in the windscreen, it will be read and detected when you pass through the toll. You can continue payments as normally with this option.
There will also be the choice to create a Sanef customer account on their website. You will be able to upload your vehicle's licence number and a bank card to allow for automatic payment.
What about tourists, visitors and those with foreign-registered cars?
The system seems clear for those vehicles with a French number plate, but what about those whose vehicles are registered elsewhere, such as the tens of thousands and tourists and second-home owners who drive in France each year?
The Local put this question to one of the directors of the free-flow tollbooth project with Sanef, Joselito Bellet.
READ MORE: How will France's new free-flow autoroute tollbooths work for foreign vehicles?
"The rules will be the same for both foreigners and for French motorists. We are trying our best to make sure the system works in the same way for everyone, even if they have a foreign vehicle," Bellet said.
"People with vehicles with foreign licence plates will be able to pay using the Sanef website, in the same way as those with French vehicles.
"Both will enter their licence plate number and pay the fee, and both have 72 hours to pay. People driving foreign vehicles will also be able to create an account on the Sanef website too, so they can pay in advance if they like.
"We will soon begin working with the tourism offices, as well as the communication teams at the Eurotunnel and at the Port of Calais to help offer more information in English to foreign motorists.
"The Sanef payment website will also be available in English. We will set up a call centre with an English-language option, so people will be able to direct their questions there."
For rental cars, Bellet explained that the process will be the same: they can either pay using their own personal toll badge (you can use this in different cars, as long as they are the same 'class'), by creating an account ahead of time, or afterwards using the website or one of the participating tabacs.
He added that will put out flyers and reminders (in English) so that people do not forget to write down their rental vehicle's licence plate number.
What if you forget to pay?
For those who forget to pay within the 72 hours, there will be a late fee applied.
Bellet explained that if you pay within two weeks of receiving the letter informing you that you forgot to pay, then the fee will only be €10. However, after two weeks, that penalty can go all the way up to €90.
For foreigners covered by the EU car registration system EUCARIS, you will receive a letter informing you that you forgot to pay and explaining (in both French and English) how you can do so and the fee structure if you do not do it right away.
For motorists with vehicles from non-EU countries, including the UK, he said "Sanef will pass through debt collection agencies in those countries and we will follow their local rules for this."
Why offer payment at tabacs?
As smoking rates drop, tabacs are offering more services including administrative services such as paying bills or taxes.
Philippe Coy, the head of the national confederation for tobacconists (tabacs) told Ouest France that his "goal is to turn tabacs into everyday drugstores. That is to say, places where you can always find the product you want at the last minute: a gift, local products, batteries, headphones, or pens and paper."
Tabacs are offering more services, including the ability to pay bills and fines, as well as purchasing ammunition (at some stores for eligible people).
READ MORE: Why the tabac is essential to life in France - even if you don't smoke
In terms of hours, tabacs are usually open six days a week.
Emma Pearson
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