(CBS-DETROIT) – Drivers who pay with a credit card to cross the Mackinac Bridge will have to pay a small fee starting in 2025.
At a meeting Friday, the Mackinac Bridge Authority approved a 2.3% convenience fee for tolls paid by credit card, attributing the decision to the rising costs of processing credit and debit card transactions. The agency also voted to stop accepting American Express credit cards.
Both changes are expected to take place on January 1.
The agency said it has paid more than $340,000 in transaction fees to credit card companies so far this year and that the approved convenience fee will help recoup some of those costs.
The current average for tolls paid by credit card is just over 3%, the agency said. About 13% of all tolls are paid by credit card.
The approved fee will add about 9 cents to the $4 toll for passenger cars.
Additionally, the agency approved lowering initial deposits for people opening a MacPass account from $80 to $40, and lowering minimum deposits from $50 to $20. The changes to MacPass deposits are expected to take effect sometime between now and December 1.
