Due to the increasing costs of credit and debit card transaction fees, the Mackinac Bridge Authority (MBA) on Friday approved the collection of a 2.3% convenience fee for tolls paid by credit card to to recover part of these expenses.

Authority members cited rising transaction fee costs from credit card companies, which totaled $341,761.51 in 2024, as the reason for the new convenience fees. The current average credit card fee for tolls paid is 3.07%; approximately 12-13% of all tolls are paid by credit card.

“While these convenience fees will not cover all credit card processing costs, they will help cover these costs in a way that will allow us to continue to devote most of our toll revenue to the never-ending work of maintenance and operation of the Mackinac Bridge. » said Authority President Patrick “Shorty” Gleason.

The convenience fee will add approximately $0.09 to the typical $4 toll for passenger vehicles. The new fees would take effect January 1, 2025.

Customers paying at toll lanes can avoid credit card fees by paying with cash. MacPass holders can make cash or e-check deposits to avoid fees.

To make it easier for customers to open and reload their MacPass Commuter Toll Program accounts, the Authority has also reduced the minimum initial account deposit from $80 to $40 and the minimum reload deposit from $50 to $20. These changes are expected to come into effect on December 1 or as soon as possible.

Noting the relatively higher credit card processing fees for American Express, currently at 4.79%, the Authority also approved stopping the acceptance of these credit cards for payment effective January 1, 2025 .