For the owners of four-wheeler vehicles, it is very difficult to travel frequently through National Highways as they have to stop at the various toll plazas that come in between their starting point and the destination point. Four-wheeler vehicle owners get tired of waiting in queues when they have to exit the toll plazas and have to pay the toll tax either through cash or credit/debit cards.
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NHAI i.e National Highways Authority of India has taken this problem faced by four-wheeler vehicle owners into account and developed a new system of paying the toll tax. Fastag is the name of this new system of paying the toll tax at the toll plazas of national highways.
So if you have a four or more-wheeler vehicle and don’t want to waste time at the toll plazas for paying the toll tax, then Fastag is for you.
Fastag is a simple and easy-to-use rechargeable device that is mounted on the windshield of your four wheeler vehicle from inside through a self-adhesive material. Fastag is basically an alternative solution of paying the toll tax at the toll plazas through cash as it allows the vehicle owners to make the payment digitally without using any cash or card. Fastag is the contactless and cashless way of toll payment that has been made compulsory by the Road Transport Ministry of India in a collaboration with NHAI.
How Fastag Works?
As mentioned above Fastag is a digital way of paying at the toll plazas. Fastag is a quick device that gives the facilities to vehicle owners to pay for the toll fees by crossing through lanes at the toll plazas that are specially made for paying through Fastag. Using Fastag is very simple to use as it just requires purchasing from any bank like Cosmos Bank, recharging it, and installing it on the windscreen of your vehicle.
When you purchase, recharge, and install Fastag on your vehicle, then it will be activated automatically. When you travel through any national highway and come across a toll plaza, then the scanners at that particular toll plazas automatically detect the Fastag on your vehicle through RFID ie. Radio Frequency Technology and cuts off the toll fees electronically from your Fastag account and doesn’t require you to stop at the toll plaza.
How to apply Fastag from Cosmos Bank
After introducing and launching Fastag in 2014 and making if mandatory since 15 Feb 2021, NPCI i.e National Payments Corporation of India authorized only a few banks and online payment platforms like Paytm, Google Pay, PhonePe, etc to issue Fastag to four-wheeler vehicle owners. But this list kept on increasing day by day and till today, around 33 banks have been given permission by NPCI to give new Fastag to vehicle owners. Cosmos Bank is the recent addition to this list of Bank and below we will explain all the steps that you will have to follow in order to purchase a Fastag from Cosmos Bank
- To purchase Fastag online from Cosmos bank, you have to visit the official website of Cosmos bank Fastag from this link: www.cosmosbank.com
- Here you will see the option of applying a new Fastag
- To apply for a new Fastag from Cosmos Bank, you don’t need to have an account with the bank, you can get a Fastag from Cosmos bank, even if you don’t have an account with this bank.
- After clicking on the apply Fastag button, you will see an application form.
- You have to enter various details into this application form including some personal details like your name, address, mobile number, email address, etc.
- Now you have to submit or upload KYC documents like Aadhar Card, Voter Card, Passport, Driving License, etc to get a Fastag from Cosmos Bank.
- You will also have to enter the registration number of your vehicle and have to upload the front and bank scanned copy of your vehicle’s RC.
- After uploading the copy of all the required documents, you have to click on the Submit button and then you are done with applying Fastag for your vehicle through Cosmos Bank.
- You will receive Fastag device from Cosmos Bank, which you can attach on your vehicle at the mentioned address within one week.
You can also go to the nearest branch of Cosmos bank and by submitting the required documents you will get the Fastag quickly.
Benefits of Cosmos Bank Fastag
When you purchase a Fastag from any bank including Cosmos bank, then it comes with many benefits, some of which are listed below
- Purchasing a Fastag from Cosmos bank gives you the option to make the easy payment of toll fees at the toll plazas because the charges are deducted automatically from your Cosmos Bank Fastag account when you cross a toll barrier.
- Cosmos Bank Fastag lets you to make the toll payment digitally so you don’t have any need to carry cash with you.
- Since there are specialized lanes at the toll plazas for paying through Fastag including Cosmos bank, so there are is no queuing at the toll plazas.
- For every transaction or every deduction that is done through Cosmos bank, an SMS and email alert will be sent on your mobile number and registered email address.
- Using Fastag is completely safe and secure and you can also track your vehicle if it is lost or stolen.
- There is no need to visit the bank’s branch or any Point of sales location as you can easily purchase and recharge Fastag through Cosmos Bank.
Documents Required for Cosmos Bank Fastag
In addition to filling the application form of applying a Fastag, you also need to attach and upload a copy of a few documents with this form when you apply for a new Fastag through Cosmos Bank. Below is the list of some documents required for purchasing a Fastag from Cosmos Bank
- Passport Size Photographs of the applicant.
- Scanned copy of Registration Certificate(RC) of vehicle’s owner.
- To verify the identity of the Fastag applicant and for KYC update one or more of these documents will also be required: Aadhar Card, Voter Card, PAN Card, Driving License, Passport etc.
Charges of Cosmos Bank Fastag
Although Fastag is a device that is managed and authorized by NHAI and NPCI, the cost of applying a new Fastag may differ from bank to bank. The charges for applying a new Fastag for a four-wheeler vehicle like Car, Van, Jeep usually ranges from Rs. 400 to Rs. 500. The charges are high for commercial and heavy vehicles. The breakup of cost of applying Fastag through Cosmos Bank is given below:
- One Time Tag Joining Fees – Rs. 100
- Refundable Security Deposit – Rs. 300 to Rs. 1500
- Threshold amount (Minimum First Recharge)- 0 to Rs. 1500
Fastag purchased from Cosmos bank is valid for five years. After five years re-issuance fees of Rs. 100 has to be paid.
How to recharge Fastag using Cosmos Bank
As Cosmos Bank is the newest bank that has been authorized by NPCI to issue Fastag, so currently it is not giving the option to recharge your Fastag online. But there are many other ways through which you can recharge your Cosmos bank Fastag. Below we are explaining various methods of recharging Cosmos bank Fastag
Recharging Fastag through Cosmos Bank branch
Although there is no option of recharging Fastag through the online portal of Cosmos Bank, you can still recharge it by visiting the nearest branch of Cosmos Bank. By visiting the Cosmos Bank’s branch you just have to go to the particular counter and ask the attendant to recharge the Fastag by paying the desired recharge amount.
Recharging Fastag through Google Pay, Paytm, PhonePe, etc
All leading mobile payment apps like Google Pay, Paytm, PhonePe etc give the option to recharge Fastag issued by any bank including Cosmos Bank. The steps to recharge Fastag is the same in almost all these apps. Here we are explaining the steps to recharge your Cosmos bank Fastag through Google Pay app.
- First of all, you have to open Google Pay app in your mobile phone.
- After opening the app, you will see ‘Bills’ option in front of you.
- Click on this option and then you will see ‘View All’ option.
- Now you will see ‘Fastag Recharge’ option
- List of all Fastag provider banks will appear in the drop-down list.
- From this list, you have to choose the ‘Cosmos Bank’
- Now you have to enter the Vehicle No. for which you want to do the Fastag recharge.
- After that enter the recharge amount and then make the recharge payment.
- Now your Cosmos Bank Fastag recharge will be done.
Recharging Cosmos bank Fastag through My Fastag App
- Open the My Fastag app on your mobile phone.
- After login, you will see Fastag recharge option.
- Click on this option and enter the vehicle details including vehicle no.
- Now enter the amount that you want your Cosmos Bank Fastag to be recharged with.
- Make the recharge payment by using UPI, Netbanking, Credit Card, Debit Card etc.
- Your Cosmos Bank Fastag will now be recharged using My Fastag app.
How to check Cosmos Bank Fastag balance
There is a minimum threshold amount limit that you must have to maintain in your Cosmos Bank Fastag. If the balance in your Fastag goes below this minimum threshold amount, then you will have to recharge your Fastag immediately. For this it is must to keep checking the balance in your Cosmos Bank which can be done by using the following methods:
Checking Cosmos bank Fastag balance through MyFastag app
Check balance Status Feature has been recently introduced by NHAI into MyFastag app through which you can easily check the balance in your Fastag including Cosmos Bank Fastag by following the below steps.
- Open the MyFastag app on your mobile phone.
- Log in to the app, if you are not already logged in.
- After login, you will have to enter your vehicle No.
- Now you can see the remaining balance in your Cosmos Bank Fastag
Cosmos Bank Fastag balance check through SMS
When you visit any toll plaza and make the toll payment through your Cosmos bank Fastag, then a text message will be sent to your mobile number that is registered with the Cosmos bank. In this message, the balance in your Fastag is mentioned.
Cosmos Bank Fastag balance check through Missed Call Service
The balance in your Cosmos Bank Fastag can also be checked through missed call service facility of NHAI. Through this facility, users can give a miss call on toll-free number +91-8884333331, after which the call will be cut automatically and the balance in your Cosmos bank Fastag will be sent to you through an SMS received on your registered mobile number.
How to activate blacklisted Cosmos Bank Fastag
As mentioned above it is important to check the balance in your Cosmos bank Fastag so that the balance in it does not fall below the minimum recharge amount or threshold amount. Because if that happens that your Fastag may be blacklisted as a result of which you won’t be able to make the toll payment through your Fastag.
So when your Fastag issued by Cosmos bank gets blacklisted due to a low threshold amount, then recharging it by using any suitable method will get it reactivated and remove it from the blacklist.
Cosmos Bank Fastag Customer Care number
Cosmos Bank offers several customer support options. Some of these options are explained below:
Toll-Free Number
There is a toll-free number issued by Cosmos bank for Fastag users. This toll-free number is 1800 233 0234. This toll-free number is available 24*7. By calling this number, the executives are ready to answer your questions related to Fastag.
You can also contact the customer support of Cosmos bank through this email id [email protected]. But keep in mind that, by sending your query on this email id, you may have to wait for a few hours to get the answer to your Fastag related problem.
NHAI Toll-Free Number
Cosmos Bank Fastag users can also call on the toll-free number issued by NHAI i.e 1033 for any of their Fastag related issues like blacklisted Fastag, Fastag not readable at any toll plaza or any other problem.
FAQ
For any doubt, question or problem you can easily consult the NETC FASTag FAQ section on the official website of the site.