I'm a business user FAQs

General

  1. How much will it cost for business users to cross the bridges?
  2. What is a pre-pay plan and how does it work?
  3. What is the difference between a ‘pre-pay sticker plan and a ‘pre-pay video plan?
  4. How much money will I have to pre-pay in advance when I register?
  5. How will the auto top-up system work?
  6. Will I have to use the auto top-up system?
  7. If I use the auto top-up system, how much money will it take from my bank when my merseyflow account drops below my agreed threshold?
  8. Can I register more than one vehicle on my account?
  9. How do I register with merseyflow?
  10. What documents will I need to provide to register?
  11. How much will it cost me to register?
  12. Do I have to register?
  13. What happens if I don’t register?
  14. If I’m not registered and there are no payment booths, how do I pay?
  15. How long will I have to pay if I’m not registered?
  16. What happens if I don’t pay or forget to pay in time?
  17. Is VAT included in the toll/charge fare and, if so, can I claim it back if I’m VAT registered?
  18. Will I get an alert if the balance is running low in my account?
  19. Will I be able to check how much I have left in my account before making a journey?
  20. Can I purchase a monthly pass for any type of vehicle?
  21. What do you define as a small van?
  22. What’s the definition of a commercial vehicle?
  23. Are there plans to introduce monthly passes for other classes of vehicles, for example Class 3 and Class 4?
  24. What happens if I cross the Mersey Gateway Bridge or Silver Jubilee Bridge on company business? Do I need to pay my own toll/charge?
  25. Are there rules and restrictions in place for abnormal loads?
  26. Where do I display my merseyflow sticker?

Class 2 vehicles – cars, small vans and passenger vehicles of up to 8 seats

  1. How much will it cost people who are driving class 2 vehicles for business use to cross the bridges?
  2. How do I know whether a pre-pay plan or a monthly pass is the right option for me?
  3. What do you define as a small van?
  4. My vehicle can carry eight passengers plus the driver – is it a class 2 vehicle?
  5. How much will I save by buying a monthly pass?
  6. How many trips do I have to make a month to make it worthwhile buying a monthly off-peak pass?
  7. When and how will I be able to buy a monthly pass?
  8. Will I have to commit to buying a monthly pass every month?
  9. Can I use the same monthly pass for two different vehicles?
  10. I run a business that operates a number of vehicles – what is going to be the best way for me to register them all?

Class 3 and Class 4 vehicles – minibuses, HGVs and coaches

  1. What is the difference between a class 3 vehicle and a class 4 vehicle?
  2. How much will it cost people who are driving class 3 vehicles for business use to cross the bridges?
  3. How much will it cost people who are driving class 4 vehicles for business use to cross the bridges?
  4. Can I buy a monthly pass for a class 3 or class 4 vehicle?
  5. I run a business that operates a number of vehicles – what is going to be the best way for me to register them all?

Fleet FAQs

  1. Merseyflow Fleet FAQs

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General


How much will it cost for business users to cross the bridges?

The cost varies depending on the class of vehicle you are driving. For a detailed summary please see our toll/charge page or look at our dedicated sections below for different types of vehicles.

However, anyone, whatever type of vehicle they drive, can save up to 10% on the standard toll/charge by registering for a pre-pay sticker plan and paying a £5 one-off fee.

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What is a pre-pay plan and how does it work?

Our pre-pay plans will work in a similar way to a ‘pay-as-you-go’ mobile phone contract. Registered users will pre-pay £20 into their account and this money will be used to pay for your crossings.

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What is the difference between a ‘pre-pay sticker plan’ and a ‘pre-pay video plan’?

If you register for a pre-pay sticker plan you save 10% on every trip and get a sticker to go on the windscreen of your vehicle.

If you register for a pre-pay video plan you only save 5% on every trip and you won’t get a sticker to go on your vehicle.

We’re encouraging people to register for sticker plans by offering a greater saving because that is the most efficient way for us to monitor traffic and collect the toll/charge revenue.

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How much money will I have to pre-pay in advance when I register?

You will have to pay a minimum of £20 into your pre-pay plan initially, plus your £5 registration fee. The £20 will all be used to pay for your crossings. If you close your account at any point and haven’t used the money in it you will be refunded the full £20.

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How will the auto top-up system work?

Our auto top-up system will ensure that you always have money in your merseyflow account and that you won’t risk getting a penalty charge.

If you register for a merseyflow account you will get the choice to set up the account so it is automatically topped up by direct debit from your bank account whenever the level of funds in your merseyflow account drops below a specified amount. The minimum amount you can specify is £20 but you can set a higher amount if you wish to do so.

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Will I have to use the auto top-up system?

No – you can choose to top-up your account yourself, but this way you will run a much greater risk of not having enough money in your account to pay for your crossing.

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If I use the auto top-up system, how much money will it take from my bank when my merseyflow account drops below my agreed threshold?

You will be able to choose your own top-up value, though there will be a minimum top-up value of £20. We recommend you choose a value that is roughly equal to the amount you expect to spend on crossings on a monthly basis.

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Can I register more than one vehicle on my account?

Yes – you will be able to register as many vehicles as you own under one account.

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How do I register with merseyflow?

The easiest way to register will be online at this website, you will also be able to register in person at our local Walk-in Centre or over the phone if you prefer.

If registering online, just select the ‘merseyflow Pre-pay plan’ option and follow the instructions. You will need to pay a £5 one-off registration fee.

We’ll check your details and in a few days we’ll send you your special merseyflow sticker to go on the windscreen of your vehicle, or, if you’ve decided you want the video-registered option and just get a 5% discount on the unregistered toll/charge, we’ll add your vehicle to our database of registered vehicles.

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What documents will I need to provide to register?

You won’t need any documents to register.

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How much will it cost me to register?

Anyone registering for a pre-pay plan will need to pay a one-off £5 registration fee per vehicle and an initial £20 payment that will cover your future crossings.

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Do I have to register?

No. You will be able to drive over the bridges in Halton without registering but by doing this you will have to pay the full unregistered toll/charge cost for each journey you make across either the Mersey Gateway Bridge or the Silver Jubilee Bridge. You can only access discounts by registering with merseyflow.

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What happens if I don’t register?

If you don’t register you will have to pay the full unregistered toll/charge – £2 per one way trip (for class 2 vehicles) – every time you cross the river.

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If I’m not registered and there are no toll/charge booths, how do I pay?

You will have four options. You will be able to pay:

  • online at www.merseyflow.co.uk
  • by phone 01928 878 878
  • in person at our local walk-in centre
  • At a payzone outlet

You will be able to pay by debit or credit card but we will not accept BACS payments.

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How long will I have to pay if I’m not registered?

You will have to pay by midnight the day after you cross either the Mersey Gateway Bridge or the Silver Jubilee Bridge or you will be issued with a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) of up to £60.

So, for example, if you crossed either the Mersey Gateway Bridge or the Silver Jubilee Bridge on a Monday morning you would have until 11.59pm on Tuesday night to pay the toll/charge fee.

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What happens if I don’t pay or forget to pay in time?

If you don’t pay, or if you forget to pay in time, you will be issued with a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN).

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Is VAT included in the toll/charge fare and, if so, can I claim it back if I’m VAT registered?

No – VAT is not included. This is because tolls/charges are exempt from VAT.

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Will I get an alert if the balance is running low in my account?

Yes, low balance reminders are issued when the customer’s account balance reaches their “low-balance threshold”. This is a nominal value chosen by the customer.

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Will I be able to check how much I have left in my account before making a journey?

Yes, you will be able to do this by logging on to your account or by calling our contact centre.

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Can I purchase a monthly pass for any type of vehicle?

No – only cars or small vans (class 2) are eligible for a monthly pass.

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What do you define as a small van?

A small van is a van that weighs under 3.5 tonnes. If the van weighs over 3.5 tonnes then it will be a Class 3 vehicle and you should read our dedicated section relating to Class 3 vehicles.

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What’s the definition of a commercial vehicle?

A commercial vehicle is any vehicle that is used for business purposes. This could be a vehicle that is predominantly used for personal use.

However, any action that involves the vehicle being used for business is chargeable as a commercial vehicle.

If you drive a car or a small van for a mix of personal and business use and also qualify for the Local User Discount Scheme (LUDS) then you will be able to register that vehicle for the LUDS.

So, an eligible Halton resident who is driving a Volkswagen Polo that is mostly used for personal use, but which is used as a pizza delivery vehicle in the evening, would need to pay for crossings made during the evening, but not the personal trips.

Anyone who is not registered for the LUDS will need to pay for all trips, whether for business or personal use.

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Are there plans to introduce monthly passes for other classes of vehicles, for example Class 3 and Class 4?

No, only Class 2 vehicles can qualify for a monthly pass.

The details of the tolling arrangements and discounts for the project were set out in detail at the Public Inquiry back in 2009 and then signed off by the UK Government. There are no immediate plans to introduce monthly passes for other classes of vehicles.

However, as part of the wider management arrangements for the project there will be a three-year review looking at toll/charge levels across the board and issues such as this would be considered at that point.

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What happens if I cross the Mersey Gateway Bridge or Silver Jubilee Bridge on company business? Do I need to pay my own toll/charge

If you are making a journey across the river for business reasons then you will be liable to pay a toll/charge.

Who ultimately pays that cost is not a decision for merseyflow – individual employers will make their own policies in relation to this. We recommend you raise the issue with your employer.

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Are there rules and restrictions in place for abnormal loads?

The Byelaws can be found at http://www.merseygateway.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Mersey-Gateway-Byelaws.pdf

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Click here to see our Sticker Leaflet Information Guide.

Click here to see our Sticker Leaflet Information Guide.

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Class 2 vehicles – cars, small vans and passenger vehicles of up to 8 seats

How much will it cost people who are driving class 2 vehicles for business use to cross the bridges?

The unregistered toll/charge rate will be £2 per one-way trip for these vehicles, but if you are driving a car, small van or passenger vehicle for business use there are two different options you can select to reduce the cost of tolls/charges – a pre-pay plan or a monthly pass.

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How do I know whether a pre-pay plan or a monthly pass is the right option for me?

If you think you will make less than 50 one-way trips over the river in Halton each month then a pre-pay plan is probably the best option for you.

If you think you will make more than 50 one-way trips over the river in Halton each month then an unlimited travel monthly pass is probably the best option for you.

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What do you define as a small van?

A small van is a van that weighs less than 3.5 tonnes. If the van weighs over 3.5 tonnes then it will be a Class 3 vehicle and you should read our dedicated section below.

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My vehicle can carry eight passengers plus the driver – is it a class 2 vehicle?

Yes. Class 2 vehicles include passenger vehicles that can accommodate eight passengers plus a driver.

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How much will I save by buying a monthly pass?

The saving will vary depending on how much you cross the bridges in Halton. For people who cross the river a lot the savings can be significant.

For example, if you cross the river an average of four times a day that adds up to 120 one-way trips over a 30-day month.

At the sticker registered toll/charge price of £1.80 for a one-way journey this would cost £216, so buying the £90 monthly unlimited travel pass would save you £126 a month.

If you made the same number of journeys five days a week rather than seven days a week the saving would be a minimum of £54 a month.

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How many trips do I have to make a month to make it worthwhile buying a monthly off-peak pass?

If you make more than 35 one-way trips purely at off-peak times (between 10am to 4pm and 7pm to 7am Monday to Friday and all times on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays) and very few or no journeys during peak times (between 7am to 10am and 4pm to 7pm Monday to Friday), then the £60 monthly off-peak pass might be a better option for you.

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When and how will I be able to buy a monthly pass?

You will be able to buy a monthly pass when you register or at any time after that and link it to any one vehicle you have registered on your merseyflow account.

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Will I have to commit to buying a monthly pass every month?

No. You don’t have to commit to buying one every month and you will be able to buy one at any time during the month.

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Can I use the same monthly pass for two different vehicles?

No. The monthly passes will be specific to a single vehicle and are not transferable to any other vehicles.

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I run a business that operates a number of vehicles – what is going to be the best way for me to register them all?

You will be able to register them all online under one account. This will enable you to monitor all your vehicles in one place and update or change any information accordingly.

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Class 3 and Class 4 vehicles – minibuses, HGVs and coaches

What is the difference between a class 3 vehicle and a class 4 vehicle?

Class 3 vehicles are defined as:

  • goods vehicles weighing between 3.5 and 12 tonnes
  • passenger carrying vehicles with nine or more seats weighing less than 5 tonnes

Class 4 vehicles are defined as:

  • goods vehicles weighing over 12 tonnes
  • passenger carrying vehicles with nine or more seats weighing more than 5 tonnes

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How much will it cost people who are driving class 3 vehicles for business use to cross the bridges?

The unregistered toll rate will be £6 per one-way trip for these vehicles, but you can save 10% on the cost of each trip by registering with merseyflow for a pre-pay sticker plan.

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How much will it cost people who are driving class 4 vehicles for business use to cross the bridges?

The unregistered toll/charge rate will be £8 per one-way trip for these vehicles, but you can save 10% on the cost of each trip by registering with merseyflow for a pre-pay sticker plan.

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Can I buy a monthly pass for a class 3 or class 4 vehicle?

No. Monthly passes are only available for Class 2 vehicles.

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I run a business that operates a number of vehicles – what is going to be the best way for me to register them all?

You will be able to register them all online under one account. This will enable you to monitor all your vehicles in one place and update or change any information accordingly.

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