Mackinac Bridge to charge fee for credit cards, drop American Express

The Mackinac Bridge Authority (MBA) will begin implementing credit card convenience fees starting in January of 2025.

The MBA announced in a press release this week that it will start charging a 2.3% convenience fee for drivers using credit cards to pay the $4 toll starting on January 1. According to the MBA, they're also no longer accepting American Express credit cards due to their higher transaction costs.

Authority members cited the rising costs of transaction fees from credit card companies, which totaled over $341,000 in 2024.

"Though this convenience fee will not cover all credit card processing costs, it will help defray those costs in a way that will allow us to continue directing most of our toll revenues to the neverending job of maintaining and operating the Mackinac Bridge," said Authority Chairman Patrick "Shorty" Gleason.

The fee will add roughly 9 cents per transaction for a typical passenger vehicle.

Customers who pay in the toll lanes can avoid the credit card fees by paying cash.

Drivers who routinely cross the bridge can get a MacPass, which the MBA also made changes to. The initial deposit was cut in half to $40 while refill deposits were lowered from $50 to $20. Those changes will take place Dec. 1 or as soon as possible.