EZ Pass is good for at least the entire Northeast corridor, from Massachusetts to Washington, DC. That, obviously, includes the Mass Pike.
There is no charge, per se...You just make a $25 deposit.
In the New York area, you save money at some of the tolls when you use EZ Pass. However, the big advantage with EZ Pass is that you usually save time going through the tolls, as the lines at those booths are usually much shorter than those for those paying cash.

Go with EZ Pass. We live outside Boston and my DH and I both have them. There is no fee charged for the transponder like Fast Lane charges. If you go to the EZ Pass website, according to my DH, it will try to re-direct you to Fast Lane if you put in MA as the state you live in. Just put in NY and then you can register with your MA address and get EZ Pass. Also EZ Pass is now good up in NH as well. Good luck!

EZ Pass is a must. Even if you don't go through tolls often, the deposit to your account just stays there.

In New Hampshire there is a nominal charge for the transponder, but it's transferrable if you get a new car (must notify EZ Pass though).

It will save you when traffic is heavy and only the EZ Pass lines are moving. And, as HowardR said, it's good throughout the northeast.

Super nice to have when the weather is terrible and you don't have to open your window, or you just don't feel like digging around for coins.

Only caution: Once you get it and you're used to blowing through the EZ Pass lines, you have to REMEMBER you don't have that luxury when driving a rental or using a loaner while your car's in for service!!!

We live in Mass but have 4 cars (including those belonging to our 2 near-adult kids), all with NY EZPass Transponders, ordered off their website and delivered in the mail. We did this because at the time we got them, only NY did not charge a fee or deposit for the transponder - all we pay is the actual toll - from an account which automatically replenishes itself from our debit card.

You have to go to the EZ pass website and when it asks you where you live, select NY. This will direct you to NYEZPass site. No where does that site indicate you must be resident of NY to use their transponders and they were mailed to a Massachusetts address.

We have also used the website to change vehicle information when necessary - car sold/bought - and even so it recognizes a rental car we had for a trip.

One of the car transponders is used even less than you expect to use yours - but since it doesn't cost, why not? You never know when you will end up going to the airport at 5 AM and digging for exact change in your car.

EZPass and FastLane are interchangeable on toll roads - so that does not matter either. There is some talk at MassPort about being able to use the same transponder in the future for parking at Logan - not sure how that would work since the amount on deposit in account is about a day's parking at Logan.

Thank you all for your replies! I think you may have convinced me to get the EZPass then.

Long time ago I lived in PA and I had an EZPass, but at that time (IIRC) I had to pay some account maintainence fee. But according to you all, it seems like at least a NY EZPass doesn't do that.

PA only charges a fee if you want monthly paper statements, otherwise no maintenance fees.

I got the NH EZPass for both of our vehicles when my ride to work involved the Bedford toll booth.

They are invaluable on road trips!

Re: fees/costs. Some states charge annual maintenance fees, some do not. Most charge or at least require a deposit for transponder - they are 2 different charges.

And, in the other direction, there are the states that give some sort of a discount for using transponder - I can't even begin to figure out which do and don't.

Slightly unrelated, after a road trip Boston-Savannah via Washington, DC I received a written warning from NY stating I had gone 10 miles over speed limit thru toll booth - they promised a fine and/or revocation of my transponder if I did it again - so beware.

EZ Pass and Fast Pass can also be used on the Indiana Toll Road, Illinois Toll Road,and Chicago Skyway and soon on the Ohio Turnpike when there system goes on line next year.
When I fly to NYC I bring my own transponder with me to avoid the wait at the toll booths.

I believe if you have a Fast Lane transponder, you get small discounts when you use it on the Mass Pike extension and maybe the tunnels. However, once your transponder wears out, you have to pay to replace it as well as paying for it initially.

I got my EZ pass from NY (seems like a popular place on the east coast) though I live in PA. PA was about to implement the system but NY already had and I was driving into NY occasionally so I got it that way. The transponder can be shared between cars, so if we're taking my boyfriend's car on a road trip, we use my transponder. And if we take a flight, I check to see if where we're going has EZpass and pack it if they do.

On one trip, it didn't register through a fast lane (one where you don't have to slow down) but I was able to show that it had registered at all the other tolls on the GS Parkway and they removed the penalty and only charged me the toll.

I've been with them for many years and am glad I have the unit.

EZ Pass, hands down. as others have said. I have friends who tell some scary stories about problems with FastLane (other than they charge a ridiculous fee to buy their transponder)

The discounts mentioned by Irishswampyankee, if I'm not mistaken are limited to residents in specific areas near the pike. Plus, they are talking about revoking all discounts anyway.

I have had nothing but pleasant experiences on the phone (and these are New Yorkers I'm talking with )
and it's easy to authorize other cars on the website (such as when we rent a car our lend our transponder to relatives who are visiting).

I just want to thank ALL of you for your invaluable advice.

After procrastinating for several months, I finally got the EZPass transponder last week, when I realized we had to take the MassPike for Thanksgiving!

If it hadn't been your advice, I would never have figured out how to get an EZPass transponder since the website directed me to FastLane website!

We were able to bypass at least a 1-mile backup at the toll plaza on our way home on the MassPike. Thanks!

Technically, the EZ Pass is not supposed to be used in different vehicles; it is assigned to a particular car. You can use it in a rental car, if you notify them a certain amount of time in advance. But that is not always practical, since you don't know the info on a rental car until you pick it up. Most of the time, you won't get caught, but if you do, there is a fine.

If you plan on using it with a rental car, call the 800 number once you pick up a car. They can change the info right away on the phone or you can do it on the Internet (if you have access).

I am in Delaware for the night on my way south with my new EZ Pass, and I am a Massachusetts resident.

I followed the instructions on this thread, got the EZ Pass quickly with no expense up front. I think the amount of actual time it saves is trivial in terms of an entire trip (except on holiday weekends), but it saved lots of annoyance yesterday on the Garden State Parkway, NJ Turnpike, and Delaware Memorial Bridge. It will only get better today!

Once again, MA loses out by making life more difficult for its citizens. Go for it!

Definitely agree that Ma blew it with its system. Heck, when I was a Ma Toll Collector, I was telling people to get it thru NY Easy Pass.