Frequently Asked Questions

Breakaway is our toll discount program and your pass to an efficient crossing experience at the Gordie Howe International Bridge. For businesses, commuters or occasional travellers, opening a Breakaway account is your direct route to hassle-free payment and discounted rates. Learn more.

Breakaway enrollment many benefits including: hassle-free travel, discounted toll rates, faster commute times, consolidated billing and tailored customer care. Breakaway tags are free of charge for account holders. 

Opening a Breakaway account is easy and free. You will need to provide contact information, vehicle information and payment details to receive a Breakaway tag. 

After opening a Breakaway account, you will be asked for payment information to preload funds to your account and select the appropriate Breakaway RFID tag for your vehicle. The tags will arrive in the mail to be placed on your vehicle (windshield, headlamp or licence plate), depending on the tag type. 

Once your Breakaway tag is installed and activated online, account members can simply drive to any open toll lane at the Gordie Howe International Bridge. Toll will be automatically deducted from your prepaid account or invoiced through monthly billing (Business Postpaid accounts only), and the gate will open seconds after your arrival. 

No, you do not need a Breakaway account or tag to cross the Gordie Howe International Bridge. Payment options are available at the toll lanes including cash, debit/credit or digital wallet. Opening a Breakaway account will save you time and money on future crossings. 

The toll lanes at the Gordie Howe International Bridge are managed to optimize traffic flow, reduce queue lengths and save time.  Dedicated electronic tolling lanes will be available in each direction with the ability to add more based on traffic volumes. Breakaway members can also use any of the other open toll lanes as they are all equipped to process Breakaway account tags. 

All travellers can now open an account in advance of bridge opening. Business account sign up began  March 11, 2026 and Breakaway accounts for personal users, including commuters and occasional travellers, launched  March 31, 2026.   

It is free to open a Breakaway account, however you must add a minimum starting balance to order your Breakaway tags. During our preseason launch, prior to bridge opening, personal accounts  require an initial deposit of $20 and business prepaid accounts require $150.  Following bridge opening, personal accounts will require an initial deposit of $50. Deposited funds will be used to pay future toll charges at the Gordie Howe International Bridge. 

Breakaway Customer Care can be reached by phone at 1-855-200-3299 (toll-free), email [email protected]. Following bridge opening, additional customer service offerings will be available including a mobile app and online chat feature.  

To be considered for a postpaid business account, create a Breakaway account online at https://account.wdbridge.co/ and select the ‘Business Postpaid’ account option. Enter your contact information and a Business Development Partner will contact you with additional application details. Businesses must conduct over 1000 trips per month, have over five vehicles and consent to a credit check to be assessed for this type of account. Credit may or may not be granted at WDBA’s discretion, following an assessment that considers a company’s credit history and utilization, existing liens and payments, and any insolvencies, legal items and collections in the past five years. 

Breakaway Business Prepaid and Postpaid accounts provide identical toll discounts and the same benefits in terms of time and cost savings at the toll lanes. 

A Business Prepaid Account is the account option applicable to most companies. Toll charges incurred are withdrawn from preloaded funds and transactions are summarized on a monthly statement. 

A Business Postpaid Account is available to large fleets, conducting over 1000 cross-border trips per month. An application and extensive registration and assessment process is required prior to a company being permitted to open this type of account. Toll charges incurred are summarized and billed on a monthly invoice.  

No, personal accounts only include a prepaid option.   

Personal account holders can enter their vehicle information directly through the Breakaway Customer Portal or can have their vehicle information inputted into their account by a Breakaway Customer Care representative by calling 1-855-200-3299 and providing the information over the phone. 

Yes, your personal and payment information is secure. Information is protected through encryption and is securely stored and protected under strict privacy and security standards. Read our privacy statement here. Additional security features are available and encouraged for account holders, including enabling the two-factor authentication option for online services and creating a PIN under the settings option to access account information over the phone. 

Breakaway Customer Care will only contact you by phone (1-855-200-3299), email ([email protected]) or SMS message depending on your notification preferences. If you have concerns about the legitimacy of a message, we encourage you to call or email us directly to confirm.  

There is an option to select Canadian or US currency when opening your Breakaway account. When travelling through the toll lanes, charges will be automatically deducted from your prepaid account in this currency. You cannot update the currency selection after opening an account and will need to close and open a new account to enable payment in another currency.

If you are looking to close your account, contact Breakaway Customer Care at 1-855-200-3299 (toll-free) or [email protected]. If you are closing your account a refund of remaining pre-paid funds will be remitted electronically to the bank account or credit card on file or in the form of a cheque mailed to the customer mailing address on file at the time of closure. Refunds must be greater than $2.00 CAD or $2.00 USD.   

Up to four (4) vehicles can be added to a personal account. Business accounts can accommodate an unlimited number of vehicles in your fleet. 

After your Breakaway account is set up, you can add or modify vehicles by clicking on the vehicles tab at the top of the page. Each vehicle will be associated with a specific Breakaway tag. 

Yes, vehicle information including make, model, year and licence plate, is required to order a Breakaway tag.  

Yes, a list of business vehicles can be imported to your business account, saving time and effort in the registration process. Customers will be able to download a Bulk Tag Order Template online when signed into their Breakaway account to order tags. Once complete, the form is emailed to Breakaway Customer Care to upload into the system.

Sign in to your Breakaway account at https://account.wdbridge.co/ and update your password under profile settings. To update your email, contact Breakaway Customer Care at 1-855-200-3299 (toll-free) or [email protected]. If you forgot your password, use the “forgot password” button on the sign in page and a reset link will be sent via email.

To view your account balance, simply sign in to your Breakaway account at (https://account.wdbridge.co/). 

No, the prepaid balance on your Breakaway account will never expire. 

Account updates are reflected in approximately 60 seconds.  

An account will have one ‘Owner’ with the ability to add additional members to an account to support account management. Account notification settings can be adjusted based on family/ business needs.   

If you have authorized auto-replenishment when registering your Breakaway account, the primary card on file will automatically be charged the amount you pre-selected when falling below the low balance threshold. You will receive a notification when this occurs.  

If you have opted for manual account replenishment, you will receive a low balance notification prompting you to visit the website and add funds to your account. If there are insufficient funds in the account when you arrive at toll lane, you will be required to make a payment through cash, debit or credit card for the full value of the crossing. Discounted toll rates are only available to Breakaway accounts in good standing with available funds.

Personal and business accounts will receive a monthly email notification that your statement or invoice (Business Postpaid only) is ready for review by signing in to your online account. No action is required for prepaid account holders. 

You can easily export and print your statements by accessing your online Breakaway account. If you require additional assistance or statement formats, please contact Breakaway Customer Care at 1-855-200-3299 (toll-free) or [email protected]. 

When opening your Breakaway account, there are auto-replenishment or manual replenishment options. Setting up auto-replenishment will ensure worry-free travel without interruption with amounts topped up based on the usage of your account and thresholds set under the auto-replenishment tab.

Sign in to your Breakaway account. Under the ‘Add Funds’ button, there is an option to manage payment methods, which allows you to remove or update the credit card. 

Cardholders will see “Gordie Howe Int’l Bridge” on their bank statement along with specific acronyms depending on the specific payment channel.  

No, there are no service fees, however, recovery fees may be imposed for any unpaid amounts. See Terms and Conditions for more information.  

Monthly statements and invoices are available for download through your online account. An annual account summary is not provided. 

Yes, toll transaction data is available and can be accessed any time by logging into the Breakaway Customer Portal under the ‘Activity’ tab. 

No, we do not offer toll gift cards at this time.  

Three types of Breakaway tags are available depending on your vehicle type. Windshield tags are the standard tag to be installed on most vehicles. Headlamp tags should be ordered specifically for motorcycles or vehicles with metalized windshields. Licence plate tags may be needed for vehicles of specific size or orientation (trucks carrying cars) or on a case-by-case basis. Watch our video on the various tag types or call Breakaway Customer Care at 1-855-200-3299 (toll-free).  

Your Breakaway tag will be shipped within 3 business days of the order date and will arrive by mail. The delivery time varies depending on the destination. Generally, domestic mail within Canada can take anywhere from 2 to 9 business days, while international mail can take 7 business days or longer. 

No, tags are not transferable between vehicles once installed. If you require a new or additional tag, sign in to your Breakaway account and place an order, or call Breakaway Customer Care for assistance. Tags are linked to specific vehicles on your account. If the tags were installed on the wrong vehicle, the vehicle information can be updated through your online account. Do not try to remove the tag and switch to the other vehicle. The tags will break and will be unusable. 

Instructions for installing your tag are included in your mailed welcome package. They are also available on our website along with an instructional video. Activate your tag online through your Breakaway account by clicking the “Activate” button under the Tags tab. Activation must be completed prior to crossing to avoid delays. 

The windshield, headlamp and licence plate tag options currently available, require assignment to a specific vehicle prior to activation.  

We do not currently offer a mobile tag option, however, do offer toll payment via a dynamic Breakaway QR code that can be accessed by Breakaway account holders by logging into their online account through the website.  

Your Breakaway QR code is a digital identifier displayed on a mobile device that is accessed in the top right corner after signing in to your online Breakaway account. For security reasons, your QR code is dynamic, meaning that it changes often. Due to this, the QR code cannot be added to a digital wallet and a screenshot cannot be utilized. 

Yes, your NEXUS card can be linked to your account and used for future toll payments. Simply travel to an attended toll lane and request your NEXUS card and Breakaway account be connected. You will need to provide the physical NEXUS card as well as your Breakaway account QR code which can be found in the top right corner of your online Breakaway account. 

Please contact Breakaway Customer Care by phone at 1-855-200-3299 (toll-free) or email [email protected] to have it replaced. 

At this time, Breakaway tags are free of charge. 

Rates for the Gordie Howe International Bridge are based on vehicle classification, including height and number of axles. Rates for passenger vehicles are $8 CAD/$5.75 USD per crossing, with a Breakaway member rate of $6 CAD/$4.35 USD; rates for commercial trucks, oversized vehicles and larger passenger vehicles are  $12 CAD/$8.75 USD per axle, with a Breakaway member rate of $9.60 CAD/$6.90 USD per axle. Visit our tolling page for the latest information.  

No, toll rates for passenger and commercial vehicles are based on vehicle classification including axle count and vehicle height. 

No, the toll rates are the same regardless of where you are travelling from. Rates are set in Canadian and US dollars for customers paying cash or through a Breakaway customer account. If paying by credit or debit, rates will be charged in Canadian dollars and will be adjusted based on bank exchange rates at the time of crossing.    

No, the toll rates are the same regardless of where you are travelling from. Rates are set in Canadian and US dollars for customers paying cash or through a Breakaway customer account. If paying by credit or debit, rates will be charged in Canadian dollars and will be adjusted based on bank exchange rates at the time of crossing. 

Electronic payments using a Breakaway customer account offer a discounted toll rate compared to cash, credit, debit or digital wallet options. 

Frequent travellers can receive a discount of up to 25% on Gordie Howe International Bridge toll rates by opening a Breakaway customer account. Resident-specific discounts are not available, but the frequent-user program, known as Breakaway, is open to all.  

We accept all major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover), debit, cash, digital wallet payments and Breakaway customer accounts. Visit our tolling page for more information. 

Yes, there will be at least one staffed booth in each direction at all times. The number of open lanes will vary based on traffic patterns and operational requirements. 

Yes, businesses and fleet operators can take advantage of discounts by opening a Breakaway customer account which offers up to 25% off Gordie Howe International Bridge rates depending on vehicle classification. Learn more about Breakaway.

No, the toll rates are the same regardless of where you are travelling from. Rates are set in Canadian and US dollars for customers paying cash or through a Breakaway customer account. If paying by credit or debit, rates will be charged in Canadian dollars and will be adjusted based on bank exchange rates at the time of crossing.     

Breakaway Account holders can set their preferred currency for toll charges in either Canadian or US dollars.  

Frequent travellers can receive a discount of up to 25% on Gordie Howe International Bridge toll rates by opening a Breakaway customer account. Resident-specific discounts are not available, but the toll discount program, known as Breakaway, is open to all.    

The team is progressing well towards opening in spring 2026. Testing and commissioning is underway across the site. Updated timelines will be shared when available. 

Yes, the Gordie Howe International Bridge will be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, following opening day.   

No, the Gordie Howe International Bridge is open to all vehicle types, including passenger cars, semi-trucks, motorcycles and pedestrians/cyclists. 

Real-time border wait times will be available on our mobile–friendly website. 

Career opportunities are posted, when available, on the Opportunities section of the Gordie Howe International Bridge website. Bridging North America will also share opportunities through local job boards such as Indeed. 

Please reach out to our project team through the “Contact Us” form on our website. You can also send an email to [email protected], including event details, dates and any specific requests. 

Currently, a duty-free shop and gas station are not included at the Gordie Howe International Bridge. Facilities such as these may be considered at a later date.  

Standard cross-border travel documents such as a valid passport or NEXUS card are required. Refer to the CBSA and CBP websites for a complete list of accepted documents and any travel advisories. 

Time savings will depend on your origin, destination and time of day. With the direct, highway-to-highway connection, we anticipate that the bridge will pare valuable minutes off travel time.