Neither of us have to cross any of the many bridges in the Bay Area often, so we don't have much user experience, but we thought it'd be helpful to provide some information for those of you renting cars. (Thanks, Cindy, for the heads up!)
All of the bridges in the Bay Area except for the Golden Gate Bridge accept cash. Be sure to pay attention to the signs and pick the cash lanes, otherwise you may accidentally go through the FasTrak lane and be assessed a fee.
The Golden Gate Bridge is electronic only. That means you don't stop to pay a toll--instead they charge you via your license plate number. You will only be charged driving into San Francisco. Therefore if you stay in the North Bay the entire length of your stay, you will only have to pay the toll once when driving over the Golden Gate Bridge to get back to SFO.
The Golden Gate Bridge's website has some great information on how to go about paying for their tolls.
Here is what to do if you're renting a car.
Here is every possible way you can pay for the toll.
If you want to get a FasTrak, here is some information on a promotion.
