A charging card is a card or app that lets you start and pay for a public charge point. You hold the card against the reader on the charger, or you start the session in the app. The cost arrives afterwards on your account or your monthly invoice.
What is behind a charging card?
Every charging card belongs to a charging service provider, or MSP. That provider has agreements with the charge point operators, the CPOs. Thanks to those agreements, one card works at many different chargers, including operators that did not issue your card. This is called roaming. CPO and MSP explained covers how those roles fit together.
Your price therefore has two parts: the operator’s tariff and your card provider’s margin. Two cards can give you a different bill at the very same charger.
A worked example
Say you charge 30 kWh at a public fast charger. These figures are for illustration only, not real prices:
- Card A charges 0.60 euro per kWh and no start fee: 30 x 0.60 = 18.00 euro.
- Card B charges 0.52 euro per kWh plus 1.00 euro per session: 30 x 0.52 + 1.00 = 16.60 euro.
Card B wins here by 1.40 euro. Charge only 5 kWh and it flips: card A costs 3.00 euro, card B costs 2.60 + 1.00 = 3.60 euro. A start fee weighs heavily on short sessions and hardly at all on long ones. So work it out for your own charging habits.
Do you need one?
Not always. Many chargers also let you pay ad hoc with a bank card or a QR code. That is fine if you only charge in public now and then, on a day trip for example. It is usually the most expensive way, though, and you start from scratch at every charger. Paying by bank card or QR at the charger explains how that works.
A card pays off if you charge away from home regularly, perhaps because you have no driveway or you are often on the road. You start faster, you see your charging history in one place, and the rate is often lower than with ad hoc payment. Whether that is true for your provider depends on its terms, so always check.
What to look at when choosing
- Is there a monthly subscription, and how many sessions do you need to earn it back?
- What is the rate for AC and for fast charging? They often differ a lot.
- Does the provider charge a start fee per session?
- Does the card also work in the country you are driving to? See charging abroad and roaming.
Rates and terms change regularly, existing customers included. Look at the provider’s current price list before you sign up, and again if you have not checked for a while.
When does a subscription pay off?
You pay a subscription every month, whether you charge or not. It only makes sense if the lower rate earns that amount back. Say the subscription costs 5 euro a month and saves you 0.08 euro per kWh. Then you need to charge 5 / 0.08 = 62.5 kWh a month in public to break even. If you only charge 30 kWh a month in public, you lose 5 - 30 x 0.08 = 2.60 euro net. Again, these are illustrative figures. The principle holds: divide the monthly cost by your saving per kWh and compare it with what you really charge.
Common mistakes
- Choosing a card on one rate alone. The lowest per-kWh price means little without the start fee and subscription.
- Using just one card and trusting it blindly. No provider is cheapest everywhere. A second card without a subscription makes a good backup when the first does not work at a certain charger.
- Not testing the card before you leave. Activate it and try it out beforehand. That saves hassle at a charger in the rain or on a long trip.
When you do not need a card
If you charge almost only at home or at work, a card is unnecessary. The same goes if you only charge in public a few times a year. Then a bank card or QR code works out cheaper than a subscription you hardly ever use. To prepare your first public session calmly, start with your first public charge: a step-by-step guide.
Do you have a card from your employer?
If you drive a company car, you often get a fuel card that also covers charge points. Ask your employer whether that card also applies to charging at home, and how those costs are reimbursed. That differs from company to company.
On the charging cards page you can compare the options. To see which operator runs a charger near you, open the map of charge points.