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Understanding Idle Fees for Charging Stations

Manage charging station availability and encourage timely vehicle removal.

Lizzie Karmi avatar
Written by Lizzie Karmi
Updated over 2 weeks ago

What Are Idle Fees?

Idle fees discourage drivers from leaving their fully charged vehicles plugged in, ensuring charging stations remain accessible for other users.

Purpose of Idle Fees

  • Prevent extended occupation of charging stations

  • Encourage drivers to move vehicles after charging completion

  • Maintain fair access to charging infrastructure

When Idle Fees Are Applied

Fees can be charged after an optional grace period, giving drivers time to:

  • Receive charging completion notification

  • Move their vehicle from the charging station

Grace Period Guidelines

  • Grace period is optional

  • Minimum recommended grace period: 10 minutes

  • Configurable duration based on location needs

Configuring Idle Fees

Navigate to:

  1. Operator settings

  2. Rate plans menu

  3. Click on the +Rate plan button or edit rate plan option

  4. Select the Transaction fees section

Set parameters:

  • Idle fee

  • Idle fee grace period

  • Idle fee cap per transaction

  • You can also configure scheduled idle fees:

    • By default, idle fees apply 24/7.

    • If a schedule is set, idle fees only apply during the defined hours.

    • When a charging session spans both scheduled and unscheduled times, only idle time within the scheduled hours is billed.

    To configure:

    1. Navigate to Operator settings → Rate plans.

    2. Add or edit a rate plan.

    3. In the Transaction fees section, open the Idle fee settings.

    4. Set the idle fee, grace period, and cap per transaction.

    5. (Optional) Enable and select a schedule.

Driver Notifications

Drivers are informed about idle fees through multiple stages:

  • Idle fee appears on the rate details screen. An info icon is shown if idle fees are scheduled. Tapping it displays the active hours.

  • Pre-fee warning on "Charging completed" screen

  • Notification upon charging completion alerting that idle fee applies

  • Push notifications in the app and SMS messages in Scan to Charge indicate when idle fees are active or when they are set to begin

  • Fee application confirmation

Where Idle Fees Are Recorded

Idle fees appear in the Back Office:

  • Transactions tab - under the "Idle fee" column

  • Statement tab, Account statements sub-tab, under the "Idle fee" column

Additionally, idle fees are displayed on:

  • Driver statements

  • Individual invoices

By implementing idle fees, you can optimize charging station availability and improve the overall charging experience.

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