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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 today

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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