Why do the costs differ per card?

Charge point operators (CPOs) use different pricing models and each mobility service provider (MSP) is free to choose how they will charge the end-driver. There are many different billing models and sometimes you might pay different prices at the same charge point, depending on which charge card you use.

Each CPO is free to decide on the billing model for its charge points and how much a unit of charging (either minute or kWh) costs. As roaming providers offer access to the charge points of many different CPOs, who all set their own prices, there is no single price in a roaming network. Agreements between specific CPOs and MSPs can be made, which can result in price differences between providers.

MSPs are also free to set their own tariffs for charging sessions, allowing them to charge more or less than the energy price set by the CPO. Next, they can add a minute or session fee and add a subscription fee.

At Shell Recharge, we collaborate with many different charge point operators to grow and maintain our charging network. To give customers clarity on our tariffs, we use CPO tariffs with a fixed transaction fee of £0.35 up to a maximum of £7 per month. This is charged for all charging sessions except for those on our Shell forecourts or at Waitrose supermarkets. In cases where a minute fee is applied by the CPO, we protect customers by setting a maximum of £50 for AC charging and £100 for DC charging.