How to start ChargePoint EV Charging and get a membership card
ChargePoint EV chargers can be activated through a mobile app or contactless membership card.
Image: ElectricVehicleNation.com
If you’re a new EV owner and have recently forayed into the world of public charging, you may have come across two different types of chargers - those that allow you to just pay with a credit card, and those that require a membership validation.
There are many different charging networks out there today, but one of the largest public charging networks is ChargePoint.
ChargePoint allows its individual station owners to set prices and access, which may include requiring a free ChargePoint membership to activate a charging session.
How to activate a ChargePoint EV Charging Session?
ChargePoint has several ways that drivers can activate a charging session at a public EV charging station that requires membership.
One way can be done virtually, and two ways can be done by tapping a membership card on the station’s contactless reader.
Use the ChargePoint mobile app
The easiest way is to activate a session is through the ChargePoint mobile app. This will require you to be logged in to your ChargePoint account on the app.
The ChargePoint app is map-based and pretty intuitive to use with the following steps:
Once you pull up to the EV Charging station, find the station on the map and select it. Note, many public stations have multiple chargers clustered within close proximity, so be sure you select the correct one in the app. Stations within a cluster will often share the same name (such as Smith Garage), but be differentiated by a number after the name (e.g. Smith Garage #1, Smith Garage #2, etc.) You can match the name of the charger on your mobile app with the name of the charger listed on the screen of the ChargePoint station.
After selecting the correct charger, swipe up on the charger details, and there should be a button in the app that says “Start Charge.”
Select “Start Charge”
The session will start and charging will be linked to your ChargePoint account. This will automatically bill the session to the payment method configured in your account.
There are a couple benefits of using the ChargePoint app to manage your charging:
For one, it allows live monitoring of your EV charging session so that you know how many kWh have been added to your car and the rate at which your car is charging. This is useful if you leave your car unattended while it is charging.
Using the app also allows you to seamlessly activate charging sessions when at EV station that is in one of ChargePoint’s partner networks (such as Shell Recharge, EVgo, etc.)
Tap a ChargePoint membership card
The other way to activate a ChargePoint session is by physically tapping your ChargePoint membership card on the station’s contactless reader.
Tapping a membership card on the station to active an EV charging session can be quite convenient, as you don’t need to fumble around with launching the ChargePoint app and finding the right charger on the map. It can also come in handy if an internet connection on your phone is not available or if your phone has run of out battery.
You can either tap a physical card or a virtual card through NFC on your phone. The physical card tap is pretty self-explanatory, but for the virtual card tap you’ll need to have the ChargePoint app installed and signed into your account before making the tap.
Once the session is started, you’ll have the access to the same live Charging Activity in the ChargePoint app as you would have if using the “Start Charge” button in the app. Charging sessions will also automatically charge to the payment method configured in your account.
How to get a ChargePoint membership card?
If you like the idea of using a ChargePoint membership card to activate your sessions, you may be wondering how to get one.
Physical Card
ChargePoint will send you a physical membership card upon request, and this can be done either on your ChargePoint account on a web browser, or in your ChargePoint account in the mobile app.
Just go over to the Manage Cards section of your account and request a card in the mail.
Virtual Card
Virtual cards are easy to set up and are instantly activated.
Depending on the phone you have (i.e iPhone or Android), the setup will be different but is done in the ChargePoint app. Go over into the Manage Cards section of your account and follow the prompts to create a virtual card (which ChargePoint calls the Tap to Charge feature).
How to signup for a ChargePoint membership?
If you’ve never used ChargePoint before and want to sign up for a free account membership, you can easily do so on their website at chargepoint.com or by downloading the ChargePoint app and following the prompts to create a new account.