A public charging receipt is built from a few standard lines: the energy you took, priced per kilowatt-hour or per minute; any session or idle fees the site applies; and tax. If the total looks bigger than the energy line alone, one of those extra lines is why. The one figure that is not part of the total is the temporary card hold placed when you plugged in — a pending reservation, not a charge.
Key Takeaways
- A receipt is energy (or time) plus any session and idle fees, plus tax — each as a named line.
- The card hold at plug-in is a pending reservation, not a charge and not part of the total.
- Check energy against your car’s figure, and the clock against any time or idle lines.
- Totals differ between sessions at the same station because the lines follow the session, not the site.
The Lines, One by One
| Receipt line | What it is based on |
|---|---|
| Energy | Kilowatt-hours delivered, multiplied by the site’s per-kWh price — or, on some networks, a per-minute line instead. |
| Time | Minutes connected or charging, on networks that bill by time instead of, or as well as, energy. |
| Session / connection fee | A flat amount for starting the session, where the site charges one. Many sites charge none. |
| Idle fee | Time spent still plugged in after charging finished, where the site charges it to keep the bay turning over. |
| Tax | Sales tax or VAT applied to the lines above, at the local rate. |
Not every receipt has every line. A simple site may show one energy line and tax. The pricing model behind the lines — and whether public charging costs money at all at a given site — is covered in our guide to free vs paid charging.
The Hold Is Not a Receipt Line
When you pay by card, many networks place a temporary authorisation hold — a round amount reserved on your card before the session starts. It can be larger than your final bill and briefly look like a second charge. It is neither: the hold is released and replaced by the single receipt total once the session closes. If a hold still shows days later, that is a question for the network or your card issuer, with the receipt as your reference.
Checking a Receipt in Thirty Seconds
- Compare the energy. The kWh on the receipt should match, closely, what your car reports it received. A large gap is worth querying.
- Check the clock. Start and end times explain time-based lines and any idle fee. If you unplugged promptly, an idle line should not be there.
- Do the headline sum. Energy × the posted price should land near the subtotal; the rest should be named fees and tax, not mystery amounts.
- Keep it if you will query it. The receipt’s date, station and session details are what the operator will ask for.
One worked example, with figures invented purely to show the shape: a session delivers 30 kWh at an example price of $0.45 per kWh, which is $13.50; add an example $1.00 session fee and the subtotal is $14.50 before tax. Real prices vary by site, which is why our breakdown of what commercial chargers cost shows the hardware side pricing has to recover.
Home charging never itemises like this — you see one blended electricity bill, which is why our guide to home charging costs works from your tariff instead. Networks running EVDANCE hardware, such as the EV-AC03201T dual-connector station with OCPP 1.6J, pass the same session record to the operator’s platform — your receipt is printed from it. See EVDANCE’s commercial charging page for the operator side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my total higher than kWh × price?
Because the energy line is only one component. Add any session fee, time-based lines, an idle fee if you stayed plugged in after finishing, and tax. Each should appear as a named line; if one does not, ask the operator.
Why do two receipts from the same station differ so much?
Because the lines respond to the session, not just the station. A car that charges slowly accrues more on time-based lines; a driver who leaves promptly avoids idle fees entirely; and time-of-use pricing can change the energy line itself, as our guide to smart charging and time-of-use tariffs explains.
Where do I find the receipt after the session?
Usually in the network’s app or by email if you charged with an account, and on the charger’s screen or card statement for a guest contactless session. Corridor stations under the NEVI rules must accept contactless payment with no membership, so a receipt trail exists even without an account — keep the card statement entry if you need one.
Related Reading
- Do EV Charging Stations Cost Money? Free vs Paid Charging Explained
- How Much Do Commercial EV Chargers Cost?
- How Much Does It Cost to Charge an Electric Car at Home?
- Smart Charging and Time-of-Use Tariffs: How Scheduling Cuts EV Charging Costs
