Charging without a charge card: 5 ways

You are standing at a charge point without a card. You can still charge. There are five ways. The fifth appears in no overview, and it is the cheapest.

1. Pay with your bank card

More and more fast chargers have a payment terminal. You hold your debit or credit card against the charge point and charging starts. You pay the operator's rate, usually a little higher than with a card. On-street charge points almost never have a terminal: they are too small and too old.

2. With an app or a QR code

Nearly every charge point carries a QR code or a number. You scan or type it, pick an amount and pay by iDEAL or credit card. This is called ad-hoc charging and it works almost everywhere. You do need reception, and in some places a deposit up front.

3. Contactless with your phone

Some fast chargers accept Apple Pay and Google Pay. You hold your phone against the reader, just like at the till. It is quick and you install nothing. Check before you go whether the charge point supports it: it says so on the charger and in the operator's app.

4. Plug & Charge

Here your car does the work. Car and charge point recognise each other through a certificate in the car (the standard is ISO 15118). You plug in and charging starts, with no card, app or scan. You do need a contract for it, with your car brand or your charging provider. And the charge point must support it. In the Netherlands that is not yet everywhere.

5. Charging at someone you know

The four ways above share one thing: you pay. The fifth does not. Charge at a neighbour, friend or family member with their own charger, and there is no card and no settlement.

The ERE makes that work. Every kWh charged at home earns the owner of the connection an ERE credit: about €0.16 gross per kWh, based on our realised sale prices. On a dynamic contract, power at a good moment costs less than that. The ERE then covers the power you charge, so the owner is not out of pocket. Joulo charges no service fees on shared kWh.

Here is how it goes. Someone with a connected charger sends you an invitation. You create a free Joulo account and accept. On the driveway you report with one tap that you are charging, and you plug in. Then you claim your session. Joulo Share is in beta, for customers of our dynamic energy partners, and runs by invitation.

What does charging on the road cost?

Public charging costs €0.46 per kWh on average. An average session is about 12 kWh, so around €5.50. At someone you know you pay nothing. That helps, but the main point is different: you need no card, no subscription and no operator app.