At E-Flux by Road, we regularly receive questions about blocking costs (also known as idle fees). In this article, we explain what blocking costs are, how they work, and why E-Flux by Road cannot influence them when you charge using a charge card from another provider (such as Shell Recharge).
Who determines the price?
When you charge, there are always two parties involved in setting the price:
Charge point operator (CPO): They operate the charging station and set the rates.
Charge point operators using the E-Flux by Road back-end can include blocking fees as part of the charging price (only 1% of operators use this feature).
Your chargecard provider (MSP): The party that issued your charge card (e.g. Shell Recharge). They ultimately determine the amount that appears on your invoice.
It is important to note that E-Flux by Road always passes on the actual charging costs to the card provider. If the charge point operator has not set any blocking fees on our platform, we will not charge the charging card provider any additional costs.
Why do they still appear on the invoice?
Some major card providers, such as Shell Recharge, have made a business decision to always charge blocking fees on the E-Flux by Road network. They do this independently. It’s a deliberate choice within their own revenue model, and we at E-Flux by Road have no influence over it.
How can you avoid these extra costs?
We want you to charge with peace of mind and at fair rates. You can easily avoid these third-party surcharges by following these steps:
Use an E-Flux by Road charge card: we only charge what the charge point operator actually charges. If the operator has not set up blocking fees, we will never add them on top of the rate.
Check the terms and conditions of your current charge card: many major providers apply standard surcharges after a certain amount of time (for example, after 4 hours). By switching to a more transparent provider, you can save on your monthly charging costs right away.