What is a pre-authorisation hold at an EV charger?
A pre-authorisation hold temporarily reserves an agreed card amount before the final charging bill is known [S1]. It is different from a completed payment. Your site should explain the hold and provide a support route. The Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 set public charging payment requirements; they do not prescribe a universal hold amount [S2]. Checked October 2026.
What does a pre-authorisation hold mean?
A pre-authorisation hold is a temporary reservation of an agreed amount on a payment card before the final bill is known [S1]. It is not itself a completed charging payment.
Why it matters for your site: drivers may ask your staff about an amount that looks larger than their charging bill. Request a plain-English explanation from the payment service before opening your bays.
The FCA says funds may only be blocked with consent to the exact amount. It also sets a release obligation once the transaction amount is known [S1]. Check the proposed arrangement with your solicitor rather than promising every driver a particular bank-app update time.
Can failed charging attempts create several holds?
Make repeated attempts part of your acceptance demonstration. Ask the operator to show what happens when a card is authorised but charging fails, and how staff can identify any unresolved authorisation. Request a written escalation process instead of telling drivers to keep tapping their card.
As an illustration, assume a £30 hold and a final £12 bill. The £30 reservation is not £30 of charging revenue: the completed sale is £12, and the authorisation must be reconciled. Both figures are assumptions. Ask your payment service to show this distinction in its sample records; the FCA separates blocked funds from the final transaction amount [S1].
For the wider payment requirements under the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 [S2], read contactless payment on EV chargers. Use the charging cost tool for energy-cost illustrations, keeping temporary holds separate from the cost of electricity.
Next step
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Common questions
Why reserve money before charging finishes?
The final amount is unknown at authorisation. The FCA explains that card payments can reserve an agreed amount before the final transaction value is established [S1].
Is there a statutory charger hold amount?
The public charging regulations do not set a universal card hold amount. Request the actual payment terms and displayed authorisation amount for your site [S2].
What consent is needed to block funds?
FCA guidance says the customer must authorise the exact amount to be blocked where the transaction value is unknown. Have your solicitor check the payment journey [S1].
When must blocked funds be released?
The FCA says release must occur without undue delay once the payment service becomes aware of the amount, at the latest immediately after receiving the payment order. This is not a fixed number of days [S1].
Who should handle a payment query at your chargers?
Identify the operator's support route in your handover. Public charging rules require a free staffed telephone helpline; reception staff should be able to direct drivers to it [S2].
Ask about your site
Sources
- Payment Services and Electronic Money - Our Approach, November 2024, Financial Conduct Authority,Last checked 19 October 2026
- The Public Charge Point Regulations 2023, legislation.gov.uk,Last checked 19 October 2026