What is a pre-authorization charge, and why is it being applied to my payment method?

A pre-authorization charge is a temporary hold placed on your payment method before a charging session begins, and is part of standard card-network processing, used widely to prevent failed charges and interruptions. When you start a charging session with ChargePoint, our payment processors may place a temporary authorization hold on your card to confirm the payment method and ensure necessary funds are available.

Please note that a pre-authorization is not an extra charge—it appears as “pending” and is released by your bank after the transaction settles for the actual amount used. This is standard across fueling and EV charging. This hold affects your balance but will not be posted/charged to your bank account. Only your final charging session total will be processed and charged to your account.