FAQ - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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What do the icons on the map mean?
Each icon gives you information about the charging station and its status.
- Blue icon with BE logo: The charging station is located in a public area and is managed directly by Be charge. Access is free 24 hours a day.
- White icon with BE logo: The charging station is hosted by a private facility. You need to contact the host facility to gain access. Again, the station is managed directly by Be charge.
- Grey icon: The charging station is operated by another operator, but you can still charge from the Be charge app.
- Light blue icon: identifies the charging station where you are currently charging.
The status of the charging station is identified by the coloured dot.
- Green: FREE. Recharging is possible because the station is free.
- Red: BUSY. Charging is not available because the charging station is busy or out of order.
The dot with the lightning icon indicates the power of the charging station:
- One lightning bolt: Fast charging station.
- Two lightning bolts: Ultra Fast charging station.
WARNING: some charging stations may have exclusive or time-limited access. It is necessary to check in the App the access conditions shown in the information sheet of the charging station.
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How do I start charging?
First, you must select a charging station on the map. Once there, choose the desired charging outlet from those available and start charging from the app with the “Drag to charge” button. Alternatively, you can start the charging process with your RFID card by passing it over the charging station in the charging area.
If you have any problems starting the charging process, our support is always available. -
How do I end the charge?
To end your charge, go to the charge monitoring screen and select the “Drag to end” button. Alternatively, you can end the recharging process with your RFID card by swiping it over the charger in the charging area.
You can end the charging process at any time, even if your car battery is not 100% charged.
Remember to always pull the cable out of the charging station first and then out of the car. If the cable is pulled out of the car first, the charging process will be finished but the cable might get stuck in the plug of the charging station.
If you have problems with ending the recharging process, our support is always available. -
How long does a charge last?
The charging time of an electric car depends on the power of the charging station, the vehicle, the battery with which it is equipped (its capacity expressed in kWh), and the charger and cable used.
The time needed for a full charge is therefore very variable. To find out how long it takes to charge your car, we recommend that you consult your car's user manual. -
Which vehicles can be charged at Be Charge stations?
Our Quick charging stations are equipped with Type 2 plugs according to European standards for charging in public places (IEC 61851-1 and 62196-2). For Fast and Ultra Fast, in addition to the Type 2 plug, the available plugs are CHAdeMO and CCS2.
This ensures that any electric or hybrid vehicle with a Type 2 plug complying with European standards can be charged.
The maximum power available at Be charge charging stations in AC (alternating current) mode is 22 kW, while in DC (direct current) mode it is up to 150 kW in the case of the Fast and over 150kW in the case of the Ultra Fast.
The power actually delivered depends on the electric vehicle and more precisely on the maximum power allowed by the battery charger (PCS) on board. -
Charging is complete, but I cannot remove the cable from the charging station.
If you have disconnected the cable from the vehicle, but are unable to disconnect it from the charging station, you can try restarting the charging process and stopping it again.
If the problem persists, please contact our support. -
Can I charge at a charging station that has a higher power rating than my car is capable of charging?
Yes. The vehicle will simply absorb as much power as it is capable of absorbing from the column. -
What should I do if my parking space is occupied but the parking space is free on the app?
We always invite users who have finished charging to vacate the stall as soon as possible to allow other vehicles to charge.
The stalls are reserved for charging electric vehicles, but it may happen that some conventional vehicles occupy the stall illegally.
In this case, we suggest you report the occupation of the stall to the competent authorities in your municipality. -
I have started the charging session but the charging station is not working..
We recommend that you immediately make a second attempt to start charging.
If the problem persists, please contact our support. -
The plug is free but charging does not start..
We suggest you do the following checks:
- make sure that the GPS geolocation setting on your smartphone is active and check that you are close to the chosen charging station.
- make sure that the charging station is active and running on the App.
- make sure that you have the data connection and/or the Internet connection on your smartphone active
If the problem persists, please contact our support.
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What service does Be Charge offer?
Be charge is an integrated operator for electric mobility, which enables owners of electric vehicles to charge their cars nationwide through its own infrastructure.
You can activate a charge using the Be charge App or the RFID card. -
How can I purchase the RFID card?
The RFID card can be purchased directly from the app. With the RFID card you can charge your car at Be Charge stations without using the App (your smartphone). The card must be activated in the app and associated (will be associated automatically) with your (payment method and) billing profile.
To activate the RFID card, go to the Be charge app, then to the “Profile” section, then to the “RFID card” section and, after selecting “Activate”, follow the instructions on the app. -
How to use the RFID card?
To start recharging, place the card close to the charging area and connect the cable. To end recharging, place the card close to the charging area and disconnect the cable. -
I have lost my RFID card, what should I do?
If your RFID card is lost or stolen, you can request a new card in the app or contact our customer service. In the “Support” section, you can report the problem by selecting “Theft or loss of RFID card”.
We will disable your lost card and send a new one to your registered address. -
How and where can I redeem my coupon?
In your profile you will find the “Coupons and promos” section. There you can enter your code and activate your promo.
The available discount and/or promotions will be applied automatically on your first purchase (on your first charge).
You can also enter your coupon code when you start your charge.
To activate your coupon codes and use the reserved discounts you must have a billing profile.
The discount cannot be combined with active rate plans and will be visible on your bill. -
How and where can I view the history and status of my coupons?
You can find the history in your profile, in the “Coupons and promos” section.
In this section you will see all the coupons you have entered and their status: available, activated, used, expired or ended. -
Who can join the Be Charge service?
The Be Charge service is available to all private customers of legal age and to any company. -
How do I register for Be Charge?
Registration from the App is free of charge. In order to charge, you need to create an account by entering some personal data, some data about your vehicle (e.g. type of plug required) and the data needed for billing and payment. The telephone number is only required to verify the identity of the user via a confirmation message.
You can also access the service as a “Guest”, without registering, by entering the data necessary for payment and billing. -
The speed of recharging is slower than expected or discontinuous. What should I do?
The amount of kWh delivered during a charging session depends on a number of factors, such as the state of the car's battery, its temperature or any limits on the flow of energy to the charger. Generally, this is not a cause for concern and minor discontinuities are completely normal, but if you notice any particular problems, please do not hesitate to contact our support team. -
How do I register a vehicle to my account and what is it for?
You can register one or more car models to your account when you register for the app or at any other time by going to the “Profile” section and selecting “Add vehicle”.
You will be able to choose from the vehicles offered on the app, and if you can't find your vehicle, report it to us.
For each vehicle, some technical information will be shown, such as the type of plug and the battery capacity, in order to offer more details during the charging session.
You can always change this information. For each charging session you will be able to select the model you want to charge. -
When and how is the idle penalty activated?
It is important that our charging stations allow everyone to charge their vehicles. After the completion of charging, you will have 60 minutes of free parking to return to the charging station and continue your journey in your car. After this period, we will apply a charging point occupancy penalty: at Quick chargers (AC up to 22 kW), it is 0.10€ per minute (the fee does not apply in the 23:00 to 07:00 time range), at Fast chargers (DC up to 99 kW), it is 0.20€ per minute (24/7), and at Fast+ (DC up to 149 kW) and Ultrafast (DC over 150 kW), it is 0.30€ per minute (24/7).
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What is the Be Charge wallet?
The wallet is a Be Charge product that allows you to top up throughout the network in prepaid mode. Depending on the denomination chosen, you can credit a certain amount of money to your wallet. Each time you top up, your available credit, if selected from the payment methods, will be used to top up at Be Charge EVCs and/or, depending on the cases identified in the App, at EVCs of other interoperable operators. You can top up your wallet directly in the App by credit card. See our terms and conditions for further details.
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What tariff plans are available?
There are four tariff plans available:
- Be Free: pay the pay-as-you-go tariff published on the app
- Be Start: €9.90 every 30 days, for charging sessions performed in Italy and the Republic of San Marino with a 20% discount on the pay-as-you-go tariff published on the app.
- Be Medium: €13.90 every 30 days, for charging sessions performed in Italy and the Republic of San Marino with a 30% discount on the pay-as-you-go tariff published on the app.
- Be Premium: €19.90 every 30 days, for charging sessions performed in Italy and the Republic of San Marino with a 40% discount on the pay-as-you-go tariff published on the app.
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How do I activate a tariff plan using the Be Charge app?
To activate a tariff plan via the Be Charge app, just follow these steps:
- Go to the Profile section of the app.
- In the “Active Plans” box, choose “Find all”.
- Choose the right plan for you and click “Request”
- You can ask for the plan to be activated immediately or you can wait until the end of the 14-day cooling-off period and it will activate automatically.
- Your plan will renew automatically every 30 days from the date of activation.
Remember, you can also charge your vehicle using the Be Free tariff, the standard pay-as-you-go tariff with no discount applied. The other tariff plans offer discounts on charging sessions upon payment of a fixed monthly fee every 30 days.
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How does the Be Free pay-as-you-go tariff plan work and how does it differ from the other tariff plans?
The Be Free pay-as-you-go tariff is simpler than Be Charge’s other plans and requires no fixed monthly fee. Unlike the other tariff plans, like Be Start, Be Medium and Be Premium, Be Free does not require a fixed monthly fee every 30 days. However, again unlike the other plans, Be Free does not offer discounts on the Euro/kWh pay-as-you-go tariffs. With Be Free, you only pay for the energy you consume during your charging sessions, without any monthly commitment or automatic renewal.
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Can I change my tariff plan?
Yes, you can change your tariff plan before the automatic renewal date. You new plan will take effect when the old one expires, and you can continue to use the old plan until its expiry date.
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If I get a new plan, how do the discounts on charging sessions work?
By paying a fixed monthly fee every 30 days, you can get a discount on the Euro/kWh pay-as-you-go tariff for all charging sessions performed using the app or an RFID card. The discount applies on pay-as-you-go tariffs published on the app for all charging points located in Italy and the Republic of San Marino.
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What happens after I buy a tariff plan?
After accepting the Terms and Conditions, and after buying a plan via the Be Charge app, you can request that your plan is activated immediately or you can wait until the end of the 14-day cooling-off period. Once the cooling-off period has ended, your chosen tariff plan will be activated automatically.
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How does my tariff plan renew?
At the end of the 30-day validity period that begins from the activation date or the last renewal date, your tariff plan will automatically renew for another 30 days, unless you cancel it.
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How do I cancel an active tariff plan?
To cancel a plan, just go to the “Profile” section of the Be Charge app, select the active plan and click “Deactivate”. After confirming your decision, your plan will not renew the following month and, at the expiry date, you can charge your vehicle using the Be Free pay-as-you-go tariff.
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What if I change my mind during the “cooling-off period”? How does it work?
There is a 14-day cooling-off period from the date you buy a tariff plan. After exercising your right to cancel during this 14-day period, you can charge your vehicle using the standard Be Free pay-as-you-go tariff.
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How long is a tariff plan valid for?
Each tariff plan is valid for 30 days from the activation date and will renew automatically at the expiry date for another 30 days, unless you cancel it.
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Can I get a discount at any charging station?
No, the discount only applies on pay-as-you-go tariffs published on the app for charging points located in Italy and the Republic of San Marino. Pay-as-you-go tariffs may vary depending on the charging station you choose.
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Can I use my tariff plan at any operator’s charging stations?
Yes, the discount applies to the pay-as-you-go tariffs published on the Be Charge app and can also be used for charging sessions performed at charging points belonging to other operators that are available in Italy and the Republic of San Marino. Prices can vary depending on the operator and the charging station.
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Can I have more than one tariff plan active at the same time?
No, you can only have one tariff plan active at any one time. You can choose the plan that best meets your needs and activate it in the Be Charge app.
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What happens if I don’t use my tariff plan?
Even if you don’t use your tariff plan, you’ll still pay the fixed monthly fee every 30 days and your plan will automatically renew every 30 days from the activation date. Keep an eye on your renewal dates and, if you need to, you can cancel your tariff plan.