Electrify America is ending app-based account balances and auto-reload features over the coming weeks and moving to direct credit or debit card billing for each charging session. The change will apply a temporary $20 authorization hold at the start of each session, then charge only for the energy used.
That is why the shift is drawing attention now. Drivers who use the network only once in a while — including rental-car users, vacation travelers and companies charging fleet vehicles — will no longer have to pre-fund an account before plugging in. Existing balances will be used first on the next charge, and any remainder will be billed to the card on file.
Electrify America said the practical effect should be small for regular users, even though the new setup removes a payment hurdle for occasional drivers. The company also said the release time for any remaining card hold will depend on the bank.
The move brings the network’s payment process closer to Tesla Supercharger billing, which charges directly to a payment method on file. Electrify America operates DC fast chargers rated up to 350 kW and Level 2 chargers across the United States and Canada, and by early 2026 it had more than 5,600 DC fast chargers at 1,080 locations. That still leaves it far behind Tesla’s 33,000-plus Supercharger ports, even as it remains one of the biggest public charging networks in North America.
The company said its discounted digital pass subscriptions will not change. The unanswered piece is the rollout itself: Electrify America has said the new billing system will arrive over the coming weeks, but it has not given a date for when it will be fully in place.
