The road to seamless charging
The transition to electric mobility is accelerating fast. Belgium, like much of Europe, is investing heavily in public charging infrastructure, fleet electrification, and new business models built around sustainable transport. Yet for many EV drivers, whether private owners or fleet managers, one element of the charging experience still raises important questions: how to access, manage, and pay for public charging easily.
This is where the charge card comes in.
What is a charge card?
A charge card is a physical RFID card, or sometimes a small key fob, that lets you start, stop and pay for charging sessions at public charge points. It’s linked to your personal or company account, and all charging costs are automatically billed to that account. Each charge card contains a unique RFID chip that communicates directly with the charging station’s backend system. When you present your charge card, the network verifies your account credentials with your provider, confirms that the card is active and linked to a valid payment method, and then authorises your charge session in seconds.
The process is designed to be simple and reliable:
1
Plug your EV into the charger
2
Hold your charge card against the RFID reader
This authenticates your session
3
The operator starts your charge session
This is usually confirmed by a screen or a light changing colour
4
To stop charging Tap your charge card again
This also unlocks the cable
Why charge cards still matter in 2026
It’s tempting to think that physical cards are becoming obsolete. After all, we live in an era of digital wallets, one-click payments and smart apps.
In reality, EV drivers today have several ways to start a charging session: through a mobile app, by tapping a physical charge card, or in some cases using direct payment methods at the charger itself. In Belgium and across Europe, many drivers increasingly rely on apps to find chargers, compare prices and manage their charging sessions.
Using a charging app often gives you more control and transparency. With apps like Tap Electric, you can see charger availability, compare real-time prices, and track your charging costs before you plug in. This makes it easier to choose the most convenient or affordable charger for your journey.
That said, charge cards still play an important role in everyday charging. Tapping a card is often the quickest way to start a session: simply plug in your car and hold the card against the charger’s RFID reader. There’s no need to unlock your phone, open an app or deal with connectivity issues.
A charge card can also be useful in situations where a charger’s connection is limited or when mobile reception is poor. In some cases, RFID authentication can still allow you to start a session even when the charger is temporarily offline.
In practice, many EV drivers use both tools together: the app to find the best charger and monitor costs, and the charge card as a fast, reliable way to start a session once they arrive.
Costs and pricing: what a charge card really costs in Belgium in 2026
The cost of charging with a charge card can vary widely depending on several factors: the provider, the charging speed, the network, the location and the provider’s payment structure. Understanding these variables is essential to avoid surprises, and to choose the card that best suits the driving habits of private drivers or business fleet needs.
The main cost component
When using a charge card, the final price of a charging session is typically made up of several elements:
- Energy cost (€/kWh): The average AC charger (typically below 50 kW) in Belgium is around €0.36–€0.68/kWh, while DC fast chargers (delivering above 50 kW) generally range from €0.59–€0.88/kWh, as they’re typically more expensive to operate and owners pass this cost onto drivers
- Start fee or transaction fee: Many charge card providers charge a fixed fee per session, for example, Shell Recharge adds €0.35 to use chargers that are not operated by themselves. Tap Electric, however, takes a different approach.
- With Pay-as-you-go, there’s no monthly subscription, and you pay the charger’s tariff plus 10% transaction costs per session: ideal for occasional users.
- The Light plan reduces that to 6% per session, offering savings for drivers who charge more frequently without committing to a subscription.
- And with Roamer or Family, the transaction fee drops to 0%, making them the most cost-effective options for regular users or households with multiple EVs.
Why this matters: Unlike a fixed fee that stays the same whether you charge 5 kWh or 50 kWh, Tap’s percentage-based pricing scales with your usage. That means drivers that charge occasionally never overpay for small charging sessions, while frequent drivers can eliminate fees entirely with a subscription, creating a more flexible and transparent pricing model.
- Roaming fee: If you charge on a network outside your provider’s core coverage, an additional roaming fee may apply.
- Hourly fee: Some networks charge per hour of connection time instead of per kWh, to encourage drivers to free the charger once their session is complete.
- Idle fee: Some networks add a charge if your car remains plugged in after charging is complete.
- Subscription fee: Some charge cards are free, while others require a monthly subscription (usually €2–€5) that often reduces other costs.
Tap tip: If you charge frequently, for example, if you’re a company car driver or manage a fleet, a subscription model often works out cheaper over time. If you charge occasionally or mostly at home, a free, pay-per-use card might make more sense.
Advantages of charge cards
For drivers, choosing one charge card provider means seamless, consistent experience across thousands of chargers.
- Wider network access: A single card often grants access to hundreds of thousands of charging points across Europe.
- Predictable pricing: Many providers offer fixed tariffs or per-kWh rates visible before charging.
- Simplified admin: All your public charging is consolidated into one monthly bill.
- Integration with a charge app: Apps linked to your charge card can show live prices, availability and charger details — making planning easier.
For businesses, it becomes a critical operational tool, simplifying cost management, usage reporting and driver oversight, all without additional administrative burden.
- Centralised cost management: One invoice for all vehicles, with detailed breakdowns of sessions and costs.
- Driver accountability: Assign charge cards to specific drivers to track usage.
- VAT-ready billing: Simplifies accounting and expense reporting.
- Scalability: Easy to issue, manage and replace cards as your fleet grows.
Comparing Belgium’s leading charge card providers in 2026
With the EV market in Belgium evolving fast, choosing the right charge card has become more strategic than ever. Whether you’re a private driver seeking convenience or a business managing a growing fleet of 5 or more vehicles, the right choice impacts not just cost, but your experience.
Provider
Pricing model
Monthly fee
Per-session fee
Tap Electric
Transparent “network price” shown before charging; optional plans reduce transaction fee
€0 / €2.5 / €4 (three tiers)
6% / 0% / 0% per session (depending on plan)
Shell Recharge
Fixed tariff per kWh (varies by network) + transaction fee
€0
€0.35 per session (max €7/month)
Eneco eMobility
Starting fee (non-Eneco only) + kWh rate (varies by network). €0.32/kWh at Eneco stations; higher rates at other networks
€0 without subscription / €3 with subscription
€0.39 at non-Eneco stations / €0 at Eneco stations / €0 with subscription
TotalEnergies
Variable per CPO; prices shown in the app or at the charging point
€0
No fixed session fee; depends on CPO
Luminus (PowerPass)
Variable per CPO; prices shown in the app or at the charging point
€0
No fixed session fee; depends on CPO
Provider
Pricing model
Monthly fee
Per-session fee
Tap Electric for Business
Transparent pricing; VAT-ready invoices; driver-based management
XXX
From 0% (depending on plan)
Shell Recharge Business
Custom per-kWh tariff; fleet management dashboard
Custom plan
Custom pricing – varies per contract
Eneco eMobility Pro
Custom business solution
Custom plan
Varies per contract
TotalEnergies Fleet
Variable per CPO; consolidated fleet billing
Custom plan
Usage-based
Luminus PowerPass Fleet
Variable per CPO; VAT-compliant invoicing and fleet tools
Custom plan
Usage-based
Why you need to compare pricing transparency between providers
Charging costs vary widely between AC and DC chargers, networks, and roaming partners, sometimes by more than 40%. Yet not all providers are transparent about their pricing.
Check whether your charge card provider:
- Clearly explains their charge card model: Understand exactly how you’re being billed.
- Shows you the detailed pricing upfront: See the complete, final price (energy, hourly, idle fees) for every charger on their network, including any time-of-day changes.
- Real-time cost tracking: Monitor your session costs as you charge.
Tap Electric addresses this directly by showing the exact price per kWh, per minute or per session before you plug in. For drivers, that means no surprises when the invoice arrives. For businesses, it allows cost planning, smarter routing decisions, and reliable better forecasting across large fleets.
Tap Electric: One platform designed for both drivers and businesses
In today’s EV landscape, most charge-card solutions are built for either private drivers or business users, rarely both. Tap Electric was built for both private drivers and businesses with the same level of transparency, reliability, and simplicity.
Tap Electric combines its intuitive app, smart charge card, and VAT-ready management tools with reliable customer support, ensuring that both drivers and businesses receive assistance whenever they need it.
Full control, from cost to convenience
With Tap Electric, every driver gains a single, unified experience that brings together a physical charge card and a powerful mobile app.
The app provides you with real-time visibility over pricing, charger availability, and control over your charge session and payment, all before you plug in.
Our charge card plans start from €0/month which gives you more flexibility as your charging habits evolve. Whether at home, on the road, or abroad, Tap Electric ensures that every charge is clear, predictable, and stress-free.
From one car to an entire fleet
Tap Electric’s technology scales seamlessly from a single company vehicle to a complete fleet. Whether you’re a freelancer, small business owner, or fleet manager, you access the same professional-grade tools: detailed charging data, driver-based reporting, VAT-compliant invoicing, and exportable records for accounting and sustainability reporting.
This unified approach allows businesses of any size to manage costs, simplify administration, and gain operational clarity, without the complexity of traditional fleet systems.
This focus on both individuals and businesses reflects a broader principle, that charging should work for everyone, simply and reliably.
Charging, designed around drivers
When you combine the Tap Electric charge card and app, you get a truly driver-first experience that prioritises your needs (and your wallet). Your Tap charge card gives you convenient access and your Tap app helps you compare chargers with clear upfront prices and live charger availability.