Who determines the charging costs?

Multiple parties are involved in offering public charging services, and thereby play a part in determining the costs.

Charge Point Operators (CPOs) - The companies that operate the charge points. CPOs install the charge point, take care of maintenance and determine which billing model (per kilowatt-hour, per minute or per charging session) applies. In many cities, public utilities operate their own charge points, additional to a large number of private companies.

Mobility Service Providers (MSPs) / Roaming providers - Companies that offer one charge card to give you access to the charge points of many different CPOs. Because there are so many CPOs, the charging infrastructure is very fragmented. MSPs, or roaming providers, solve this by making agreements with CPOs and connecting their charge points in a so-called roaming network. This ensures that, as a driver, you have the best charge point coverage possible and you don't have to carry a wallet full of charge cards with you.