Electric Charging: Paying by Credit Card Can Cost You 28% More

Same car, same station, same amount of electricity… but a different bill. At the older Mercedes-Benz stations integrated into the Electra network, paying directly by credit card is more expensive than using the app.

Plugging in your car, presenting your credit card, and driving away: charging electric vehicles should be as simple as a trip to the gas station. But this convenience can come at a cost. The rates published by Electra for the Mercedes-Benz stations recently integrated into its network provide a concrete illustration.

The operator announces a rate of €0.54/kWh via its app, without subscription, compared to €0.69/kWh for credit card payments at the terminal. That’s an additional 15 cents per kilowatt-hour, representing an increase of nearly 28%. These amounts apply to the stations mentioned in this communication and do not constitute a rate applicable everywhere.

The app rather than the credit card

For a session of 50 kWh, the calculation is significant: €27 with the app, versus €34.50 with the credit card. The €7.50 difference does not correspond to any additional energy. Repeated four times, this gap reaches €30.

The partnership announced on November 3rd plans to integrate 47 Mercedes-Benz stations in Europe into the Electra network. It also expands the charging options for MB.CHARGE Public clients, with conditions depending on their plan.

For the driver, the good habit is to compare the displayed prices before starting the charge. The operator’s app, a badge from another provider, or a credit card: the choice of access method deserves as much attention as the choice of station.

A subscription can also factor into the calculation, provided that the savings achieved compensate for its cost. For occasional charging, pulling out your card remains practical. For regular use, a few seconds of comparison can prevent unnecessary extra costs at each stop.

ALSO READ: Toyota C-HR: €6,000 discount to go below €30,000

You might be interestedin this article:

Recharge

• 30/10/2026 18:08

This tip can save you €150 a year on electric car charging!