*This FAQ is informed by guidance from ChargeUK, the UK’s EV charging industry body. 

1. What is a pre‑authorisation charge? 

When you start a charging session using contactless payment, your bank places a temporary hold on your account typically £25–£50 before the charge begins. This hold is known as a pre‑authorisation, and it’s also used in everyday scenarios such as hotel bookings, bar tabs or fuel pumps 

2. Why is a pre‑authorisation needed for EV charging? 

Because the final cost of your session isn’t known in advance, the charging system requests a pre‑authorisation to ensure that funds are available and to help protect against fraud. Every major UK charging provider uses this standard process for contactless payments. 

3. When is the pre‑authorisation released? 

At the end of your charging session: 

1. ESB Energy calculates the final amount you owe 

2. A message is sent through the card networks to your bank 

3. Your bank is instructed to release the remaining portion of the pre‑authorisation hold 

This message is sent promptly after your session. 

4. Why do delays happen when getting the funds back? 

Although the release message is sent immediately, the delay occurs within the banking system, not with the charge point operator. 

Banks should release these holds quickly, but in practice: 

• Many take 3–5 days 

• Some delays can reach up to two weeks 

This is due to the fact that some banks have not fully updated their systems to correctly process the EV charging Merchant Category Code (MCC) introduced in 2019. 

5. Can ESB Energy speed up the release of funds? 

Unfortunately, no. Once the final charge information is sent, only your bank can release the pre‑authorisation. The timing of this depends entirely on the bank’s internal processing. 

6. What can I do if my pre‑authorisation hasn’t been released? 

Contact your bank 

You can ask them: 

• When they received the final transaction from the charge point operator 

• Why the pre‑authorisation is still in place 

• Whether they are following card scheme rules on releasing holds 

• Whether their systems are configured correctly for EV charging MCC transactions 

Contact ESB Energy (if needed) 

We can confirm when the release message was sent, which may help your bank identify the delay. 

7. What is being done to resolve this issue across the industry? 

ChargeUK is coordinating efforts across banks, card schemes, government bodies and charge point operators to improve how EV charging payments are handled and ensure customers are not left out of pocket. 

Further information 

If you're a charge point operator looking for more detailed information about this issue, please contact ChargeUK at hello@chargeuk.org