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What is “Waitlist”?

It’s a new feature from ChargePoint that allows Drivers to get in the queue to be notified when a charging spot becomes available. Watch the video to learn more

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How does Waitlist work?

If all of the chargers are full, simply join the Waitlist and ChargePoint will notify you when a spot becomes available, and even hold it for you while you move your car and plug in.

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What are the benefits of Waitlist?

Ensure you get a charge: Waitlist allows you to get in the queue at busy charging stations. You’ll appreciate the convenience of being notified when it’s your turn to charge, and really appreciate knowing that the station is held for you while you go and plug in. Plus, simplifying and organising EV charging will help avoid any fights over available charging stations.

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How does Waitlist ensure fairness?

Drivers are notified in the order that they join the Waitlist. First come, first served. And, when it’s your turn, the station is held for you, preventing anyone from “jumping the queue”.

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How do I join the Waitlist?

Either tap your card at a station that’s already full or log in to your Driver Account at uk.chargepoint.com. Click on the Waitlist tab on the dashboard and follow the on-screen instructions. Joining a Waitlist through uk.chargepoint.com gives you more control over which stations you’re queueing for, and you can even choose to set up an automatic schedule — for example, you can join the queue every weekday during working hours at your office.

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What does it mean that a station is “full”?

It means that all of the station’s plugs are either charging other vehicles or are “on hold” for other drivers on Waitlist.

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What if a station is not “full” – do I have to do anything differently?

No. If the station has an available port (one that is neither charging another vehicle nor “on hold” for another driver), just tap your card and plug in as you normally would. It’s when the chargers are all “full” that Waitlist provides benefits to you.

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What happens after I get in the queue with Waitlist?

When it’s your turn, you’ll get a notification by text message, email, or both (your choice), telling you that a port is available to you. You can respond in one of three ways:

Accept and go and plug in immediately.

Snooze to hold your place in the queue but let the next person jump ahead of you.

Leave Waitlist to be removed from the Waitlist entirely, in case you don’t need to charge.

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How does ChargePoint know how to notify me?

We send you a text and/or email depending on your preference. Make sure your account contact information is up to date. You can update your information through the mobile app or by logging in at uk.chargepoint.com

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Can I monitor my position in the queue?

Yes. To see your current position in the queue, log in to your account at uk.chargepoint.com and go to the Waitlist tab on the main dashboard.

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Why do I need to “Accept”? Can I not just rush down to the car park and plug in as soon as I’m notified?

We strongly recommend that you choose Accept if you plan to move your car and plug in. Otherwise, you only have a few minutes to get to the station and plug in. When you click “Accept” we hold the station for you for 15 minutes, giving you ample time to move your car and plug in. Also, when you “Accept” we provide a detailed map that helps you locate the exact station that’s on hold for you.

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What is “Snooze”?

When a station frees up, you may be busy and unable to move your car at that very moment. Snoozing allows the next person in the queue to jump in front of you and holds your place in the queue. Once you come off snooze, ChargePoint will offer you the next available port.

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Can I “unsnooze” myself?

Yes. Log into your account at uk.chargepoint.com, go to the Waitlist tab on the main dashboard and click the “unsnooze” button.

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Is there a limit to how many times I can snooze?

Yes. Your administrator controls how many times you can snooze. If you exceed this number of snoozes, you will be removed from the Waitlist. If this happens, and you still need to charge, simply get back in the queue.

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What happens if I don’t respond at all when notified that it’s my turn?

You’ll be auto-snoozed. You are placed on “snooze” and the next person will be offered the port. But remember, if this is your last snooze, you’ll be removed from the queue.

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Can I access Waitlist through the ChargePoint mobile app?

Not yet but stay tuned.

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When can, and can I not join a Waitlist?

You can join a station’s Waitlist at any time by tapping your card at a full station. There may be restrictions set by your Admin for when you can join a Waitlist online. Don’t worry, if you try to get in the queue “too early”, ChargePoint will automatically put you in line once the Waitlist opens for the day.

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How many stations should I get in the queue for?

As many stations as possible, as long as they are a reasonable walk to or from where you’re going to be. The more stations, the better the chances of you getting offered one. An exception to this is at Cord Sharing stations. See the next question and answer related to Cord Sharing.

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What is a Cord Sharing station?

Cord sharing is where a station’s cords can reach multiple parking spots. If you park in one of the designated charging spots for a cord share station and your neighbour is already charging, simply tap your card at the station to get in the queue at that station. Once you get a notification that it’s your turn, you simply unplug your neighbour and plug in.

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If I tap my card at the station, how does it know which stations to put me in the queue for?

If it’s a Cord Shared station, you will be placed in the queue for that station. When you tap your card at a non-Cord Shared station, you will be put in the queue for all of the “nearby” stations. If you want finer control, you can create and join a Waitlist by logging in to your account at uk.chargepoint.com.

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How do I select a group of stations to get in the queue for?

Log on to uk.chargepoint.com and click the Waitlist tab on the main dashboard. You’ll have the opportunity to draw a rectangle over the group of stations you want to get in the queue at.

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Why is the station “held for” me after I unplug?

Waitlist holds the station for you after you unplug in case you aren’t finished charging. This protects from someone accidentally unplugging your car when you still need to charge. To inform ChargePoint that you’ve finished charging and that it’s really you unplugging yourself, tap your card at the station before you unplug. That way, the station will simply end your session without holding the station for you, and the next driver in the queue will receive a notification so they can plug in and start charging.

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What happens if someone is blocking my parking space when I arrive at the station?

No problem, just click the “Report a problem” and then the “I’m blocked” button on your phone in the page that loads when you “Accept” the port. (This is another good reason to Accept before going to plug in.) We’ll put you at the front of the queue and offer you the next free port.

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What happens if I “Accept” but don’t show up?

Please don’t do this. During the time the port is held for you, you’re preventing your fellow EV drivers from charging. Waitlist will remove you from the queue entirely if you don’t show up after you Accept, and create an entry in a log table that your site administrator can view. If something happens after you Accept, then please just hit the “Cancel Acceptance” button that loads in your phone. No harm, no foul.

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I tapped at a station, but it didn’t unlock the holster and let me charge. What happened?

The most likely explanation is that the station is “full”, meaning that all of its ports are either in use or on hold for other drivers. If you tap your card at a “full” station, it will put you in the queue. The messages on the station’s display will indicate whether a station is on hold for another driver or if it has an available port.
If that’s not the case, click “report a problem” and tell us what the problem is. We’ll put you at the front of the queue and offer you the next available charging spot.

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Who determines how long I have to respond or to get plugged in once I Accept?

Your site administrator can configure those timers along with other policies regarding Waitlist.

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When will I be told that I’ve finished, i.e., that it’s someone else’s turn to charge?

Your site administrator decides how long each driver gets to charge based on time, state of charge or amount of energy used. In most cases, once your vehicle stops charging (typically because it is full) you will be notified that you’re “done”.

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When I’m “finished”, what do I do next?

Please unplug and move your vehicle as soon as possible to allow your fellow EV drivers to charge. If you’re plugged into a Cord Sharing station you don’t have to do anything. Your neighbour will simply unplug your car and plug himself or herself in. If you drive a BMW, Volkswagen or Mercedes and are at a Cord Share station, please go and unplug your vehicle and dock the connector in the holster. These cars lock the charging cord while the car is locked.

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There aren’t any Waitlist-enabled stations near me; what can I do?

ChargePoint stations are independently owned, which means each station owner makes decisions such as how much a session will cost, and whether or not to enable features such as Waitlist. If your employer has made EV charging available to employees, you can ask your site administrator to enable the Waitlist feature.

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Do all access cards work with Waitlist?

Drivers must have created a ChargePoint account to use Waitlist so that they can receive notifications when a port becomes available. This means that Contactless Credit Cards and other anonymous access methods are not supported on Waitlist-enabled stations.

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Drivers are reporting an issue with a station. Can I take it out of Waitlist temporarily?

Yes. Log into your Administrator account, go to Manage Stations, and click on the station in the table to bring up its property sheet. On the Status and actions tab, click Mark under maintenance and specify which ports are not working correctly. While set to “Maintenance Required” drivers will not be offered those ports through Waitlist but may still be able to use them for walk up sessions. Please be sure to contact Customer Support if you encounter an issue that requires you to mark ports as needing maintenance.

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