Drivers now set their own spending limit before a session starts

We’re EV Drivers Too — So We Changed the Rules on Credit Card Holds

Watching $50 vanish from your available balance for a charge that costs a fraction of that? We’ve felt that sting ourselves — we’re drivers too.

Here’s what’s actually happening: when you plug in, your card issuer doesn’t know how much you’ll spend, so they set aside — or “hold” — a portion of your available funds as a safety net. That $50 isn’t money you’ve spent. It’s money that’s temporarily off-limits, sitting there until the real charge comes through. Once your session ends, the hold disappears and you’re only charged for what you actually used.

The catch: until that hold clears, you can’t touch that money — and $50 is a lot to make unavailable for most Level 2 sessions, or to cap a DC fast charge before it’s full.

So with ViaLynk, the hold matches the charge. Guest drivers pick their own spending limit at checkout — no more $50 tied up for a $3 top-off, just a hold sized to what you’re actually spending.

What’s New:

1. At checkout, drivers pick the maximum they want to spend from five presets:

• $10, $25, $50, $100, $150 — with $25 preselected

1. A separate section on the same page shows the temporary hold amount:

• Updates automatically to match the driver’s selected limit
• Explains that the hold isn’t a charge — drivers are billed only for what they use
• The session ends automatically once the running cost reaches the selected limit

Why this matters:

• L2 drivers aren’t held for several times what they’ll actually spend, so more of their available balance stays free
• Drivers charge with ease of mind. The charging session automatically ends upon reaching the set spending limit.
• Checkout now explains the hold and ties it to the driver’s own choice, instead of presenting an unexplained amount before charging begins
• Support can answer hold questions with the actual authorized figure instead of a fixed number

Capabilities by user:

• Drivers — Choose a spending limit on the guest charging checkout page before paying.
• Network Operators — No configuration required. The preset amounts and the $10–$150 bounds are global, not per-network or per-station.
• Site Owners — No change to setup or reporting.

If your network supports guest charging, this update is already live!