Does ChargePoint RFID card work on FLO / BC Hydro networks?

[sckor]

If I'm understanding things correctly, it seems like ChargePoint, FLO and BC Hydro have some sort of cross-charging network sharing agreement.

FLO and BC Hydro both want $15 (or so) to deliver you an RFID card that you can use to start chargers without needing to use their respective apps. Great to have if for some reason network connectivity is down.

One of the nice things about the ChargePoint app is that they let you add an RFID card to your Apple Wallet which works on iPhone and Apple Watch. Not sure about Android, but I imagine it is similar.

So my question is, will the virtual ChargePoint RFID card added to Apple Wallet work to start FLO and/or BC Hydro chargers as if you had a physical card from FLO or BC Hydro?

Thanks!

 

[Soul Surfer]

I don’t think so. I just created accounts on all of them, to keep things easier. Although I agree that ChargePoint would be the easiest.

 

[Chrisuoft]

I don't know about the physical chargepoint RFID card but using the chargepoint app via NFC doesn't work on flo chargers, at least not here in Ontario. I have to use the chargepoint app and activate the station via the station ID. Not a big deal to me. Funnily enough the Flo app doesn't activate the same charger that the chargepoint app will.

 

[sckor]

Bummer. Would have been nice if it was more interoperable. Thanks for the feedback folks!

 

[booruce]

I never understood why all these networks insist on having their own RFID cards instead of supporting something like tap to pay or ApplePay with a credit card. No additional app to mess around with and the company still gets paid.

They still have to pay the same CC transaction fee when we load money into the RFID card so what am I missing?

 

[Casmium]

I never understood why all these networks insist on having their own RFID cards instead of supporting something like tap to pay or ApplePay with a credit card. No additional app to mess around with and the company still gets paid.

They still have to pay the same CC transaction fee when we load money into the RFID card so what am I missing?

When you load money it's usually a one time $20 or so, but you might end up doing 10 x $2 sessions so the fees are lower for them for the 1 transaction vs 10 is my guess

 

[Vawlkus]

RFID cards in Apple wallets are hit and miss for functionality. Here in NS none of the ChargePoint installs can respond to my phone when I use the RFID card, but the app or physical cards work fine. YMMV.

 

[Randy-12]

So my question is, will the virtual ChargePoint RFID card added to Apple Wallet work to start FLO and/or BC Hydro chargers as if you had a physical card from FLO or BC Hydro?

Thanks!

I asked Flo this very question and the reply was "No"
Not even in their plans I was told.

Seems like everyone wants their own castle and they like digging big moats around them.

 

[sckor]

I asked Flo this very question and the reply was "No"
Not even in their plans I was told.

Seems like everyone wants their own castle and they like digging big moats around them.

I understand the logic for the network providers... But it really does feel like these networks are aiming for the worst customer experience so they can save a few pennies here and there. It is maddening.

 

[DuncanM]

My Chargepoint RFID card will activate BC Hydro DCFCs.

 

[Soul Surfer]

Addendum: I was in Montreal a few weeks ago, and for some reason I could not get my Flo app to unlock a charger, but I was able to use my Chargepoint RFID to work. So YES to that question. I remember that I didn't want to pay $15 for the RFID.

 

[George I]

When I spoke with Flo a few years ago they told me both their RFID card and app roam on associated networks in Canada but int the USA only their app roams. Virtual RFID cards are supposed to work like an actual plastic RFID card but don't always.

 

[Artful Dodger]

When I spoke with Flo a few years ago they told me both their RFID card and app roam on associated networks in Canada but int the USA only their app roams. Virtual RFID cards are supposed to work like an actual plastic RFID card but don't always.

Back in April I tried using a FLO RFID card on a Chargepoint public L2 charger. Did not work, LCD on the Charger kept saying "Unknown Card". Later I found this explanation on the FLO website:

Roaming - FLO card on ChargePoint? No. App only.​

EDIT: I see that link isn't available anymore, but that's what it said when I looked it up in Apr 2023

Cheers!

 

[DuncanM]

Back in April I tried using a FLO RFID card on a Chargepoint public L2 charger. Did not work, LCD on the Charger kept saying "Unknown Card". Later I found this explanation on the FLO website:

Roaming - FLO card on ChargePoint? No. App only.​

EDIT: I see that link isn't available anymore, but that's what it said when I looked it up in Apr 2023

Cheers!

My chargepoint RFID card works on FLO chargers in BC and Ont.

 

[Chrisuoft]

Yes my chargepoint physical RFID card also roams on Flo without issues. The chargepoint nfc via app didn't work though. It took 6 months and two tries for the chargepoint card to come. Such a pita to get one...