Managing Your Account Settings

Your account settings control your profile, security, notifications, and preferences. Keep your information current for the best experience.

Accessing Account Settings

Log in to Dashboard
Click your profile icon (top right)
Select "Account Settings"
Or go directly to /dashboard/settings

Profile Information

Name

Your display name appears:

On your business profile (if you have one)
In review responses (as "Owner")
In support communications

To update:

Account Settings → Profile
Edit "Full Name" field
Click "Save Changes"

Best practices:

Use your real name or business name
Professional appearance
Avoid nicknames or aliases for business accounts

Email Address

Your email is used for:

Login credentials
Subscription receipts
Review notifications
Issue report alerts
Support communications
Password resets

To change email:

Account Settings → Profile
Click "Change Email"
Enter new email address
Verify current password
Click "Update Email"
Verify new email (click link in confirmation email)

Verification required:

Confirmation email sent to new address
Click verification link within 24 hours
Old email works until verification complete
If not verified, change reverts to old email

Important:

Use email you check regularly
Business email recommended for location owners
Personal email OK for driver accounts

Phone Number (Optional)

Phone number used for:

Account recovery
Two-factor authentication (coming soon)
Support escalations (urgent issues)

To add/update:

Account Settings → Profile
Edit "Phone Number" field
Enter with country code (e.g., +1 555-555-5555)
Click "Save"
Verification SMS sent (optional step)

Privacy:

Not shown publicly
Not shared with drivers
Used only for account security and support

Account Role

Two account types:

Driver - Search for and review charging stations
Location Owner - Claim and manage charging locations

Your current role:

Shows in Account Settings → Profile
Selected during signup

To change role:

Account Settings → Profile
Select "Account Role"
Choose Driver or Location Owner
Click "Update Role"

What changes:

Dashboard layout (driver favorites vs owner sites)
Navigation options
Feature access (claiming locations, responding to reviews)

Note: You can have both roles. Changing doesn't delete data from other role.

Account Security

Password

Changing your password:

Account Settings → Security
Click "Change Password"
Enter current password
Enter new password
Confirm new password
Click "Update Password"

Password requirements:

Minimum 8 characters
At least one uppercase letter
At least one lowercase letter
At least one number
At least one special character (recommended)

Best practices:

Use unique password (not reused from other sites)
Use password manager
Change if compromised
Don't share with anyone

Forgot Password

If you forgot your password:

Go to Sign In
Click "Forgot Password"
Enter your email address
Check email for reset link
Click link (expires in 1 hour)
Enter new password
Log in with new password

Didn't receive email?

Check spam folder
Wait 5 minutes (can be delayed)
Verify email address is correct
Contact support if still no email

Active Sessions

View logged-in devices:

Account Settings → Security
See "Active Sessions" list
Shows:
- Device type (browser, mobile)
- Location (city, country)
- IP address
- Last active time

Revoke session:

Click "Sign Out" next to suspicious session
Immediately logs out that device
Requires re-login on that device

Use case:

Left logged in on public computer
Suspicious login from unknown location
Shared device you no longer use

Two-Factor Authentication (Coming Soon)

2FA adds extra security:

Requires SMS code or authenticator app code
Protects against password theft
Recommended for business accounts

When available:

Account Settings → Security → Enable 2FA
We'll announce via email when ready

Notification Preferences

Control which emails you receive from SpotCharge.

Email Notifications

Available notifications:

For Location Owners:

✅ New review posted
✅ Issue reported for your location
✅ Subscription renewal reminder
✅ Payment failed alert
✅ Verification status updates
✅ Monthly analytics summary
✅ Product updates and features

For Drivers:

✅ Favorite location updated
✅ Response to your review
✅ New locations near you (weekly digest)
✅ Product updates and features

To customize:

Account Settings → Notifications
Toggle each notification type on/off
Changes save automatically

Important notifications (cannot disable):

Password resets
Email verification
Critical account security alerts
Payment receipts (required for records)

Notification Frequency

Choose how often you get emails:

Real-time - Immediate email for each event
Daily digest - One email per day summarizing all events
Weekly digest - One email per week
Off - No notifications (except critical)

Recommendation:

Real-time: Critical alerts (payment failures, security)
Daily digest: Reviews, issues, analytics
Weekly: Product updates, location suggestions

Privacy Settings

Profile Visibility

What drivers can see:

Your responses to reviews (marked "Owner")
Business profile (if you created one)
Contact email (only if you made it public in business profile)

What drivers cannot see:

Your account email (unless same as public business email)
Your phone number
Your payment information
Your full account name (only see "Owner" or business name)

To control visibility:

Account Settings → Privacy
Toggle "Show business email publicly" (for business profile)
Toggle "Show phone on business profile"

Data & Analytics

SpotCharge collects:

Usage data (pages viewed, features used)
Location data (if you allow browser location)
Device data (browser type, screen size for optimization)

We do NOT:

Sell your data to third parties
Share personal info without permission
Track you outside SpotCharge

Opt-out of analytics:

Account Settings → Privacy
Toggle "Allow usage analytics" off
Helps us improve, but optional

Marketing Communications

Control promotional emails:

Account Settings → Notifications
Toggle "Product updates and features"
Toggle "SpotCharge newsletter"

Even if opted out:

Still receive transactional emails (receipts, alerts)
Can opt back in anytime

Unsubscribe link:

All marketing emails have unsubscribe link
Click to immediately opt out
Reflected in account settings

Language & Region

Language Preference (Coming Soon)

Currently: English only

Future:

Spanish
French
German
Chinese

When available:

Account Settings → Language
Select preferred language
Dashboard and emails in that language

Time Zone

Used for:

Timestamp display (reviews, analytics)
Scheduling reports
Billing date calculations

To set:

Account Settings → Region
Select your time zone
Auto-detects based on browser (usually accurate)
Override if traveling or prefer different zone

Units of Measurement

Choose:

Miles vs kilometers (distance)
Fahrenheit vs Celsius (future weather integration)
12-hour vs 24-hour time

To change:

Account Settings → Region
Toggle "Units" preference
Applies across dashboard

Account Status

Subscription Tier

View current plan:

Account Settings → Subscription (quick view)
Or Dashboard → Subscription (full management)

Shows:

Current tier (Free, Premium, Premium Multi)
Billing cycle (monthly or annual)
Next billing date
Payment method on file

Manage subscription →

Verification Status

View verification badges:

Account Settings → Profile
See verification status:
- ✅ Verified Owner
- ✅ Premium Verified
- ❌ Not Verified

To get verified: Verification guide →

Account Age

See when you joined:

Account Settings → Profile
"Member since: [date]"
Displayed on business profile (builds trust)

Deleting Your Account

Permanent account deletion:

Account deletion guide →

Warning: Cannot be undone. All data permanently deleted.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I merge two accounts? A: Not automatically. Contact support for manual merge (requires verification).

Q: Can I have multiple accounts with same email? A: No. One account per email address.

Q: What if I change my email and forget to verify? A: Email change reverts to old email after 24 hours if not verified.

Q: Can I change my account role from Driver to Owner? A: Yes. Account Settings → Profile → Account Role. Change anytime.

Q: Will changing my email log me out? A: No. Stay logged in. New email required for future logins.

Q: How do I change my business profile info? A: Dashboard → Business Profile (separate from account settings).

Q: Can I hide my review responses? A: No. Responses are public and permanent once posted.

Q: Is my payment info visible in account settings? A: Only last 4 digits of card. Full details in Stripe billing portal.

Security Best Practices

✅ Use strong, unique password ✅ Enable 2FA when available ✅ Use business email for location owner accounts ✅ Review active sessions monthly ✅ Keep recovery email/phone updated ✅ Log out on shared devices ✅ Don't share login credentials

Need Help?

Questions about account settings? We're here to assist.

Contact Support or check our Help Center

Managing Your Account Settings