Understanding Subscription Limits for Station Owners

Subscription Limits for Station Owners

SpotCharge uses a 3-tier subscription system with different limits for location owners. Understanding these limits helps you choose the right plan and know when to upgrade.

Subscription Tiers Overview

Free Tier

Cost: $0/month

Limits:

• 1 location maximum
• 3 stations per location
• Unlimited ports per station
• 3 photos per location
• 3 review responses per month
• Standard amenities only (no custom)
• Basic analytics

Best for:

• Single location owners
• Testing SpotCharge before upgrading
• Small independent chargers
• Home-based chargers shared with neighbors

Premium Tier

Cost: $29/month (or $290/year - save $58)

Limits:

• 3 locations maximum
• 10 stations per location
• Unlimited ports per station
• 25 photos per location
• 25 review responses per month
• 5 custom amenities per location
• Enhanced analytics
• Priority support

Best for:

• Multi-location operators (2-3 sites)
• Businesses with multiple properties
• Growing charging networks
• Property managers with few locations

Premium Multi Tier

Cost: $99/month (or $990/year - save $198)

Limits:

• 5 locations maximum
• Unlimited stations per location
• Unlimited ports per station
• Unlimited photos per location
• Unlimited review responses
• Unlimited custom amenities
• Full analytics with exports
• Priority support with dedicated account manager
• Early access to beta features

Best for:

• Large property management companies
• Charging network operators
• Multi-site commercial properties
• Businesses with 4-5+ locations

View full tier comparison →

Location Limits

What Counts as a Location?

One location = one physical site/address

Examples:

• Shopping mall with 10 chargers = 1 location
• Office building garage = 1 location
• Hotel parking lot = 1 location

Multiple locations:

• 3 different shopping malls = 3 locations
• Office building + warehouse across town = 2 locations

How Limits Work

Free: 1 location

• Can claim 1 site only
• If you try to add a 2nd, you'll be prompted to upgrade
• Can still manage unlimited stations/ports within that 1 location

Premium: 3 locations

• Can claim up to 3 sites
• Each can have up to 10 stations
• All 3 locations get full Premium features

Premium Multi: 5 locations

• Can claim up to 5 sites
• Each can have unlimited stations
• All 5 locations get full features

What Happens if You Exceed?

Trying to add beyond your limit:

1. System blocks the action
2. Shows current tier limit
3. Offers upgrade option
4. "Upgrade to Premium to add 2 more locations"

If you downgrade:

• Locations beyond new tier limit become "inactive"
• You choose which locations to keep active
• Inactive locations still exist but aren't visible to drivers
• Can reactivate later by upgrading or deleting other locations

Station Limits

Stations per Location

Free: 3 stations per location

• Most single-location owners fit within this
• Each station can have unlimited ports
• Can delete old station to add new one

Premium: 10 stations per location

• Sufficient for most multi-charger parking lots
• Total stations across all locations can exceed 10
• Example: Location A has 8 stations, Location B has 5 = OK

Premium Multi: Unlimited stations

• No limits on stations per location
• Ideal for large parking garages
• Example: Parking garage with 50 ChargePoint units = 50 stations

Strategy for Free Tier

If you have more than 3 charging units:

Option 1: Group into stations

• Create "North Lot Station A" with multiple ports
• Create "North Lot Station B" with multiple ports
• Not ideal but works within limit

Option 2: Upgrade to Premium

• Get 10 stations per location
• More granular detail for drivers
• Better reflects physical layout

Port Limits

All tiers: Unlimited ports per station

Why unlimited?

• Ports are the most detailed level
• Critical for driver search (connector types)
• No competitive disadvantage for more detailed listings

Example:

• Free tier location with 1 station
• That station can have 20 ports (though unusual)
• More realistic: 3 stations with 2 ports each = 6 total ports

Photo Limits

Photos per Location

Free: 3 photos

• Minimum recommended: Location overview, station, connector
• Must prioritize most important photos
• Can delete old photos to upload new ones

Premium: 25 photos

• Enough for comprehensive visual tour
• Multiple angle shots, all amenities, all stations
• Can show seasonal changes

Premium Multi: Unlimited photos

• Document every detail
• Before/after renovation photos
• Multiple angles of every station
• Time-lapse of location development

Photo Strategy by Tier

Free tier (3 photos):

1. Wide shot of location (helps drivers find it)
2. Chargers clearly visible (shows what's available)
3. Connector close-up (confirms compatibility)

Premium tier (25 photos): 1-5. Location from different angles 6-10. Each station individually 11-15. Connector close-ups 16-20. Amenities (restrooms, waiting area, signage) 21-25. Parking area, access points, nearby landmarks

Premium Multi (unlimited):

• Everything above, plus:
• Interior amenities
• Seasonal variations
• Before/after equipment upgrades
• Different times of day (lighting)
• Special events or decorations

What Happens at Photo Limit?

When you reach your photo limit:

1. Upload button shows "Photo limit reached"
2. Shows current count (e.g., "3/3 photos used")
3. Options:
   • Delete existing photo to make room
   • Upgrade to higher tier
4. Cannot upload more until space available

Review Response Limits

Responses per Month

Free: 3 responses per month

• Resets on 1st of each month
• Must prioritize most important reviews
• Unused responses do NOT roll over

Premium: 25 responses per month

• Sufficient for most locations
• Can respond to nearly all reviews for typical traffic

Premium Multi: Unlimited responses

• Respond to every review
• No strategic prioritization needed

Response Strategy by Tier

Free tier (3 responses/month):

Priority order:

1. Negative reviews (1-2 stars) - address publicly
2. Reviews with fixable issues - show you're taking action
3. Detailed reviews - reward thoughtful feedback

Skip:

• Short positive reviews ("Great!")
• Duplicate feedback (3rd person mentioning same issue)
• Old reviews (prioritize recent)

Premium tier (25 responses/month):

Respond to:

• All negative and neutral reviews
• Detailed positive reviews
• Reviews with questions
• Reviews mentioning specific features

Can skip:

• Very short positive reviews if low value
• Old reviews with outdated information

Premium Multi (unlimited):

Respond to everything:

• Every review deserves a response
• Shows maximum engagement
• Builds strongest community

Monthly Reset

Limits reset every month:

• Resets on the 1st at 12:00 AM (your local time)
• Unused responses don't carry over
• Can track current usage: Dashboard → Reviews

Example:

• Free tier: Use 2/3 responses in January
• February 1st: Back to 0/3 (can respond to 3 more)
• January's unused response is lost

Custom Amenities

Free: None

• Can use all 30+ standard amenities
• Cannot add custom amenities
• Sufficient for most locations

Premium: 5 custom amenities per location

• Highlight unique features
• Differentiate from competitors
• Examples: "EV lounge with espresso bar", "Tesla adapters available"

Premium Multi: Unlimited custom amenities

• Document every unique feature
• Create detailed amenity categories
• Maximum differentiation

Learn about amenities →

Checking Your Current Usage

Dashboard Usage Display

1. Go to Dashboard
2. See usage summary card:
   • "1/1 locations used" (Free tier)
   • "2/3 locations used" (Premium tier)
3. Click "View Details" for breakdown

Per-Location Usage

1. Dashboard → Sites → [Your Location]
2. See resource usage:
   • Stations: 2/3 (Free tier example)
   • Photos: 3/3 (at limit)
   • Review responses this month: 1/3

Usage Warnings

System notifies you:

• "You're approaching your location limit (2/3 used)"
• "Photo limit reached for this location"
• "1 review response remaining this month"

When to Upgrade

Signs You've Outgrown Free Tier

🚩 You need a 2nd location

• Free tier only allows 1 location
• Must upgrade to Premium (3 locations) or Premium Multi (5)

🚩 You have 4+ charging units

• Free tier allows 3 stations
• Grouping ports into fewer stations is confusing for drivers
• Upgrade to Premium for 10 stations per location

🚩 You constantly hit photo limit

• Deleting old photos to upload new ones
• Can't show all your amenities/features
• Premium gives 25 photos (8x more than Free)

🚩 You can't respond to all reviews

• 3 responses/month isn't enough
• Missing opportunities to address negative feedback
• Premium gives 25 responses/month

Signs You've Outgrown Premium Tier

🚩 You need 4-5 locations

• Premium maxes at 3 locations
• Premium Multi allows 5 locations

🚩 You have 10+ stations at one location

• Large parking garage or campus
• Premium Multi allows unlimited stations

🚩 You need unlimited photos

• Want comprehensive documentation
• Multiple angles, seasonal variations
• Premium Multi gives unlimited photos

🚩 You get 25+ reviews per month

• Can't respond to all with Premium's 25/month limit
• Premium Multi allows unlimited responses

Downgrading Considerations

If you downgrade:

From Premium to Free:

• Choose 1 location to keep (other 2 become inactive)
• Excess stations/photos on active location become read-only
• Review response limit drops to 3/month

From Premium Multi to Premium:

• Choose 3 locations to keep (other 2 become inactive)
• Stations beyond 10 per location become read-only
• Review response limit drops to 25/month

What "inactive" or "read-only" means:

• Listing still exists
• Not visible to drivers in search
• You can view but not edit
• Can reactivate by upgrading or deleting active locations

Learn about downgrading →

Related Articles

• Understanding Subscription Tiers
• Upgrading or Downgrading
• Managing Amenities
• Responding to Reviews

Need Help?

Questions about subscription limits? We're here to assist.

Contact Support or check our Help Center