PlugMapper Insights
Pay Safe, Charge Fast: Beating QR Scams and Payment Headaches at EV Chargers (2025)
QR scams, sketchy stickers, and dead apps are on the rise. Here is how I pay safely at chargers without slowing the whole trip down.
I have seen it twice this year: a cheap sticker with a QR code slapped over the real payment QR at a public charger. You are sweaty, late, low on charge, and that is when mistakes happen. The fix is surprisingly simple: use official apps or tap-to-pay on the post, and treat every QR like a stranger at your front door. Networks have started issuing explicit warnings about fake codes, and city police are chiming in because the same trick is showing up on parking meters. Read more
The safe-pay hierarchy (fastest to safest combo)
- Native app or in-car start. No QR needed. Open the network app you already use; many are adding live status and receipts.
- On-post EMV or contactless (tap card or phone). Newer posts, including Tesla V4, add true card readers so no QR at all. Read more
- Official, printed short URL on the post (typed manually). If you must use a code, verify the URL bar before entering anything. Read more
Red flags at the post (what I look for in two seconds)
- A QR that looks like a glossy sticker or misaligned overlay.
- A URL that does not match the network domain. Type it instead of tapping. Read more
- A code that routes to a parking-style payment site, which is common in city QR scams. Read more
- No EMV or tap despite the post being new. If it is missing, use the app and move on.
Adapters and accessories: mind the policy, not just the plug
Major networks increasingly prohibit DC extension cables or unapproved adapters for safety. Automaker-approved adapters, such as official CCS to NACS pieces, are the exception. If a post or app flags your setup, do not fight it. Move to a supported connector. Read more
Personal note: I keep my automaker adapter in the glovebox and a third-party one at home as a backup. Nine times out of ten I never need either, because the site has both CCS and NACS now. PlugMapper helps me pick stations with the right connector count so I am not improvising on fumes.
If you do get caught by a fake QR
- Kill the card in your banking app immediately and ask for a new number.
- File a dispute and a fraud report. Keep screenshots.
- Report the sticker to the network and the site host, such as store management or property security.
- If you are on a trip, switch to on-post EMV or the official app for the rest of the route.
A story from a windy night in Calgary
It was one of those sideways-snow evenings. I pulled up, scanned a QR, and my phone threw a small certificate warning. I stopped for a type-in test. The URL was not the network domain. I backed out, used the app instead, and started the session in 20 seconds. The driver next to me scanned, paid, and then discovered it was fake when the session never started. We called the 800 number; the tech had already heard about that site. Five minutes later, security taped over the sticker. Tough night. Easy lesson.
If a QR looks fishy, it probably is. Use the app or tap, and drive away with your money and your mood intact.