A “dumb” charger just pushes power to anyone who plugs in. A smart, OCPP-compatible charger lets you control who charges, when, and bill them for it — here’s the difference in plain English.
Last reviewed 6 September 2026 · ~7 minute read
If you’re buying an EV charger for your hotel, Airbnb, holiday let or B&B and you want to control access and charge guests for the power they use, one detail matters more than the brand on the box: whether the charger supports OCPP. This guide explains what that means, why an open standard is the thing to look for, and the common trap of a “smart” charger that isn’t actually open at all.
What people mean by a “dumb” charger
A “dumb” charger — sometimes called an unmanaged or non-networked charger — does exactly one job: when a car plugs in, it delivers power. There’s nothing wrong with that, and for a private driveway it’s often all you need. But it has no idea who is plugged in, it can’t be told to start or stop remotely, and it doesn’t record how much energy it delivered. It has no connection to any software, so there’s no way to open an app and see what happened.
For an accommodation host, that’s the problem. A dumb charger can’t tell your guest apart from a neighbour, a passer-by, or the tradesperson next door. It can’t be limited to the dates of a booking, and it can’t produce the numbers you’d need to bill anyone. It’s a tap that’s always on.
What a “smart” (networked) charger does differently
A smart, or networked, charger is connected to the internet and can talk to management software. That connection is what unlocks the things hosts actually care about:
- Remote start and stop — charging can be authorised for a specific person or booking, rather than anyone who turns up.
- Scheduling — the charger can be made available only during a guest’s stay, then locked again at checkout.
- Energy reporting — the charger reports how many kilowatt-hours it delivered, which is what makes accurate billing possible.
In other words, “smart” is what turns a charger from a fixed appliance into something you can manage. But — and this is the important bit — how it’s smart is the question that decides whether you’re free or trapped.
What OCPP actually is
OCPP stands for the Open Charge Point Protocol. Think of it as a shared language that chargers and management software both speak. When a charger supports OCPP, any compatible software platform can talk to it — start a session, stop it, read the energy meter, apply a schedule — regardless of who manufactured the charger.
It’s an open, vendor-neutral standard, maintained by the Open Charge Alliance, an industry body rather than any single hardware maker. The two versions you’ll see in the wild today are OCPP 1.6 (usually written “1.6J”, the widely deployed workhorse) and OCPP 2.0.1 (the newer version). A charger that speaks either of these can, in principle, be connected to independent software instead of being tied to whatever its manufacturer provides.
Why an open standard matters to you
This is the heart of it. Because OCPP is open and not owned by one brand, an OCPP charger isn’t locked to a single company’s app or cloud service. That gives you three things a closed system can’t:
- No lock-in. You’re not stuck with one manufacturer’s software forever, or held hostage if they raise prices or shut a feature down.
- Freedom to switch. If a better management platform comes along, you can point your existing charger at it — no need to rip hardware off the wall.
- Third-party billing. Independent platforms like Guest Charge can manage access and billing on your behalf — precisely because your charger speaks a standard language rather than a private one.
The trap: “smart” is not the same as “OCPP-compatible”
Here’s where a lot of hosts get caught. Plenty of chargers are marketed as “smart” — they connect to Wi-Fi, they have a slick app, they show you charging stats. But some of them are smart only through the manufacturer’s own closed app and cloud. They don’t let you connect the charger to any other software, and they may not support OCPP at all — or they lock it behind a setting the maker controls.
A charger like that can look impressive and still leave you unable to do the one thing you bought it for: let an independent platform control guest access and handle billing. “Smart” describes the features; “OCPP-compatible, connectable to a third-party backend” describes the freedom. You want both. Don’t assume the app means the doors are open.
Quick gut-check before you buy: ask the seller directly, “Can I connect this charger to a third-party OCPP backend of my choice?” If the answer is vague, or “only through our app”, treat that as a no.
OCPP 1.6 vs 2.0.1 — the short version
You don’t need to be an engineer here. Both versions do the core job of letting software manage the charger. The practical takeaway for a host is simple: either one works for guest access and billing with a platform that supports it.
| Version | What to know |
|---|---|
| OCPP 1.6 (1.6J) | The most widely deployed version. Mature, well supported, and does everything most hosts need: remote start/stop, scheduling and energy reporting. |
| OCPP 2.0.1 | The newer version, with richer device management, security and reporting features. Increasingly common on modern hardware. |
Guest Charge works with chargers that speak either OCPP 1.6 or 2.0.1, so you’re not forced onto one version to use it.
What to look for when buying
When you’re comparing chargers, cut through the marketing with a short checklist:
- Explicit OCPP support — the spec sheet should say “OCPP 1.6J” or “OCPP 2.0.1”, not just “smart” or “app-enabled”.
- Ability to set your own backend — you (or your installer) must be able to point the charger at a third-party CSMS (Charging Station Management System), which is the software the charger reports to. This is the setting that lets a platform like Guest Charge take over management.
- Reliable connectivity — Wi-Fi, Ethernet or mobile, suited to where the charger will be installed.
- Not locked to the maker’s cloud — confirm OCPP isn’t disabled or gated behind a subscription you can’t opt out of.
For a fuller walkthrough tailored to accommodation, see our guide to choosing an EV charger for your holiday let or hotel, and check specific models against our database of OCPP-compatible consumer chargers before you commit.
What this unlocks for hosts
Once you have an OCPP charger connected to management software, the outcomes that matter to a host fall into place:
- Control access — only your guest can start a charge, via a private link or a QR code, so you’re not funding the neighbourhood’s motoring.
- Schedule to the stay — charging is available for the dates of the booking and locked the rest of the time.
- Bill automatically — charge per stay, per kWh, or per day, with the energy figures coming straight from the charger, so there’s no guesswork and no awkward conversation at checkout.
That’s the whole point of the “smart plus open” combination: it turns a charger you’d otherwise give away for free into a managed, paid amenity — without you standing over it.
Already have an OCPP charger? Guest Charge turns it into a private, paid guest amenity — access by link or QR, scheduled to the stay, billed automatically.
This article is general guidance for accommodation hosts and not technical or purchasing advice. Charger features, OCPP support and the ability to set a third-party backend vary by model and firmware — always confirm the current specification with the manufacturer or your installer before buying.