For: Charge point operators and operator admins using Monta Hub.
Every time a driver taps a charge key, Monta has to decide whether that key is allowed to charge. Authorizations is the record of those decisions — every attempt, successful or not, with the reason behind it. It answers the question that used to require a support ticket: why did this key (not) charge?
An authorization is recorded whether the attempt succeeded or failed, whether the key is yours or a visiting driver's, and whether the tap happened on your own charge points or on a roaming partner's network.
A charge key is also known as a radio-frequency identification (RFID) card, RFID tag, charge card, key fob, or token — they all refer to the same thing.
Where do I find authorizations?
There are two places to look, depending on what you are investigating.
To see everything one charge key has tried:
- Open Accounts → [account] → Charge keys.
- Select the charge key.
- Open the Authorizations tab, beside Sessions.
Expected result: every attempt made with that key, on your own charge points and while roaming out to other networks.
To see everything that has been tried at one charge point:
- Open EVSE → [charge point].
- Open the Integration tab.
- Select the Authorizations sub-tab.
Expected result: every attempt at that charge point, by any key — including keys you don't manage, such as another operator's key, a roaming partner's key, or an unrecognised card.
What does each row show?
Both views share the same first three and last columns, and differ in the middle.
| Column | Shown on | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| When | Both | When the key was presented. |
| Result | Both | Allowed, Denied, or Error. |
| Reason | Both | A plain-language explanation. Hover it for the longer description. |
| Where | Charge key view | The charge point the key was presented at, or Roaming — [partner] for an attempt on a partner network. |
| EVSE network | Charge key view | The operator that owns that charge point, or the roaming partner it was reached through. |
| Charge key | Charge point view | The key that was presented — its name if you manage it, otherwise the key identifier. |
| Charge key network | Charge point view | Where the key came from: the issuing operator, the roaming partner, or Unknown if the card can't be attributed. |
| Charge session | Both | The charge that started, on a successful attempt. Declined and errored attempts have none. |
Result tells you what happened; Reason tells you why:
- Allowed — the key was approved to charge. This does not always mean a charge started, and it does not always mean Monta made the decision. See What does an approved authorization tell me? below.
- Denied — the key was recognised but not permitted to charge. This is the normal, expected outcome for a blocked key, an empty wallet, a private station, and so on.
- Error — something failed on our side before a decision could be reached. Error is deliberately shown in a different colour from Denied, so you can tell a genuine "no" from a system fault at a glance.
How do I filter and export?
The toolbar above the table gives you:
- Filter — narrow the list to a date range using the When filter. This is the only filter on the table.
- Columns — show or hide columns.
- Refresh — reload the list.
- Export — the download icon below the table saves the current list as a comma-separated values (CSV) file. The export contains the friendly reason label you see on screen, not the internal code.
The table shows 50 rows per page by default.
How do I open a single attempt?
Select any row to open its own authorization page. The page is a normal link — you can copy it from the address bar and share it with a colleague or paste it into a support ticket.
The page is grouped into four sections:
- Outcome — Result, Reason, When, and Recorded. Recorded is when Monta captured the record. It is normally within a second or two of When, including for attempts the charge point decided locally. Roaming attempts reconciled from a partner's session records are the exception and can be recorded hours later. An Attempts field appears only when more than one identical failed tap was collapsed into the row.
- Charge key — the key that was presented (linked to its detail page when you manage it), the Presented key identifier, and the Charge key network it came from.
- EVSE — the charge point, its Location, the EVSE network, and the resulting Charge session.
- Technical details — Channel, Direction, Source, Authorized by, Raw reason code, Request ID, Session reference, Partner country, and Partner party ID. A Message field appears when the system recorded one. Every field has an information icon that explains what it is. Use these when raising a case with Monta support or with a roaming partner.
Fields that don't apply to an attempt show a dash. A plain charge on your own hardware has no partner country or party ID, for example.
What does an approved authorization tell me?
An Allowed result means the key passed the checks and was approved to charge. It does not, by itself, mean a charge ran — and it does not always mean Monta made the decision.
Who decided?
The Authorized by field under Technical details names the part of the system that resolved the attempt. Despite the name, it covers declines as well as approvals — some values only ever appear on a decline. It is worth checking, because not every decision is made by Monta.
| Authorized by | What it means |
|---|---|
auth_token |
The key was recognised as a Monta charge key and checked against the platform. This is the standard path, and the only one that regularly both approves and declines. |
| (blank) | Nothing recognised the key. Always paired with Key not found. |
ocpi |
The attempt was resolved by the roaming partner that issued the key, over OCPI. |
hubject |
The attempt was resolved by the roaming partner that issued the key, through Hubject. |
local_auth_list |
The charge point approved the key from the local authorization list it holds, without asking Monta. |
authorization_cache |
The charge point approved the key from its own cache of recently accepted keys, without asking Monta. |
edge_cache |
The charge point approved the key from a cached decision held on the device. |
local_terminal |
A payment terminal at the site approved the session. |
vehicle_vid |
The vehicle identified itself instead of a card being presented. Approves and declines. |
auth_token_scan |
The tap was a key-pairing scan, not a charge attempt. |
active_cp |
Declined because the charge point is not active. |
maintenance |
Declined because the charge point is in maintenance. |
peak_hour |
Declined by a peak-hour restriction. |
internal_error |
The attempt failed inside Monta before any decision could be made. |
These values are shown exactly as written above.
A blank Authorized by is not a fault. It means no part of the system recognised the key at all, which is why the attempt was declined as Key not found. On a public charge point this is normal and usually means an unknown visitor's card.
The three local routes matter for control. When local_auth_list, authorization_cache, or edge_cache resolved the attempt, the charge point decided on its own and did not check with Monta at that moment. A block you had just applied, or a usage limit the key had already reached, may not have been in force for that specific tap — even though the charge point reports the decision to us straight afterwards. If you have just blocked a key, treat locally-approved charges in the period that follows as expected behaviour rather than as the block failing.
Why does an approved attempt sometimes have no charge session?
An Allowed row with a dash in the Charge session column is common and usually not a fault. The most likely explanations, in order:
- The driver never started charging. The key was approved at the reader, but the cable was never plugged in, or the driver walked away. The approval is genuine; there was simply nothing to charge.
- The charger never started the session. The key was approved but the charge point failed to begin the transaction — a cable, connector, or station fault.
- The link is still being made. Monta attaches the charge to its approval just after the charge is created, retrying for about a minute and a half. Refresh the page.
- The charge is on a roaming network. For attempts where your key charged on a partner's network, the session is attached only when the partner sends us its record. That typically takes an hour or two, and can take considerably longer. These rows are the main reason Recorded can sit well after When.
- The approval could not be matched to the charge. Monta links a charge to its approval by matching the same key, at the same charge point, in the hour before the charge started. When two approvals from the same key at the same station fall close together, the newest one is linked and the earlier one keeps its dash — even though a charge did run.
To tell a genuine no-show from a linking gap, open the charge point's Charge sessions tab for the same period. If a session exists there but the authorization shows a dash, it is a linking gap and the charge is unaffected. If no session exists, the charge really never started.
A run of Allowed attempts with no charge session at one charge point is worth investigating. It usually means drivers are tapping successfully and then failing to get power — a station problem that costs you utilisation and shows up nowhere else.
What can I see, and what is hidden?
Authorizations sit between two parties: the operator who issued the key and the operator who owns the charge point. A single attempt is often visible to both, and each sees a different amount of detail. Monta decides this when it serves the data — you never have to configure it.
- You issued the key. You see the key's name, the full identifier, and the exact reason — including private ones such as Not enough funds.
-
You own the charge point but not the key. You see that an attempt happened, when, at which charge point, the result, and the key's network of origin. The identifier is masked to its last four characters (for example,
••••7C3A), and reasons that belong to the driver's own account or home network are generalised to Declined without the underlying detail. - You own both the key and the charge point. You see everything.
This is why, on your charge point view, your own keys appear by name (Fleet key — Bay crew) while a visiting driver's key appears as ••••51A9 from IONITY (DE*ION) with the reason Declined. The driver's wallet balance and account limits are their home operator's business, not yours. If a visiting driver reports a problem, point them at the operator that issued their key.
What do the reasons mean?
| Reason | What it means | Typical fix |
|---|---|---|
| Allowed | The key was authorized and a charge started. | — |
| Key not found | The charge key wasn't recognised. | Depends on the view — see below. |
| Key blocked | The key has been blocked and can't start charges. | Find out why it was blocked before unblocking it. See Before you raise a limit below. |
| Roaming disabled | Roaming is turned off for this key. | Roaming is often turned off deliberately to limit cost and exposure. If the key should roam, enable Roaming network on it. |
| Not authorized | The key isn't authorized to charge here. | Check the key's wallet payment restrictions and the station's access settings. Confirm the key should have access before widening them. |
| Not enough funds | The wallet doesn't have enough funds. | Ask the driver to top up, or top up the account wallet. |
| No payment method | The key has no valid payment method. | Add a payment method to the wallet the key is connected to. |
| Payment not allowed | Payment isn't permitted for this key at this charge point. | Check the key's wallet payment restrictions (allowed countries and operators). A decline in an unexpected country is worth investigating before you widen them. |
| Daily limit reached | The key hit its rolling 24-hour charge count limit. | Check the recent attempts before raising the limit. See Before you raise a limit below. |
| Spend limit reached | The key hit its rolling 30-day spend limit. | Check the recent attempts before raising the limit. See Before you raise a limit below. |
| Too many active charges | The key hit its concurrent-charges limit. | Check where the overlapping sessions are before raising the limit. See Before you raise a limit below. |
| Charge key limit reached | The key hit one of its usage limits. | Review the key's Usage limits, and the recent attempts, before changing anything. |
| Limit check failed | A usage-limit check couldn't be completed. | Retry. Contact support if it repeats. |
| Station not recognised | The charge point couldn't be identified. | Contact support — the station may not be correctly registered. |
| Station inactive | The charge point isn't active. | Activate the charge point. |
| Station is private | The charge point isn't available to this key. | Adjust the station's access settings, or use a key that has access. |
| Station unavailable | The charge point isn't in a state that allows charging right now. | Check the charge point's status — it may be offline, faulted, or occupied. |
| Station reserved | The charge point is reserved. | Wait for the reservation to end. |
| Station not ready for roaming | The charge point isn't set up for roaming charges. | Enable roaming on the charge point. |
| Location mismatch | The charge point didn't match the expected location. | Contact support. |
| Peak-hour restriction | Charging is restricted at this charge point during peak hours. | Expected — charging is allowed outside the restricted window. |
| Smart queue restriction | Charging is being managed by the smart queue. | Expected — the session starts when the queue allows it. |
| Roaming operator missing | The roaming operator couldn't be resolved. | Contact support. |
| Couldn't start charge | The key was authorized but the charge couldn't be created. | Retry. Contact support if it repeats. |
| Internal error | Something went wrong on our side. | Retry, then contact support with the Request id. |
| Couldn't handle request | We couldn't process the authorization request. | Retry, then contact support with the Request id. |
| Declined | Declined on the driver or home-network side. | The driver should contact the operator that issued their key. |
| Unknown | The reason couldn't be classified. | Contact support with the Request id. |
A note on "Key not found"
Key not found is by far the most common decline, and it belongs almost entirely to the charge point view.
On the charge point view, it means an unrecognised card was presented at your station: a visitor whose key Monta doesn't know, a card from a network you don't have roaming with, or a hotel or office card that isn't a charge key at all. These attempts are expected on any publicly accessible charge point and there is usually nothing to fix.
Because no key was identified, Monta cannot tell which network the card belongs to either — so Charge key network reads Unknown on these rows. That is the expected result, not missing information.
On the charge key view, Key not found is rare. An attempt has to be matched to one of your keys before it can appear under that key at all, and by definition these attempts matched nothing. When one does appear, there are two explanations:
- The key is known to Monta, but was not found at the moment the decision was made.
- The attempt was made on a roaming network, and the partner did not recognise your key. This is usually propagation rather than a fault: Monta shares new keys with roaming partners immediately, but each partner updates its own systems on its own schedule — often within a day, and with some networks up to a month.
There is one pattern worth a second look: a burst of Key not found attempts at a single charge point in a short window, especially outside normal hours. One driver tapping the wrong card a few times looks nothing like a run of different unrecognised cards at one station.
Before you raise a limit
Usage limits, wallet payment restrictions, the roaming toggle, and the blocked status are deliberate controls over spending and access. When one of them declines a key, the system is doing exactly what you set it up to do. Raising the limit makes the decline go away — it does not tell you whether the attempt was legitimate.
A key that suddenly starts hitting its limits can mean the limit is simply too tight for how the driver works. It can also mean the key has been lost, copied, or shared. Use the Authorizations list to tell the two apart before you change anything:
- Where were the attempts? Charge points far from where this driver normally charges — or in another country — deserve a second look.
- When did they happen? A run of attempts overnight, or outside working hours for a fleet key, is worth questioning.
- How many, and how quickly? A burst of declines within minutes reads very differently from one decline a week.
- Do the sessions overlap? Too many active charges means the key tried to run sessions at the same time. If those sessions are at different sites, one physical card cannot be in both places — that points to a copied or shared key.
If the pattern looks wrong, block the key instead of raising the limit. Select Block charge key on the key's page, then speak to the driver. You can unblock it afterwards.
The same care applies in reverse: if a key is already blocked, find out why before you unblock it. Someone blocked it for a reason, and the authorization history usually shows what that reason was.
Common questions
Why do I see attempts at a charge point I don't own?
On the charge key view, you see everywhere your key was used — including roaming partner networks. Those rows show Roaming — [partner] under Where.
Why do I see keys I don't manage?
On the charge point view, you see every key presented at your station, including visiting drivers' keys. That is the point of the view: it shows demand and failures on your infrastructure, not just your own drivers.
Why is the same failure only one row?
Repeated identical failed taps are grouped into a single record. The Attempts field on the detail page shows how many taps it represents.
Why is an approved attempt missing its charge session?
Most often because the driver was approved but never actually started charging. See What does an approved authorization tell me? for the full list of causes and how to tell them apart.
Does an approved authorization mean the charge point checked with Monta?
Not always. Check Authorized by on the detail page — charge points can approve a key from a local list or cache without contacting us.
A key is hitting its limits constantly — should I just raise them?
Not before you look at the attempts. Repeated limit declines are as likely to be a lost, copied, or shared key as a limit set too tight. See Before you raise a limit.
Why did an attempt appear late?
Offline authorizations, roaming attempts, and attempts reconciled from a partner's session records are learned about after they happen. Compare When with Recorded on the detail page.
Availability
Charge key authorizations is available in Early access from 17 August 2026. Opt in to it from your release channel settings in Monta Hub, and the Authorizations tabs appear with an Early access badge above them. We expect to enable it for everyone as standard later this autumn.
What's coming next
Today you review authorizations one key or one charge point at a time. We are working on aggregated views across all your keys and all your stations, and on building dashboards from this data in Studio.
Related: How do I add and edit charge keys in Monta Hub? · How do I fix issues with charge keys?