Circle K EV Charging. To Stop or Not Stop, that is the question?

[67 Stang Convertible]

Dear Forum,

Anyone have experience with Circle K DCFC? I'm heading up from the Atlanta area to take the family skiing near Blowing Rock, NC over the New Years Holiday. Looking at PlugShare and A Better Route Planner I see several Cricle K EV available charging options along my route.

Do any of you guys have experience with these Cirlce K Chargers? I have a few questions:

1. Is Plug & Charge Supported
2. I see a TREMENDOUS amount of bad reviews on the app. Is the app necessary or do they have a credit card reader.
3. Is Circle K part of the Blue Oval Network, will it show up in my "charge assistant list".
4. Is it worth stopping in General or should I just head for Tesla (I have an adapter) or EA (which thank God has actually improved over the last year).

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[2FlyMache]

You do need the app as it currently isn't part of plug and charge network. I have used them many times and it's always been good for me. After Tesla supercharge, Circle K is probably the second best for me.

 

[67 Stang Convertible]

You do need the app as it currently isn't part of plug and charge network. I have used them many times and it's always been good for me. After Tesla supercharge, Circle K is probably the second best for me.

Any issues with the App itself? Wow, it really gets beat up in the reviews!

 

[2FlyMache]

Any issues with the App itself? Wow, it really gets beat up in the reviews!

I haven’t in the 3 or 4 times I have used it

 

[RickMachE]

You do need the app as it currently isn't part of plug and charge network. I have used them many times and it's always been good for me. After Tesla supercharge, Circle K is probably the second best for me.

There is no Plug & Charge Network. The BlueOval Charge Network has about a dozen networks in it, not including Circle K. 2 of those, EA and Tesla, support Ford's Plug & Charge.

 

[ChasingCoral]

There is no Plug & Charge Network. The BlueOval Charge Network has about a dozen networks in it, not including Circle K. 2 of those, EA and Tesla, support Ford's Plug & Charge.

Sure there's a network. It's small in number of companies (2) but big in terms of locations.

There actually used to be another P&C compatible company but Greenlots went away when it was rebranded by new-owner Shell in 2021.

With any luck the recent news on the PKI infrastructure will expand the P&C network.

 

[RickMachE]

Sure there's a network. It's small in number of companies (2) but big in terms of locations.

There actually used to be another P&C compatible company but Greenlots went away when it was rebranded by new-owner Shell in 2021.

With any luck the recent news on the PKI infrastructure will expand the P&C network.

I was going to do a potato, potatoh, but I decided to let Ford answer this for you.

" Plug & Charge is a feature" ?

https://www.ford.com/support/how-tos/electric-vehicles/public-charging/using-plug-charge/

 

[Havasu Ernie]

I haven’t in the 3 or 4 times I have used it

I found a Circle K with some 180k units in a good location near Escondido, CA where I often visit. My Ionic9 is native NACS and I have been successful in using my CCS adapter at EA stations. But...
I have spent 2 days trying to get the required Circle K Charge app set up on my phone. On my first trip there, the Circle K (CK) tech support could not get the app to work for me and was nice enough to give me a 15 minute complimentary charge over the phone. He told me that CK "has been having problems with the app". He told me to "wait a couple of days before I try to set up an account on the app again". He said they "should have it fixed by then". I did that. Still no go. Called support again and they still don't have any clue.
So after a little research on the app, I find that reviews on the app are pretty miserable. Not to mention that they lock up $50 on your credit card for multiple days.
This is 2026. Not the 1970's. CK needs to get with it.

 

[Maquis]

I found a Circle K with some 180k units in a good location near Escondido, CA where I often visit. My Ionic9 is native NACS and I have been successful in using my CCS adapter at EA stations. But...
I have spent 2 days trying to get the required Circle K Charge app set up on my phone. On my first trip there, the Circle K (CK) tech support could not get the app to work for me and was nice enough to give me a 15 minute complimentary charge over the phone. He told me that CK "has been having problems with the app". He told me to "wait a couple of days before I try to set up an account on the app again". He said they "should have it fixed by then". I did that. Still no go. Called support again and they still don't have any clue.
So after a little research on the app, I find that reviews on the app are pretty miserable. Not to mention that they lock up $50 on your credit card for multiple days.
This is 2026. Not the 1970's. CK needs to get with it.

Damned, I missed a year someplace.

 

[Mark813]

I just tried Circle K a day ago and couldn't get it to work. I saw four 180W chargers at a circle K and pulled up to try it out. Two units each with 2 charging cables.

I downloaded the app and set up my card and tried to charge. The app told me the two chargers I parked at weren't working, so I moved to the the other two and pressed the start charging button in the app and plugged the cable in. It was trying to connect for a bit and didn't work. So I tried the other charge cable at that box and same no start result.

I have had luck with 7-11 charge so take that as you will.

It would be funny if almost every gas station had a bank of 4 DC fast chargers. Seems like every gas station in Florida has a giant food court nowadays, 20 minutes to charge seems a perfect match. Wawa's partnership with Tesla is definitely costing me money in breakfast, coffee, and meatball subs

I forgot to mention that the circle K charger had a credit card swipe so that maybe I shouldn't have tried the app first. Seems there's never a discount for setting up an app anyway vs using the credit card swipe. Most times I've just swiped a card the charging session was successful.

I feel like there is a 2nd time's the charm with some of these charge apps, like after the frustration, the next time you use the app it will work seamless.

And most of the apps that have worked seamless for me I had setup at home a few days before ever using them.

 

[AZBill]

The Circle K chargers, at least in AZ, accept credit cards, no need for an app. And most of them have good Plugshare ratings.

 

[Mark813]

The Circle K chargers, at least in AZ, accept credit cards, no need for an app. And most of them have good Plugshare ratings.

The circle K chargers I visited had the card readers also. I should have tested that when I was there.

But my limited experience with card readers on other chargers were pretty much swipe and charge.

 

[NorthlandPhil]

There are a few Circle K's in my area. One of them is the *only* DCFC between me and Fargo, where I visit my son and family (unless I drive an extra 50 miles out of the way).

I have found them to be problematic, but reliable once you get them charging. Some accept credit cards, some require the app. Another EV driver at one of them told me the app doesn't work, you can only use credit card. And then there's the problem of do I connect first? Or, do I swipe the card (or tap my phone) first? Last time I used one I got a little hung up because it required me to hit "confirm" and I didn't see that and it timed out.

 

[2FlyMache]

I guess I've been lucky. I use the app and it's always work. Just select which plug you are using and then plug in

 

[silverelan]

I’ve used CK chargers. The credit card readers are a pain point, use the app instead. It’s a hassle to set up yet ANOTHER app on your phone but it’s more reliable than the cc readers.

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