RemoteStartTransaction

Asks the charge point to start a session on behalf of a user — the message behind every 'start charging' button in an app.

Version: OCPP 1.6
Direction: CSMS → Charge Point
Feature profile: Core

RemoteStartTransaction is how a mobile app starts a session. The CSMS supplies the token; the charge point behaves as though that token had been presented locally.

The most important thing to understand is that Accepted does not mean charging started. It means the charger accepted the request.

Request

Field	Type	Required	Description
`idTag`	IdToken	Required	The token to charge the session against.
`connectorId`	integer	Optional	Which connector. Omit to let the charge point choose.
`chargingProfile`	ChargingProfile	Optional	A TxProfile to apply to the resulting session.

json

[2, "19223201", "RemoteStartTransaction", {
  "connectorId": 1,
  "idTag": "04A1B2C3D4E580"
}]

Response

Field	Type	Required	Description
`status`	RemoteStartStopStatus	Required	Whether the charge point will attempt the start.

json

[3, "19223201", {
  "status": "Accepted"
}]

Values

RemoteStartStopStatus

Value	Meaning
`Accepted`	The charge point will attempt to start the session.
`Rejected`	The charge point will not attempt it.

Implementation notes

`Accepted` is an acknowledgement, not a result. The session has actually started when StartTransaction arrives. An app that reports success on Accepted will tell users they are charging when the cable is not plugged in.

Whether the charger re-authorizes the token depends on the AuthorizeRemoteTxRequests configuration key. When true, expect an Authorize before the StartTransaction.

Omitting connectorId is legal but leaves the choice to the charger, which is rarely what a user interface wants.

If no cable is connected, the charger typically moves to Preparing and waits for ConnectionTimeOut seconds before giving up.