Terms of service and sale

These terms define the rights and obligations of OHMO and the user in connection with the self-service power bank rental service. They apply to every account created and every rental started from the app, the website or the screen of a station.

The user must have the legal capacity to enter into a contract. Acceptance takes place when the account is created and is deemed confirmed with each rental; for a rental started from the screen of a station, without an account, it takes place when the user confirms the displayed rate with the “Continue to payment” button, before presenting their payment method at the terminal. If a payment was interrupted (network loss, station restart) and the station resumes it directly at the payment step, without displaying the rate again, acceptance takes place when the payment method is presented at the terminal; the pre-authorisation amount remains displayed on the screen before that action.

OHMO operates a network of self-service stations that let you rent a power bank and return it to any compatible OHMO station with a free slot. The station map is available in the app.

The service is available around the clock, subject to battery and slot availability. OHMO does not guarantee that a given station will have a charged battery or a free slot at all times; if a station is unavailable, the app directs you to the nearest one.

An account is created with a mobile phone number verified by a one-time SMS code. The user agrees to provide accurate information and to protect access to their phone: any rental started from their account is deemed made by them.

If fraudulent use of the account is suspected, the user must contact support@ohmo.fr without delay.

Some stations are equipped with a touchscreen and a contactless payment terminal. There, the user can rent a power bank without an account or app: they choose a language, review the rate and these terms (available from the screen via a QR code, in French or English; the screen may be displayed in other languages, but the contract is concluded on the basis of those versions), then confirm the rate: these terms are accepted at that confirmation. They then present a bank card or a compatible phone at the terminal, and the station dispenses the battery.

No account is created and no contact details are requested: the rental is linked to the payment method presented. After dispensing, the screen shows a QR code to a tracking page for the rental and the receipt, accessible without signing in. It is up to the user to keep that link; otherwise they can request their receipt at support@ohmo.fr, stating the date, time, the station number shown on the screen and the last four digits of the card used.

App-only offers, in particular the free period, do not apply to rentals started from a station screen. All other provisions of these terms — rental and return, user obligations, liability, mediation — apply in the same way.

The applicable rates — any free period, time-based price, daily or total caps and, where applicable, a security deposit or bank pre-authorisation — are displayed in the app or on the station page before each rental is confirmed. Prices are in euros, all taxes included.

Payment is made by bank card through our provider Stripe. By saving a card, the user authorises OHMO to charge the amounts due for rentals made and any unpaid balances. OHMO never stores the full card number.

When a rental starts, a verification pre-authorisation of up to €2 may be placed on the card to confirm it is valid; it is cancelled immediately and never charged. Prepaid cards are accepted: a rental started with such a card reserves a refundable €19.90 deposit; on return, the rental cost is taken from the deposit and the remainder is released immediately. A saved payment method is retained while any balance remains unpaid and can only be removed from the account once the balance is settled.

For a rental started from a station screen, payment is made with a bank card or a compatible phone presented at the station’s contactless terminal, through our provider Stripe; OHMO never stores the full card number. When the rental starts, a pre-authorisation (card hold) equal to the cap of the displayed rate — for example €19.90 — is placed on the card: this is not a charge, and the exact amount is shown on the screen before the card is presented. On return, only the actual rental cost is taken from that pre-authorisation and the remainder is released; depending on the bank, the release may take a few days to appear. If the station does not dispense a battery, the pre-authorisation is cancelled as soon as the station confirms that nothing was dispensed. When the station cannot confirm the outcome (connection lost during dispensing), the pre-authorisation is kept while the outcome is verified and may, if it expires before that verification is complete, be charged as a precaution; any amount charged without a battery being dispensed is refunded after verification — contact support@ohmo.fr with the date, time and station number. The maximum duration of a rental started from a station screen is 40 hours counted from the moment the pre-authorisation request is opened at the station, that is a few minutes before the card is presented, and not from the moment the battery is handed over: after that, the battery is deemed not returned and the pre-authorised cap is charged. The charge may occur earlier when the issuing bank limits the pre-authorisation to less than 40 hours: OHMO then charges before it expires. In all cases, on return, the difference between the amount charged and the rate for the actual duration is refunded to the same card.

The rental amount is calculated on return, based on the actual duration and the rate displayed at the start. A receipt is available in the app or on request at support@ohmo.fr.

The rental starts when the station dispenses the battery and ends when it is correctly reinserted and locked into a slot at an OHMO station. It is the user’s responsibility to check that the return has been registered — in the app or, for a rental started from a station screen, on the tracking page available via the QR code shown after dispensing.

The maximum rental duration and the corresponding billing cap are shown before the rental starts. If the battery is not returned within that period, it is deemed not returned: the maximum amount shown in the rates is charged and the rental is closed.

In case of a defective battery, a problem at return or a billing error, the user contacts support@ohmo.fr; OHMO will investigate and, where appropriate, issue a refund.

Under Article L221-18 of the French Consumer Code, consumers in principle have fourteen days to withdraw from a distance contract. By starting a rental, the user expressly requests immediate performance of the service; under Article L221-28 1° of the same code, the right of withdrawal can no longer be exercised once the service has been fully performed (battery returned and rental billed).

To exercise this right where it applies, simply send an unambiguous statement to support@ohmo.fr before the deadline — for example: “I hereby give notice that I withdraw from the contract for the following rental service: [date, station, name, phone number — or, for a rental started from a station screen, date, time, station number and last four digits of the card].”

The user agrees to use the battery for its intended purpose (charging personal devices), not to open, dismantle or modify it, not to expose it to extreme temperatures or liquids, and to return it in the condition in which it was provided.

Any abusive or fraudulent use, or use contrary to these terms, may result in charges for the damage observed, suspension of the account and, where appropriate, legal action.

OHMO is liable as of right for the proper performance of the service under the conditions of Article L221-15 of the French Consumer Code. However, OHMO cannot be held liable in cases of force majeure, unforeseeable and insurmountable acts of a third party, or fault of the user, in particular non-compliant use of the battery.

Batteries are checked regularly. The rights the user holds under the law, including statutory guarantees, are not affected by these terms.

The user may stop using the service at any time and request deletion of their account via support@ohmo.fr, subject to settlement of ongoing rentals.

OHMO may suspend or terminate an account in the event of a serious or repeated breach of these terms, unpaid amounts or fraud, after informing the user except in urgent cases.

The batteries, the stations and all elements of the service (app, website, trademarks, logos, content) remain the exclusive property of OHMO or its partners. The rental only grants the user a temporary right to use the battery.

The processing of personal data in connection with the service is described in our privacy policy, available at ohmo.fr/politique-de-confidentialite.

In the event of a complaint, the user should first contact our customer service at support@ohmo.fr; OHMO will endeavour to respond as quickly as possible.

In accordance with Articles L611-1 et seq. and R612-1 et seq. of the French Consumer Code, every consumer has the right to free recourse to a consumer mediator with a view to the amicable resolution of any contractual dispute with OHMO that could not be resolved through a prior written complaint to our customer service.

To this end, OHMO has appointed the Centre de la Médiation de la Consommation de Conciliateurs de Justice (CM2C) as its consumer mediator: CM2C — 49 rue de Ponthieu, 75008 Paris — www.cm2c.net — cm2c@cm2c.net. The mediator can be contacted online (www.cm2c.net, section “Déclarer un litige”) or by post at the address above.

The consumer may only refer a dispute to the mediator if: (i) they can show that they first attempted to resolve the dispute directly with OHMO through a written complaint; (ii) the request is submitted within one year of that complaint; (iii) the dispute has not been previously examined and is not being examined by another mediator or by a court; and (iv) the request is not manifestly unfounded or abusive. Mediation is free of charge for the consumer.

These terms are governed by French law. Any dispute falls under the jurisdiction of the competent French courts, without prejudice to mandatory jurisdiction rules applicable to consumers.

OHMO may update these terms; the version applicable to a rental is the one published on this page on the date of that rental. In case of substantial changes, users are informed via the app or by e-mail; for a rental started from a station screen, the applicable version is the one in force on the date of the rental, identified by the last-updated date at the top of this page; earlier versions are kept and provided on request at support@ohmo.fr.

For any question about these terms: support@ohmo.fr, or by post: OHMO, 181 avenue Victor Hugo, 75016 Paris, France.