Proposal:Power Bank Rental
| Power Bank Rental | |
|---|---|
| Proposal status: | Proposed (under way) |
| Proposed by: | Paguro01 |
| Tagging: | rental:powerbank=* |
| Applies to: |  ,  , 
|
| Definition: | A powerbank rental station for mobile phone users, which allows them to pay for limited use of a powerbank to charge their devices in a hurry. |
| Statistics: |
|
| Draft started: | 2024-11-03 |
| Proposed on: | 2024-11-04 |
| RFC start: | 2024-11-05 |
This proposal has been updated since its first revision. See the Discussion page for details.
Proposal
This proposal suggests the definition of the tag rental:powerbank=* on nodes with amenity=rental_machine to map powerbank (portable, rechargeable batteries) rental stations.
The new tag alone can also be used on shop=* or other amenity=* to add this powerbank rental service, thus it's not limited to rental machines.
The machines are usually found in venues, stations and public places in general. They provide users with a quick and effortless recharge for their devices while on the go, and usually provide cables.
Almost all of them require some kind of payment in order for the machine to rent the powerbank, and they usually allow credit/debit cards and wallet apps.
Rationale
Several options have been considered prior to this proposal:
- amenity=vending_machine with vending_machine=powerbank Powerbank rental units typically don't look/behave like regular vending machines: they have no items on display and don't "sell" you the powerbank.
- amenity=device_charging_station: This tag usually represents a charging station, that is, a structure hosting a number of power plugs and cables for you to charge the device while tethered to it. It does not allow the customer to walk away or move around freely, and seldom requires any payment to use. In case of other kinds of amenities, it conflicts on amenity=*.
- amenity=power_bank_rental would not convey the fact that we're mapping a machine, and doesn't scale to scenarios where a shop is offering the service without a dedicated machine (over-the-counter rental).
In my opinion, none of the above fit the definition of a power bank rental station, hence why the proposed tag.
Having them on the map like this can prove useful to:
- Tourists and foreigners: powerbanks usually come with USB or Lightning cables, which bypass the need for a mains adapter and could prove useful to tourists and foreigners;
- Visitors (venues, event halls, ...): knowing if and where any of these stations can be found is quite important when you're at an event venue and the battery runs out, as it's usually a problem to leave the venue and come back in;
- Travellers and remote workers (stations, airports, ...): large hubs usually provide these in waiting rooms, lobbies and areas where people are expected to wait for extended periods of time.
...and many others.
Tagging
Standalone
Place a node where the machine is located and tag with amenity=rental_machine and rental:powerbank=machine to indicate that the machine rents powerbanks as per the description above.
As part of a vending machine
Add rental:powerbank=machine to the amenity=vending_machine node.
As part of other kinds of amenities
Add either of the following variants of rental:powerbank=* to the node, area or relation:
- rental:powerbank=counter for over-the-counter rental service (no machine involved)
- rental:powerbank=yes if there is no suitable value to describe how the service is provided (consider adding your value to the Wiki!)
Additional tags
Consider adding extra tags to the feature if possible:
- access=* if access to the feature is restricted
- amperage=* to describe the capacity (in Ampere) of the powerbanks; if capacity varies, set according to the biggest battery the feature can rent.
- brand=*
- capacity=* with the number of powerbank slots in the machine, if visible from the outside;
- charge=* if a payment is required for the feature to release one powerbank
- if the charge is fixed per rented unit, put it in the value: charge=3 EUR
- if the charge increases linearly over time, use the appropriate unit: charge=1 EUR/hour
- if the charge is defined in segments, use the at-syntax: charge=1 EUR @ (1 hour); 3 EUR @ (4 hours)
- exceptions should be tagged with charge:conditional=*
- direction=* facing direction of the feature
- operator=*
- payment=* to describe what payment methods are allowed
- return=* to describe where can the user return the battery when the rental is over. Suggested values:
- return=here = the battery must be returned to the rental:powerbank=* the user rented it from (this feature in particular)
- return=network = the battery can be returned at any other feature of the network, including this one. Examples of this value include returning to a machine of the same operator or brand, or returning to a shop/amenity/counter of the same operator or brand.
- return:network=brand to detail that the network for returns (return=network) is limited to features of the same brand (brand=*) as this one
- return:network=operator to detail that the network for returns (return=network) is limited to features of the same operator (operator=*) as this one
Examples
FuelRod machine, popular in Theme Parks, Train Stations, and Airports across the US
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Rendering
The node should be rendered as a labeled icon:
- We could use the same icon for both these devices and amenity=device_charging_stations but the latter currently have no icon (at least in the wiki). Otherwise we could use the icon of amenity=vending_machine if drawing a new icon wasn't worth it, but this would mix the two totally unrelated POIs.
- The label should only appear if brand=* or operator=* are defined, as usual.
Features/Pages affected
This proposal would affect:
- Key:amenity (inclusion in the list)
- Tag:amenity=device charging station and Tag:amenity=vending machine (linking here as a "see also" / "related")
- Battery (new disambiguation link: "a device providing batteries for mobile devices")
External discussions
None found, please feel free to edit this page and add them if you know any!
Comments
Please comment on the discussion page.