"Public" devices are mostly used for shared/public spaces where multiple people will be sharing the same outlet. Think of it as a parking meter that anyone can pay for charging and use the device at the rate defined by the parking meter.
Benefits of "Public" devices:
Users will not be required to contact management to be granted access to "Public" device(s) - reducing the administrative task on the management side.
The generated revenue has a potential to increase as everyone is able to charge with the devices and pay for their sessions.
Important Notes About "Public" Mode:
"Public" does NOT mean free usage. "Public" devices can have a payment rate defined for them which the users will have to pay according to it.
The users still need to activate the device by either scanning the QR code on the front side of the device or entering the device ID that is under the QR code when logged in to their dashboard at my.plugz.io.
Can a specific user be on a different rate from the "Public" rate?
Absolutely! "Public" devices can still have specific users added to them with a different rate than the public. As an example, the concierge can be on a "free" plan even though other public users are on a "paid" plan.
Here is an example of a device that is "Public" with a private user.
In the above scenario:
Since the device is set to be "Public", ANY Plugzio user can activate this plug and pay the rate of "$0.20 per hour"
Plugzio user, "douglas@parkizio.com", on the other hand, is on a "Free Plan". So when "douglas@parkizio.com" tries to activate Plugzio, no charge is applied for usage.
To update the access plan to "Public" or "Private", please read this article.