Frequently asked questions

OctiVault is a shared power bank rental network operating in Egypt since 2021, run by Emicron Egypt. Instead of owning a charger, you borrow a power bank from a station near you, use it, and return it to any station in the network — no need to bring it back to where you picked it up.

Yes. Our power banks and dispensing stations are certified to CE, FCC and CB standards. Each power bank has only charging ports — no data lines — so nothing can be read from or written to your phone through the cable. They're safe to carry on board a flight.

Each power bank has built-in Type-C, Micro-USB and Lightning cables, plus an extra USB port for anything those don't cover. Exact capacity and charging speed are printed on the back of the power bank itself, since different station batches carry different models.

A single power bank can charge most phones from empty to full at least once. If you need more, return it and rent a fresh one at any station — there's no limit on how many rental sessions you can start.

Right now OctiVault only supports Egyptian phone numbers.

Download the OctiVault app and sign up with your phone number. Use the in-app map to find the nearest station, scan the QR code on it, and your power bank unlocks. You're charged automatically when you return it — no payment step at pickup.

Open the app — it shows every nearby station on the map along with whether it's online and how many power banks are available. Grant location access so the app can point you to the closest one, or search for an address directly.

Yes. Our stations are all connected to the same network, so you can return a power bank to any OctiVault station — in the same city or a different one — as long as OctiVault is active there.

Renting requires the app, since it's how the station identifies you and starts the session. If your phone is completely dead, you'll need a friend's phone or your own once it has enough charge to open the app — that's the one gap in an otherwise phone-free rental.

It has three built-in cables — Type-C, Micro-USB and Lightning. Connect whichever matches your phone and press the power button on the power bank to start charging.

The app map shows how many power banks are available at each station before you head there, so you can pick one that actually has stock. If your nearest station is empty, the next-closest one usually isn't.

Anything that charges over Type-C, Micro-USB or Lightning — the three cables are built into the power bank. The extra USB port covers anything else with your own cable.

Press the button on the side of the power bank. Three LEDs light up to show the level: one lit is roughly 50%, two is roughly 75%, three is full.

No — one active rental per account. If the one you have runs low, return it at any station and start a new rental with a fresh one.

You can connect more than one cable at a time, but the power bank's total capacity is shared across whatever's plugged in, so each device charges slower than it would alone.

No — the charging port is locked from the customer side by design. Return it to any station once it's low and pick up a fully charged one.

Yes, as long as you're travelling somewhere OctiVault operates and you return it before your station's rental window closes. Since charges scale with how long you keep it, a short local rental is always cheaper than one held across a trip.

Open the app, find the nearest station, and drop the power bank into any empty slot. You'll hear a click and see the slot's LED turn on when it locks in — that's confirmation the return worked. The app also sends a notification once the session closes.

Yes — return the depleted one to any station, and once the app confirms the return, start a new rental for a fresh one. Each rental is billed on its own, based on how long you held that particular power bank.

The app map shows how many empty slots each station has, so check before you travel there. If your nearest one is full, the next-closest usually has space.

A green LED means the station is online. If the lights are off or the station shows as offline in the app, find the next-nearest one instead — your session may not close correctly at an offline station. If you do return it to a flickering or unresponsive station, you're only charged for the time up to when the power bank was actually dropped, once the station reconnects.

Rental charges scale with how long you keep the power bank, so returning promptly keeps the cost low. Each station has its own non-return window — check that station's page in the app for the exact number of hours.

Once a station's non-return window passes (check that station's page in the app — it varies by station), a non-return fee of EGP 1,900 is charged to your card on file, as set out in our Terms and Conditions. If you find the power bank afterward, you can still return it to any OctiVault station.

Check your signal and try again — OTPs can be delayed by a weak connection. If it still doesn't arrive, contact support through the app or by email.

Close and restart the app first — that clears most glitches. If the problem continues, reinstall it. Still stuck? Reach our support team through the app or by email.

Open the app, go to Support, choose "Station issue," and scan the station's QR code to report it. Then head to the next-nearest station to rent instead. If a rental session started but nothing dispensed, it closes automatically within a few minutes with no charge.

This usually means the station briefly lost its connection. Wait a few minutes — the session closes automatically and you won't be charged. If it's still open after that, contact support through the app.

Return it to any station right away and rent a replacement — if you return it within 3 minutes of your session starting, you won't be charged for that session. Report the issue through the app's Support section so it can be pulled from circulation.

Every power bank is dispensed at 80% charge or higher. If you get one that isn't, report it via Support, return it, and rent another — you can check the charge level any time by pressing the button on the power bank.

Every power bank ships with Type-C, Micro-USB and Lightning built in, plus a spare USB port for your own cable if none of those match.

Check that the station is online first (steady, not blinking, LEDs). The power bank only inserts one way — look for the "insert this side" marking and don't force it. If it still won't lock in, try the next-nearest station and report the issue through Support.

Make sure you heard the lock click and saw the slot's LED confirm the return. Allow notifications so the app can tell you the moment the session closes — otherwise you may need to refresh the session screen manually. Still open after that? Contact support.

Pricing is set per station and shown before you rent, in the app. Many venues sponsor charging for their visitors, so a large share of rentals are free — check the specific station's page to see its rate or sponsorship status.

No — each rental session is billed on its own, based on how long you actually held that power bank. Swapping starts a new session rather than extending the old one.

No. OctiVault charges the card you save to your account automatically when a rental ends — there's no cash option at the station or in the app.

Email info@octivault.com with your account phone number and the approximate time of the rental, and we'll look into it.

Find your referral code in the app under your profile, then share it. When a friend applies your code on their first rental, you both receive free rental time — check the app for the current amount, since referral rewards can change.

Apply it before scanning a station's QR code, from the "Apply coupon" option above the scanner. Forgot to apply it beforehand? You can still redeem a code from the coupons screen while a rental is already active.

Open the app menu and go to Promotions — every coupon currently available on your account is listed there.

Reach out through the "Host a station" page on this site, or the "Become a partner" option in the app. Tell us about the venue and someone from the team will follow up.

Get in touch through the Experiences page on this site with your event dates and expected footfall, and we'll come back with a deployment plan.

Use the Support option in the app to report a broken cable, a damaged QR code, or a damaged power bank or station — whichever applies.

No — keep it away from water, direct sunlight, high heat and sharp objects, the same as you would any lithium battery device.

You skip the maintenance, the charging, and the extra thing to carry — and a shared power bank gets used far more than one sitting in a drawer, which is a better outcome for the lithium that goes into it.