I was just scrolling through Instagram like always and an ad popped up, that really caught my attention. It was from “Chhito Charge” — a Nepali start-up that allows you to rent a power bank. Yes, a power bank! It was quite odd, but it also made a lot of sense. It was new, it was unique, and I went ahead and tried it! Here, I will be sharing with you my experience of renting a power bank in Nepal!
Chhito Charge Overview
The Modality
Let's try it!
Signing up
Into the app
After I signed up, I was redirected to the home screen which was supposed to display a map, and it was not loading. However, that could just be a “me problem”, maybe it loads on other devices. Then I pressed on the search bar, and it showed me all the stations that were near my location. Nice! Apparently, Chhito Charge is available at over 200 spots, which is a really good number. However, I cannot tell how well-spread they are since the app's map did not load. Nonetheless, the network seems to be extensive. Then I ran into another issue... when I tried to navigate to the nearest location through the app, it gave me a different location. For instance, the Big O Cafe in Jhamsikhel was the closest station to me, but when I pressed navigate, it took me to Satdobato Chowk which is like four kilometres away! This seems to be a bug though, because when I tried a different location, it worked fine. It's a hit or miss, but nothing that cannot be solved with some fine-tuning. Also, I could just type in the name of the restaurant on Google Maps by myself. So, it's not like there isn't a workaround. Since the whole business of Chhito Charge is in the starting phase and this is not a major turnoff, it gets a pass.
To the station!
| Rental Package | Rental Fee |
| 1 Day | NPR 100 |
| 3 Day | NPR 300 |
| 1 Month | NPR 1,000 |
Renting a power bank
- You may also like:
Chhito Charge Power Bank
Testing the power bank
Once I got my power bank, I plugged it in and played Pokémon GO on my way back. It is quite a demanding game with the constant GPS access and internet connection it requires. I was at 29% when I started charging my phone and rested at about 48-ish per cent by the time I got home. I reckon I walked for about... 20 minutes. So, nearly 20% of juice without fast charging while playing a game the whole time is a very good result in my opinion. I am thoroughly impressed!
Some Concerns and Complaints
The returning process is pretty simple too. You do not have to go to the same station, so you can hop in at whatever station is nearest to you at the moment and slide the power bank back in. But what if someone does not? Not everyone has good intentions and a 5,000 mAh battery bank for a plate of Momo's worth is way too good of a deal. What then? I questioned the restaurant staff about it and they did not have an exact answer too. They just told me that Chhito Charge has a record of it and that's it. The only logical explanation I could come up with is that since I provided my phone number when registering myself, the company would call me and ask me to return their property. I did not want to hoard the power bank, and possibly hinder someone who actually needs it. So, I placed it back the following day. But my concern lies there. Moving on, I have already shared the hurdles I faced during the whole process. So those are my complaints. To summarise:
- White font on top of white input box during sign-up
- The home screen map not loading
- Bug with navigation feature
- The payment process
These are all preliminary issues and nothing here is a dealbreaker, really. I would suggest smoothening the payment process foremost. The app already has a “My Wallet” section, so I assume you will be able to load money into the app in the future. However, displaying the FonePay QR on the Chhito Charge station itself would be a much easier and faster fix in my opinion. Apart from that, it's a great and recommendable service! ?
Chhito Charge: Conclusion
All in all, Chhito Charge is a wonderful concept and service that will come in handy for a lot of people. Its implications and impact are nearly limitless. However, there needs to be a quality check as a similar service has failed in the past. How many of us remember the charging stations at public places that had all sorts of ports? Where are they now? Very few of them are still functioning and most faded into the background because they were not maintained properly. Hence, the Chhito Charge team should look at that scenario, learn from it, and adapt as time goes on. They carry a huge potential, and we are rooting for them!
- Meanwhile, check this video out where we unbox and review cool gadgets we found online:
Article Last updated: November 23, 2025
