USB-C Power Delivery (PD) explained

USB Power Delivery (USB PD) is the common fast-charging standard for USB-C. Phones, tablets, laptops, handheld consoles and headphones all use it. When a PD charger and a PD device connect, they briefly “talk” over the cable and agree on a voltage and current before power flows.

How the negotiation works

The charger advertises the levels it can supply, for example 5V, 9V, 15V and 20V, each with a maximum current. The device picks one. If something changes, such as the device’s battery filling up or another device plugging into a shared charger, they renegotiate.

This is why a single USB-C charger can safely charge both a pair of earbuds and a laptop: each device only requests what it can handle.

PD versions in brief

PD 2.0 and 3.0, Standard Power Range: fixed levels of 5V, 9V, 15V and 20V, up to 100W (20V at 5A). Anything above 3A (60W) requires a USB-C cable rated for 5A.
PD 3.0 also introduced PPS (Programmable Power Supply), which lets the device fine-tune voltage. Some phones need it for top speed. See What is PPS?
PD 3.1, Extended Power Range: adds 28V, 36V and 48V levels for up to 240W. These need a cable rated for 240W.

A charger can list “PD 3.0” but still offer only a few of these levels, so the published output levels tell you more than the version number does.

What manufacturers don’t always say

Some manufacturers list output levels such as “5V⎓3A / 9V⎓3A / 20V⎓3.25A” without naming USB PD at all. These steps match USB PD’s fixed levels, but we only mark a charger as “USB PD” when the manufacturer says so. Everything else stays labelled as “not published”, and you’ll see that on several product pages.

What to check

The single-port maximum for your most demanding device.
The split when sharing, if you’ll charge more than one device.
PPS, if your phone advertises PPS-based fast charging.
Your cable, especially above 60W. See does your USB-C cable matter?