What is a USB Type-C "Charge Cable"

When looking to purchase a USB Type-C cable, I'm noticing a bunch of differences that I don't understand. Some USB Type-C cables purport to be a "Charge Cable." Some of those cables also claim to only support USB 2.0 speeds, while others claim USB 3.1 speeds. If I see a USB-C cable sold as a "Charge Cable," does that cable differ from another USB-C cable claiming to support the same speeds, but not claiming to be a charge cable?

I know the standard is fairly new, and barely supported, so that might help explain my question.


First off power output (useful for charging) and transfer speeds (useful for moving files) are two different numbers.

Transfer speeds are determined by the USB version (i.e. USB2.0, USB3.0, USB3.1) and power output is determined by the power source but limited by the cable.

A USB-C charging cable may have slower transfer speeds, as its purpose is to be used for charging and not for transferring data (such as a USB2.0 USB-C). USB-C cables have a power output up to 100W, though again how much power is actually going through the cable will be dependent on the source.

On the other hand, you may have a USB3.1 USB-C cable, which can transfer up to 10Gbps.

tl;dr All USB-C cables should be capable of both charging and transfer but the transfer speeds will depend on the version of USB and the charging speed will depend on what it's plugged into (e.g wall outlet vs a laptop).

Please someone correct me if I'm wrong on anything, I'm learning a lot here doing research!