The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word TOLLBOOTH
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
T
O
L
L
B
O
O
T
H
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "where charge is made" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case where charge is made = tollbooth.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does TOLLBOOTH mean?
TOLLBOOTH noun- A booth on a toll road or toll bridge where the toll is collected.
- (In this sense usually spelt tolbooth) The traditional municipal building of a Scottish town or burgh, usually including a meeting-hall, court, prison and (eponymically) a place for the receipt of taxes, duties and fines.