The most often used ESA-based property in AS-ALD are atomic partial charges. The idea is to derive the charge state of an atom in a molecule. This necessitates the partitioning of the electronic structure and summing up all the electron density belonging to one atom. This can be done in three ways: (i) assigning orbitals to atoms, (ii) dividing the electron density into basins belonging to one atom or (iii) fitting charges to the electrostatic potential of the molecule. Many methods have been developed for every approach since the seminal work by Mulliken. Notably, it cannot be checked if any one method is superior a priori since no experimental charges can be measured for comparison. The methods derive their value from being robust (trends not changing with computational parameters, e.g., the basis set), consistent (reproduce known chemical trends) and insightful. In the end, a method is useful if it helps to understand the chemical system. Atomic partial charges can be used in AS-ALD to understand the charge-transfer upon adsorption of precursors or inhibitors to the surface. They are also helpful to understand trends in bond polarity, e.g., among a set of precursors.