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Insights and Expertise

Eliminate EV charging must rise to match these expectations, offering a
simple and convenient payment process.
payment anxiety for 2. Building trust through standardization: A lack of
consistency across charging networks often leaves
sustainable growth potential EV users feeling alienated. Without a stan-
dardized payment system, the experience can feel
unnecessarily complicated, lowering confidence in
EV technology.
3. Scalability for a growing market: The EV market
is poised for significant expansion, with growing
demand for both charging infrastructure and user-
friendly payment systems. A scalable solution that
can accommodate more users, integrate innovative
payment methods, and manage increased demand
efficiently is critical for this growth.

To address these challenges, charge point operators (CPOs)
and payment solution providers must join forces to design
a payment ecosystem that is intuitive, standardized and
easily scalable.
Core components of card-based
payments in EV charging
By Radu Vasile Pop A card-based payment system is one of the simplest solu-
Worldline tions for resolving payment challenges in EV charging. It
relies on three core elements to deliver seamless transac-
he evolving landscape of electric vehicles (EVs) tions:
is transforming the global transportation sector 1. Acceptance solutions: These include both hardware
at a rapid pace. Governments worldwide are and software that enable card payments.
T enacting policies to reduce carbon emissions,
automakers are advancing EV design and performance, • Card-present transactions – Payments made with
and consumers are becoming increasingly eco-conscious. a physical card at a POS terminal.
• Card-not-present transactions – Payments com-
Despite this progress, one major obstacle remains: the in- pleted remotely via the internet, phone or mail.
consistent and overly complex payment processes for EV
charging, which lead to payment anxiety among EV driv- 2. Payment gateways: Acting as intermediaries, these
ers. Solving this issue is critical to achieving sustainable gateways connect payment terminals and ecommerce
growth in the EV market. acceptance solutions to financial networks. They pro-
cess card-present transactions while facilitating ecom-
Understanding payment anxiety in EV charging merce payments.
For many EV drivers, the rapid expansion of public charg- 3. Acquirers: These are financial institutions that han-
ing networks is being undermined by frustrating payment dle transactions, ensuring payments are transferred
experiences. Unlike the simplicity of refueling conven- from the customer's account to the CPO's account with-
tional cars with a credit card, EV charging often requires out delay.
navigating multiple apps, memberships or accounts. This
fragmented approach creates confusion and inconve- Examining EV Payment Solutions
nience, potentially discouraging new EV adopters while
frustrating current users. The EV charging ecosystem currently supports sever-
al payment models, each offering distinct benefits and
Why EV charging payments must evolve downsides:

The demand for seamless EV charging payments arises • Subscription-based payments (ecommerce): This
from three essential factors: model accounts for about 80 percent of EV charges
1. Consumer expectations for simplicity: Today's in Europe, where drivers use apps or fobs linked to a
consumers have grown accustomed to fast and fric- payment account. While straightforward for regular
tionless payment experiences, whether it's buying users, it excludes those unwilling to register or man-
coffee with a smartphone or tapping a contactless age yet another subscription.
card on public transport. EV charging payments
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