The promotion of electric mobility requires the existence of charging points with frictionless and interoperable payment systems. This is the opinion of Visa, which is betting that the players in the sector are committed to creating solutions that give consumers the freedom to pay with the method they choose.
At the moment there is no general standard for accepting payments at electric vehicle recharging points. This means that users may find themselves in situations in which they cannot choose the payment method they prefer and, consequently, are forced to use the system required by the charging point, such as an application or a charging program. a certain provider.
Drivers may also be unable to charge their vehicle if they are not subscribed to a certain service. At the moment, only a small number of European countries, such as Germany, have taken steps to offer a standardized system.
For all these reasons, Visa has started a dialogue with the manufacturers of electric vehicle charging points and other key players in the sector. The objective is identify barriers that currently exist in terms of payments, as well as looking for digital payment solutions that are interoperable and standardized.
Visa has also announced that it will become the first company in the financial and payments sector to join the CharIN global initiative. This organization is dedicated to promoting global standards related to recharging and is made up of companies from the entire value chain of the e-mobility, which are working to develop a global infrastructure, a secure top-up and payment protocol, and new technologies to drive e-mobility and grow its adoption. A goal to which Visa will also contribute, contributing its experience and leadership in digital payments.
Emission reduction targets
Charlotte Hogg, CEO of Visa Europe, points out about this initiative: “Widespread adoption of electric vehicles is essential for Europe to meet its emissions reduction targets; and ensuring that people can easily pay to recharge their vehicles is key to achieving this challenge. At Visa we believe that a change must take place so that consumers can choose how they want to pay for the recharge of their vehicles”.
Add: “We want to contribute to finding solutions that respond to these needs. That’s why we’ve launched an industry consultation on how contactless and digital payments can be accepted as standard. Also, and as members of CharIN, we want to continue promoting this dialogue».
Claas Bracklo, President of CharIN eV, for his part, points out: “We are at a crucial moment in the adoption of electric vehicles, in which it is necessary to arrive at a standardized system to connect the infrastructure and offer these drivers a frictionless experience”.
“While CharIN has been working with OEMs, charger manufacturers, software and component vendors, energy providers, utilities, and many other stakeholders in the charging value chain for many years, electric vehicles, we recognize that ease and consistency of applicable payment methods are also essential for an optimal customer experience. For this reason, we are delighted to have Visa, which, with its experience, will contribute to making the payment experience for users of these vehicles easy, fast and secure.”
