For several days, new charging stations for electric cars must be equipped with a means that allows payment by bank card, including contactless. All without the need for a subscription.
Thanks to a new European regulation applicable to France, newly installed charging stations with a power of 50 kW or more must, since April 13, 2024, offer an electronic payment terminal (TPE). This terminal must allow the user to pay for their recharge by bank card, whether with or without contact. Certain actors with a keen sense of anticipation are already well advanced on the subject in France.
A major step forward for payment by bank card at charging stations
The special card, the QR code to scan (which is also exploited by many scammers) and the mobile application are no longer an obligation. For several days, terminals installed at charging stations or on public roads after April 13 are supposed to be equipped with a TPE, an electronic payment terminal, without the need for any subscription. .
It’s a welcome little revolution, it must be admitted. Because each country has its own rules regarding payment acceptance, which tends to “ limit the ability to offer new payment innovations to electric vehicle users », notes Castles Technology, which manufactures payment terminals. TotalEnergies, which has deployed 7,000 Android terminals in Europe compatible with nexo standards throughout Europe, wants to simplify the way payment acceptance is implemented.
It will be recalled that Nexo constitutes a European standard which makes it possible to harmonize card payments. The French group TotalEnergies, since we were talking about it, has notably joined forces with Castles Technology to offer a cross-border payment solution for users of electric vehicles.
Payment by bank card generalized at all terminals by 2027
Equipping the newly installed electric car charging stations is only the beginning anyway. Because by 2027, parks installed before the strict application of the regulations will also have to accept payment by bank card.
Until now in France, only superchargers installed at motorway service areas hosted a TPE allowing you to pay for your recharge using your bank card. Many operators will thus avoid heavy compliance costs, for example Electra, Allego or Engie Vianeo.
8