EU comparative study on payment at charging stations: Great popularity for open payment systems – countries show differences

Charging card, charging app, debit card or smartphone wallet? The options for paying at the charging station are diverse and continue to grow. The question of payment methods is of great importance to the industry: The party controlling the flow of money has or controls access to the client. This is why the market research company USCALE from Stuttgart has analysed the preferences of Europeans at the charging station in detail for the first time.

Credit, debit and giro cards are very popular among EV drivers in Europe to authorise and pay at charging stations. Averaged over the 5 largest European markets Germany, England, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands as another important EV market, 46% of EV drivers often or always use their credit, debit or giro card at public charging stations. 39% of drivers often or always pay ad-hoc with their smartphone at charging points.

The impetus for the contract-independent forms of authorisation and payment methods was provided by the AFIR Directive, which has made card payment mandatory at many public charging stations in all EU countries since April 2024.

Is this the beginning of the end for charging cards, apps and RFID chips, the so-called closed-loop systems that stand for contract-based charging? The latest data says no: the most popular payment method is still the charging app, which 65% of EV drivers surveyed often or always use. In Germany, the charging app has even increased by 16%. Plug&Charge follows in second place with 50% and the charging card in third place with 46%, on a par with ad hoc card payment. 

The conclusion of the study: The contract-based payment methods (charging card, charging app, Plug&Charge) continue to be the most popular among those charging at public, but the open ad-hoc payment methods are catching up and follow at a slight distance.

The analysis of the various countries shows some clear differences. For example, credit cards are used much more frequently in Spain and Italy than in the other countries, and also top the list of payment methods in these two countries. EV drivers in the UK pay most frequently with Plug & Charge, while in the Netherlands the charging card is in the lead.

The most important reason for respondents to choose their preferred authorisation and payment method is convenience, although respondents interpreted convenience differently. Users of open-loop systems, on the other hand, cite independence from specific providers as the most important reason for use.

If you want to know where the charging market is heading, you should keep an eye on the pain points of the various payment methods. In the case of smartphone-based methods, for example, digital availability (network coverage) and the equipment of the charging points play a role. Added to this is the pricing of charging tariffs depending on the various payment methods and the level of roaming charges. The multitude of aspects shows that there will be no uniform European behaviour in the near future.

For the study, USCALE surveyed a total of 3,483 EV drivers in Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands between July and September 2024 about their usage habits and preferences when paying at public charging stations.

Quote from Dr Axel Sprenger

"It is still completely unclear whether one payment method will prevail, and which one it will be. In addition to cultural aspects, the technical performance and price differences between the quotations will be decisive. Charging electricity providers therefore have it in their hands when it comes to designing their quotations. The prerequisite for success is precise knowledge of the target group and their preferences."

www.uscale.digital