Payment Terminal Integration: From challenge to opportunity

Payment Terminal Integration webinar details

With our latest webinar, we delved into the assessment of whether the mandatory integration of payment terminals at charging stations proves a challenge or unlocks new opportunities for the EV sector. In this summary, we provide you with a brief overview.

Diana Gorodetska, Product Manager at GreenFlux and our expert in all things related to payments, along with Morgan Jégou, Sales Director France & Southern Europe at GreenFlux, discussed the following aspects:

  • Different payment methods in eMobility
  • New EU legal requirements
  • Payment Terminal landscape
  • Different integration types and possibilities
  • Trends and outlook in payments

After providing a brief overview of the eMobility payment landscape, we delved into the European Parliament's Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) requirements. AFIR, a crucial part of the European Union's Green Deal, is intended to facilitate access to electric vehicles (EVs) and simplify the EV charging process. Its implementation not only aims to increase the number of public chargers on the road but also to simplify the overall charging experience. And AFIR has a direct impact on the payment methods at charging stations, ensuring that EV drivers are able to pay easily at all EV charging stations.

Watch the recording: Payment Terminal Integration: From Challenge to Opportunity

This is beneficial for EV drivers but also poses a challenge for CPOs and eMSPs. Specifically, in terms of payment methods, AFIR requires the installation of payment terminals on all new AC charge stations by 2024 and on all fast-charging stations by 2027.

We further delved into the current challenges associated with Payment Terminals:

  • Different models
  • Extra costs and administrative work
  • No standard way of implementing

Our experts emphasised that these challenges also present new opportunities.

For instance, one opportunity is establishing a better connection with EV drivers through interactive, customisable screens. This allows to express the brand identity and explore cross-selling opportunities. In addition, the introduction of a kiosk mode enables multiple charge stations to use the same terminal, enhancing operational efficiency.

When addressing integration, we delved into both hardware-to-hardware and cloud-to-cloud methods. Leveraging GreenFlux's hardware-agnostic approach, we are able to support both methods, finding solutions that fit every specific business case and strategy.

Looking ahead, the outlook can be summarised as "easier, better, faster, stronger”.

  • Customised experiences enabled by the collected data will bring CPOs and eMSPs closer to their customers.
  • Standardised integration, facilitated through updated versions of OCPI and OCPP, will enable quicker implementation.
  • Implementation of Plug&Charge will streamline the driver payment journey, and the inclusion of features like show tariffs, real-time costs, and session prices will enhance price transparency.

Starting in April 2024, payment terminals will become mandatory for some charging stations. While this poses a challenge, it also opens up new opportunities. GreenFlux is here to support in navigating through this complex landscape. Together, we want to accelerate the transition to sustainable mobility.

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