Payment Integration for EV Chargers, Built to Spec
Contactless card, Plug and Charge, autocharge, QR flows and driver apps: every way a driver pays at an EV charger, engineered to your compliance geography and target market.
Payment is now a compliance feature
AFIR Article 5 requires EU public chargers to accept ad-hoc payment, contactless card at minimum for stations above 50kW, and display prices transparently. NEVI-funded US stations require ad-hoc payment support and reporting. Ad-hoc payment is now a compliance line item wherever money changes hands, and the app-first status quo has to accommodate it.
Methods we integrate
The full portfolio, deployed together or separately:
- Contactless card terminals (Visa, Mastercard, Amex) with EMV L1/L2/L3 certification support
- ISO 15118-2 Plug and Charge with X.509 certificate handling and PKI integration
- ISO 15118-20 (the newer generation) for bidirectional and enhanced PnC
- Autocharge (MAC-address-based recognition) as a low-friction alternative to PnC
- Dynamic QR flows for regions without card infrastructure (see UPI page for India)
- Driver app and RFID for closed-loop operations
AFIR compliance in detail
Article 5 requirements implemented: contactless card acceptance on 50kW+ stations, ad-hoc pricing displayed on-site and via the OCPI Locations module, price-per-kWh (not per-minute-only), receipt generation. Reporting to the AFIR aggregator formatted correctly. Roaming via Hubject and Gireve as an alternative path for drivers who prefer it. Compliance is not an afterthought; it drives the spec.
Plug and Charge engineering
Certificate provisioning at first plug-in (in-band via V2G TLS, or via CMS-provisioned contracts). V2G root chains supported: Hubject V2G root for cross-network operation, private roots for closed fleets. Contract certificates rotated on schedule. Session-level authentication happens transparently to the driver: they plug in, they charge. TLS 1.2 for 15118-2, TLS 1.3 for 15118-20.
Autocharge as a pragmatic path
PnC requires certificate infrastructure the driver's OEM has to support. Autocharge uses the vehicle's MAC address (present on every ISO 15118-capable EV) as an identity token, pre-registered with the CPO. Lower security than PnC but zero certificate lift. Common in fleet applications and closed networks; increasingly common in public where PnC isn't yet universally supported.
Terminal hardware
For sites needing physical card terminals, RIOD Smart Payment Terminals integrate directly with the charger firmware over Modbus or serial. EMV certification path handled with the payment processor. Housed for outdoor use and vandal resistance. Cross-linked from the smart-payment-terminals product page.
Questions we get most.
What payment methods does AFIR require at EU chargers?
Article 5 requires ad-hoc payment support at public stations, with contactless card acceptance at stations 50kW and above. Prices must be displayed transparently (per kWh) at the station and via digital channels. This applies to newly deployed stations from April 2024, with retrofit deadlines for existing infrastructure.
What is ISO 15118 Plug and Charge and how is it implemented?
Plug and Charge is a protocol where the EV and charger authenticate each other via TLS certificates, so the driver plugs in and charges without any other action. Implementation requires certificate provisioning (during contract signup or first plug-in), a PKI root the CPO trusts, and TLS-capable charger firmware. RIOD builds the full stack including certificate lifecycle management.
What is the difference between Plug and Charge and autocharge?
Both authenticate the vehicle automatically. Plug and Charge uses cryptographic certificates and is standardised under ISO 15118, more secure, requires PKI infrastructure. Autocharge uses the vehicle's MAC address as an identity token, simpler to deploy but not cryptographically secure. Autocharge is common in fleets and closed networks; PnC is the direction public networks are moving.
Can one charger support card, app and QR payments together?
Yes. The charger presents multiple payment paths on the display or through the app. Backend reconciliation routes each transaction to the correct settlement service. Common configuration: contactless card as the AFIR-compliant path, driver app for regulars, PnC for supported vehicles, QR as a fallback.
Every driver, every payment method, one charger.
Tell us where you operate. Let's get on a call.
Plan payment integration