PRESS RELEASE: E-car: Card payment as an additional payment option at e-charging stations

Aachen / Frankfurt am Main / Munich, 27 September 2023. In order to facilitate spontaneous ad-hoc charging on the go, the municipal utility cooperation Thüga, together with SMART/LAB, a specialist in the billing of e-charging processes, and Mastercard have developed an innovative and consumer-friendly solution for card payments at e-charging stations. With the SMART/LAB solution, charging station operators can quickly and easily add a hybrid payment terminal to both their existing and newly installed charging station infrastructure and use it immediately.

The open-loop technology integrated into the terminal enables operators of e-charging stations to accept all common cashless payment and authorisation methods and at the same time meet the requirements of the new European Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR). This is because public fast-charging stations from 50 kW must offer at least one contactless payment method using a debit or credit card from 1 July 2024. By accepting debit and credit cards as a minimum standard, the regulation not only ensuresr for standardised payment methods, but also guarantees an openly accessible payment system.

The new hybrid payment terminal can be quickly and easily integrated into the existing infrastructure of the various providers using the specially developed payment gateway in a plug & play process and also accepts closed payment systems, such as the charging cards of municipal utilities or other electromobility providers (EMPs). Using NFC technology, drivers of electric vehicles can make secure and convenient contactless payments with their debit or credit card, for example from Mastercard. The payment process also works if the cards are stored in digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, as well as with charging and fleet cards from established providers.

Dr Matthias Cord, Deputy CEO of Thüga, says: "When we entered into a strategic cooperation with Mastercard in 2021 as a pioneer in the energy sector, our aim was to advance digitalisation, develop cities sustainably and find simple solutions for customers. We have now extended this to electromobility and have taken a big step forward. I am proud of that."

In the joint cooperation, SMART/LAB handles the authorisation and billing of charging processes via its leading backend system in Germany and ensures compliance with German calibration law. "As a leading provider in the field of e-mobility, we are creating a solution that guarantees maximum flexibility for all users," says Mark Steffen Walcher, CEO of SMART/LAB. "The charging cards of our municipal utilities and our ladebusiness customers will continue to work as usual - the payment options will simply be expanded."

Electromobility can only become established if a nationwide supply of charging facilities is guaranteed that is geared towards the needs of electric car drivers. Uniform standards and secure, open payment systems are important in order to promote consumer acceptance and strengthen sustainable e-mobility. The introduction of the hybrid terminal not only offers more convenience, but also contributes significantly to accessibility and thus to a broad user base.

"Our aim is to make electromobility as accessible as possible and remove potential barriers that have stood in the way of users to date. Promoting sustainable mobility in Germany and Europe is just as important to us as the security and simplicity of payment processes in electromobility. The new solution has the potential to create a new payment standard in the e-mobility market," explains Dr Andreas Spengel, Senior Vice President Fintech, Platforms and New Verticals at Mastercard Central Europe.