EV charging payments at scale: rethinking the path forward
The Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) is transforming EV charging across Europe. For drivers, it promises a future of simple, universal payment at any public charger. For charge point operators (CPOs), however, it introduces a new layer of complexity: stricter compliance rules, continuous hardware and software updates, and the need to integrate payment systems that work reliably across borders.
12 November 2025
At a glance
We sat down with Youssef Dikiri, Head of Payments at Road, to discuss the ways in which Road has been able tot bring structure to the complexity driven by AFIR regulations, the opportunities it brings, and what this means for CPOs in general.
Due to AFIR regulations, the European EV industry is navigating a landscape defined by fragmented infrastructures and evolving compliance requirements. In most sectors, paying digitally is an afterthought – people tap a card or wallet and move on without friction. In EV charging, however, AFIR regulations have turned payments into a moving target. Operators must continuously adapt systems, not only to remain compliant with AFIR but also to keep pace with rapid advances in payment technology and consumer expectations.
This means CPOs are working in an environment of constant adaptation. Drivers expect the same seamless, universal payment experience they enjoy elsewhere, while behind the scenes CPOs are tasked with stitching together systems that can vary by country, provider, and even charger type. The result is an industry that must invest heavily in flexibility, ensuring its infrastructure can absorb regulatory changes, integrate new payment options, and deliver a consistent user experience across borders.
The impact of AFIR behind the scenes
AFIRs simplicity for drivers comes with a price for CPOs: each payment method means different hardware requirements, PSP integrations, and compliance obligations. Gone are the days of closed networks and single payment methods as all new hardware installations must be equipped for ad-hoc payments, and existing public chargers must be retrofitted or upgraded to comply by 2027.
Every payment flow – whether RFID, both debit- or creditcard, or QR code – has its own vulnerabilities. A weak link at any step (terminal firmware, PSP connection, backend storage) can open doors to fraud or data breaches. For large-scale CPOs, security is not just an IT responsibility: it’s brand protection. This means upgrading software systems, investing in compliance training, scaling teams, and coordinating across markets to stay compliant.The easiest way to do this is by working together with trusted partners. Road collaborates closely with partners such as Worldline, CCV, and Payter, as their expertise aligns with our needs in terms of offering payments, but also understanding the market and its rules.
At scale, this is not just an IT issue; it is a brand issue. Customers judge the reliability of a network by how easy it is to pay. That makes payment infrastructure a front-line component of trust and customer loyalty, not just a back-office function.
Reconciliation issues remain a hidden pain point for most operators, especially when every PSP, acquirer, and terminal setup produces its own data trail.
How AFIR benefits the EV landscape
AFIR is reshaping the European EV charging landscape, and for CPOs, this is a call to action. The regulation requires that all new chargers must support ad-hoc payments such as contactless card, mobile wallet, QR codes, while existing chargers must be retrofitted by 2027. This is more than a technical requirement: it’s a shift towards a unified, interoperable market that enables seamless cross-border travel for EV drivers.
For CPOs, this means preparing for standardisation now. The patchwork of closed networks and fragmented pricing models is being phased out. AFIR accelerates the move to a level playing field where drivers expect consistent access and instant payments across Europe – no accounts, no subscriptions, just a simple tap-and-charge experience.
Staying compliant under AFIR isn’t a one-time upgrade. It’s an ongoing alignment between payment rules, security patterns, and tax transparency – all of which vary by country.
The pain of EV payments
Payments have quietly become one of the most demanding challenges of EV charging operations. They affect everything from profitability to customer trust and network scalability.
Every PSP integration adds new layers of cost and complexity: hardware upgrades that stretch budgets, contracts that multiply across jurisdictions, and transaction fees that steadily erode already thin margins. AFIR raises the stakes further. What once felt like a box-ticking exercise in compliance has become a strategic battleground. Operators are expected to deliver payment options that are fast, secure, and universally trusted – across multiple countries with different rules and customer habits.
At scale, this is a multi-market financial challenge layered on top of infrastructure management. CPOs are no longer just running charging networks; they are navigating the complexities of financial operations, compliance, and cybersecurity across Europe.
How Road simplifies payments for CPOs
Managing payments across thousands of chargers should not be an administrative burden that slows growth. Yet under AFIR, that is exactly the risk when every PSP, terminal, and contract is handled separately. One integration per country, per charger type, multiplied by reconciliation processes, creates inefficiency and fragility. A single mistake can cascade into revenue loss, compliance issues, or worse: reputational damage.
With over 400 charger models worldwide, each with its own setup and acquirer, complexity quickly grows. Different payment terminals (kiosk, cloud, or integrated) use varying protocols. At Road, a dedicated team of engineers ensures all these integrations remain secure and up to date.
When we integrated the first terminals, we discovered that every customer that wants to accept debit and credit cards, needs to go through a KYC procedure first. We have thousands of customers, and such a procedure takes up to six weeks. This was the moment we pivoted at Road and decided to take these burdens on ourselves and unburden the CPO customer.
So, at Road, we remove that complexity with the following measurements on our part:
One integration across Europe: we handle PSP connections, settlement, and reconciliation through a single layer, so you don’t have to manage dozens of separate contracts.
Built-in compliance: our platform is fully aligned with AFIR requirements, ensuring new chargers ready and existing chargers remain compliant.
Modular by design: our APIs integrate into existing systems, avoiding costly rip-and-replace projects.
Stay compatible: new hardware and terminal combinations are added to our backlog constantly, so we can offer a range of options to our customers.
The outcome is a unified payments layer that works across Europe. By embedding the payment flow directly into our platform, we take on the operational risk, allowing operators to focus on growth. We offer billing services and our software is designed to make sure we can distinguish between roaming-, QR codes-, and payment terminal sessions. Our CPO customers are never responsible for making their own records or checking different portals; Road has all of that covered. Payments shift from being a burden to a foundation for scale – reliable, compliant, and designed for the future of EV charging. Road is determined to take away the pain of payments and to provide the most efficient solution for CPOs.
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What this means when you work with Road
Partnering with Road gives you visibility and control in ways that are rarely found in EV charging operations, because Road acts as a merchant of record. This means, every transaction is tracked end to end – from driver authorisation to acquirer settlement, and this is all done automatically. This means fewer disputes, faster resolutions, and predictable payouts that finance teams can rely on.
For executives, this translates into teams that can focus on scaling networks and improving driver experience, instead of chasing payment exceptions. Our customers tell us that Road has taken an entire operational workload off of their shoulders: from managing KYC, PSP onboarding and VAT compliance, to align multi-country reconciliation.
We unburden CPOs from all the operational payment workload, so their teams can focus on scaling, not on payment exceptions.
Road turns payment infrastructure into a strategic asset rather than a compliance cost. Leadership teams gain the confidence that every transaction meets AFIR, SCA, and VAT requirements, while remaining resilient through multi-acquirer routing and smart fallbacks.
To keep it simple: fewer surprises, faster scaling, stronger trust.
When is the right moment to buy a payments module
This raises the question: when do you decide to buy payments? Many CPOs underestimate how quickly payment complexity compounds. What starts as a few terminals and PSP contracts can become a network-scale operational drag. The right moment to buy is right before that happens. What feels efficient at ten chargers can become unsustainable at a hundred.
Even the best-run networks see their cash flow quietly strained by oversized holds, slow captures, and dispute cycles.
The real cost of waiting is hidden in slow settlements, manual exceptions, and fragmented systems that drain working capital. The right moment to buy is while you’re still in control of everything, before scaling multiplies the pain.
With Road, you gain a future-proof payments layer built for growth: unified settlements across Europe, clear versioned pricing, built-in compliance, and fewer operational surprises. In short: it’s not about adding another module; it’s about removing complexity altogether.
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