The software provider Chargecloud and the payment service provider Payter will cooperate in the future to implement ad-hoc payments at electric charging stations in Europe. The focus is on a fully integrated solution that enables operators of publicly accessible charging infrastructure – for example municipal utilities or charge point operators (CPOs) – to offer an immediately deployable, legally compliant credit card payment.
The background is the EU Regulation AFIR (Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation), which among other things requires that at new public charging points in the future a payment by common credit or debit card must be possible. In addition, Germany has requirements under the Weights and Measures Act (Mess- und Eichrecht), for example regarding transparency and traceability of
transactions.
Terminals support credit and debit cards as well as mobile wallets
As part of the collaboration, Payter's terminal series “Apollo” will be integrated into Chargecloud's SaaS system (Software as a Service) via a cloud-to-cloud interface. The terminals support contactless payments by credit and debit cards as well as mobile wallets such as Apple Pay or Google Pay. The devices comply with common European security and interoperability standards and can be retrofitted in both new and existing charging points. A separate middleware or additional interfaces are not required.
Unified billing with transparency over all payment transactions
For CPOs this creates a uniform billing logic with central administration and full transparency over all payment transactions. This not only facilitates the
technical implementation of legal requirements but also improves the charging experience for end users by enabling spontaneous charging sessions without prior registration. Thus, it removes a common entry hurdle for EV drivers.
Markus Bach, managing director of Chargecloud GmbH, emphasizes the practical benefit of the partnership: "With Payter we are expanding our partner network with an established solution for ad-hoc payments. It is ready to use immediately and helps our customers implement AFIR requirements easily and cost-efficiently."
Remco Willemse, CEO of Payter, also highlights the strategic importance: "The collaboration with Chargecloud is, for us, a consistent step to support the growth of the European e-mobility market. Together we are creating a scalable solution that not only makes it easier
for operators to meet regulatory requirements today, but also helps them stay competitive in the long term."
Services for fleet management, greenhouse gas reduction quotas and load management
The integration is carried out via the "chargecloud Marketplace," a platform for vetted partner solutions that seamlessly fit into the existing SaaS architecture. There, CPOs will also find additional tools for digitizing their business models, including fleet management services, handling of THG quotas (greenhouse gas reduction quotas), load management, or AI-powered customer communication.
The aim of the marketplace is to provide operators of the charging infrastructure with innovative, compatible tools from a single source, while at the same time opening access to a dynamic, growing market for partners such as Payter.
