How Do Public EV Charging Payments Work in the UK?

3 min read
Smart Charging
Driver using the touchscreen interface on a Kempower DC fast charger at a commercial charging station.

TL;DR

Public EV chargers in the UK accept contactless payment as standard. Drivers tap their bank card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay to start a session. No app download or subscription is needed. Pricing is displayed in pence per kWh before charging begins, with standard public charging typically in the mid 50s per kWh and rapid charging in the mid 80s. Receipts are sent by email after the session.

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RELATED: What are the UK regulations for public EV chargers?

How Drivers Pay

The process is straightforward. A driver pulls up, plugs in, and taps their contactless card or phone on the reader. The charger displays the price per kWh and any connection fees before the session starts. No surprises.

Charging stops when the driver unplugs or when the battery is full. The final cost is calculated based on energy delivered. A receipt arrives by email within minutes. Drivers do not need to create an account or download a network specific app.

Apple Pay and Google Pay work at any charger with a contactless reader. Most major UK networks now support this.

How Pricing Works

Public charging is priced per kilowatt hour (kWh). The amount of energy your car uses determines the cost. On Zapmap’s mid 2026 price index, standard public charging costs about the mid 50s in pence per kWh and rapid charging about the mid 80s, roughly 16p and 24p per mile for a typical EV. Motorway locations tend to cost more.

Wholesale electricity costs 25 to 35p per kWh. The difference covers equipment, maintenance, software, and a margin for the operator. Site owners who fund their own chargers keep a larger share of this margin. Those on a fully funded model receive a percentage through a revenue share arrangement.

RELATED: What is the revenue potential from public EV chargers in the UK?

How Payments Work for Site Owners

Behind the scenes, a payment platform handles everything. It processes contactless transactions, tracks sessions, calculates costs, and distributes revenue. The platform also generates reports showing usage, income, and charger performance.

Site owners who choose our client funded model set their own tariffs and keep 100% of revenue. We collect payments on their behalf and transfer funds automatically. Owners on the EV-ME fully funded model receive their revenue share quarterly with full transparency.

Roaming agreements mean drivers on other networks can use your chargers too. One payment system handles it all. No need for multiple contracts or platforms.

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