Charge your car like you used to refuel: the end of charging-card chaos?

Remember the classic filling station? Drive up, refuel, hold your bank card or smartphone to the terminal – done. Nobody had to check whether they had the right contract or whether the pump accepted their provider.

Electric mobility, by contrast, has given us a charging-card chaos. That is changing right now: with Direct Payment (ad-hoc charging) there are no more hidden roaming fees and no mandatory subscriptions. Charging is becoming as simple as refuelling again.

What the AFIR regulation requires

The fact that Direct Payment is becoming the standard is EU law. Since April 2024, the AFIR (Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation) has obliged operators of publicly accessible charging points to follow clear rules for ad-hoc charging:

• Fast chargers from 50 kW: a card terminal or contactless payment device is mandatory at newly built fast-charging points. Payment is made by debit or credit card, without an app or registration.
• Standard chargers below 50 kW: a secure, internet-based payment method is sufficient, such as a QR code leading to a payment page.
• Full price transparency: all price components – price per kWh, per-minute rates or idle fees – must be displayed before charging.

In practice there are two ways to do this: software solutions and payment terminals.

Option 1: digital with the Smart Fuel Pass

For operators who want to offer Direct Payment – especially below 50 kW – without retrofitting hardware, software-based solutions such as the Smart Fuel Pass are a good fit.

The principle: a QR code is attached to the charging station. Drivers scan it with their smartphone or use the app (iOS and Android) and start and pay for charging without prior registration.

The system is just as simple for operators: once the station has been verified, you set the tariffs yourself and payments go directly to your account. The solution meets the legal requirements without touching the existing hardware.

Option 2: the classic way with a payment terminal

If you want to offer the familiar filling-station experience – or are required to do so by AFIR as a fast-charging operator – you can use a permanently installed terminal on the charger. A widely used standard is the PAX IM30. It is based on Android and turns the charger into a self-service terminal:

• All common payment methods: debit card, Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay or Google Pay – contactless via NFC, by chip or magnetic stripe.
• Built for outdoor use: 5-inch touchscreen, readable even in sunlight and operable with gloves; IP55 and IK08, usable from −20 to +70 °C.
• Always connected: 4G/LTE, Wi-Fi or Ethernet – if one network fails, the next takes over.

Conclusion

The stack of RFID cards in the glove compartment will soon be a thing of the past. Whether by QR code with the Smart Fuel Pass or by bank card at the PAX IM30 – Direct Payment brings back the simplicity that makes switching to electric mobility attractive for everyone.

Your project with Direct Payment

Planning new charging infrastructure or want to retrofit existing charging points to comply with AFIR? Write to us at onlinesales@ampion.at.