Accelerating Clean Transportation: The Role of Seamless Payment Solutions

The American EV charging industry may no longer be a startup, but it’s certainly still in a stage of rapid growth, jockeying technologies, and vast opportunity. Yes, large charging networks like ChargePoint, Tesla, EVgo, and Electrify America have deployed tens of thousands of chargers nationwide, but significant infrastructure gaps remain, especially in non-urban areas, and fragmentation in charging-station interfaces for use and payments can make charging on the go a frustrating, hit-or-miss experience for EV drivers.

Interestingly, Americans found themselves at a similar crossroads a little over a century ago. In 1908, the first mass-produced car—Henry Ford’s Model T—took the country by storm. Its tank held 10 gallons of gasoline and got 15 miles per gallon, but the fuel wasn’t yet widely available. The first folks brave enough to drive the newly released vehicles had to search out the rare grocery or hardware store that stored the fuel in barrels. But by 1920, nine million gas-powered vehicles cruised America’s roadways, and gas stations were springing up everywhere to serve them. And by 1935, 200,000 gas stations dotted the U.S. landscape. The issue had been resolved.

Here in 2025, we’re still somewhere in the EV-charging Wild West. The future of clean transportation in the United States relies on investors, operators, and ISVs like you, who are working to build the next generation of EV charging solutions. Commercial and fleet EV drivers and prospective drivers are ready to move beyond the problems that give rise to range anxiety. They need to know that charging stations will be available when and where they need them, that the stations are reliably operating and not out-of-order (an all-too-frequent occurrence today), and that they can plug in, charge quickly, and pay easily—just as they have always done at gas stations.

Payment integrations for EV charging ISVs, especially, offer relatively simple ways to help meet these driver requirements. For owners, operators, and developers, these same payment integrations can drive growth and differentiation. You must deliver payment experiences that scale with demand, reduce maintenance overhead, make it simple for everyone to pay using the method of their choice, and preferably not just meet but exceed user expectations.

In this post, we’ll explore the payment technologies driving success in EV charging networks—from cloud APIs to embedded experiences—and the benefits they unlock for operators and drivers.

Payroc helps EV-charging software providers build scalable, secure, and flexible payment experiences that grow with their networks, supporting a variety of integration models and best-in-class uptime. We’re proud to count Autel, Electric Era, and EV Mode among our EV-charging ISV clients.

Flexible Payment Options for Charging Networks

If you’re still considering which payment API model to include in a new application, or if you’re tasked with upgrading or expanding payment options for an existing application, you’ll find that you can go one of two ways with the payment API—cloud-based or SDK. Each method has its own pros and cons.

Cloud APIs

Cloud payment APIs run on remote servers and process payments by connecting to external payment gateways. This payment API type simplifies integration and accelerates deployment. In fact, according to New Horizons, cloud APIs can reduce payment integration development time by 90%. That’s because the API integration handles the entire payment process, including device interactions, transaction management, and updates, ensuring a smooth and efficient experience.

What’s more, with cloud APIs, there is no need for device-level certifications. As new devices are added, they become automatically available, eliminating the need for additional development. The cloud integration also handles device updates.

Cloud APIs also provide centralized compliance, securely managing sensitive data and often removing the ISV’s software from the compliance scope. This allows you to focus on business growth while minimizing your risk.

And with cloud APIs, you also enjoy superior reliability. The technology monitors and resolves any communication issues between devices and software. Payroc Cloud, for example, automatically corrects or reverses transactions during disruptions, ensuring uninterrupted operations. Backup options, such as SIM card support, further guarantee continuous service.

The downside to cloud APIs is that the system may require redirects, negatively impacting the user experience.

Payment SDK & White-Label Solutions

Payment SDKs integrate directly into your software or payment devices for seamless, native payment processing. The payments happen inside the user experience, whether in-app or in the POS system, instead of redirecting to an external page.

This payment API type gives you deeper control over the payment experience and device integrations. It also enables you to tailor billing models, user flows, and branding to fit the operator's business needs. The user experience ends up being more frictionless. The downside is that this method creates more development complexity, can cost more to set up and maintain, and may result in higher transaction fees.

How Card-Present Payments Accelerate EV Adoption

Card-present payment options are becoming increasingly popular at EV charging stations—and for good reason.

In its formative years, the industry relied heavily on app-based payments or RFID cards. In fact, approximately 80% of early charging stations were not equipped with traditional credit card readers. Many of these stations are still in use today.

Recent regulatory changes, however, such as the United States’ National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program and similar mandates in states such as California, New York, and Florida, require public EV charging stations to have credit card readers. The goal of these open-loop mandates is to enhance payment accessibility for all.

Regulations aside, the industry has learned over time that card-present payments—via physical cards, mobile wallets, or contactless options—offer a gateway to mainstream EV acceptance. They do this by:

1. Reducing Payment Friction
   EV drivers like the option of simply tapping, swiping, or inserting a credit card or mobile wallet to pay. App downloads and new account set-ups are often perceived as an unnecessary hassle—especially in a marketplace with a seemingly endless number of charging networks. Ask any EV driver how many charging-network apps they already have on their phones—and if they would like more of them. The answer? Too many—and no.
   
   
2. Enhancing Accessibility
   Today everyone carries a credit card, debit card, and/or mobile wallet. This means that everyone can pay for an EV charge without an app as long as a physical payment device is available. This payment method is especially ideal for those renting EVs, occasionally driving EVs away from home, and encountering charging stations in different networks than they usually use. When charging stations have physical payment terminals, drivers feel free to make spontaneous trips knowing that they’ll be able to charge their EVs along the way as easily as they fill up their gas-powered vehicles.
   
   
3. Increasing Public Trust in Infrastructure Just like all of us, EV drivers want predictability. Knowing they’ll have no problem buying a charge with a credit card provides a familiar, gas-station-like experience. In the same vein, transparent charge pricing—similar to every gas station’s prominently displayed cost for a gallon of gas—will further build consumer confidence.

4. Providing Faster, More Reliable Transactions
   In-app and online mobile payments offer a variety of conveniences, but in many cases there’s nothing faster or simpler than tapping-to-pay at a card terminal. After all, apps rely on cell reception and ease of login, and infrequently used apps often require updating and credit card refreshing before use.
5. Reducing Abandoned Charging Sessions
   When apps are glitchy or app-based payment integrations fail to complete payments, EV drivers sometimes end up driving away without getting a charge. It’s frustrating for the driver, and it’s also not ideal for the station owner. Drivers want to charge quickly and easily, and owners want to maximize charger utilization. Having card terminals available results in fewer abandoned charging sessions and more revenue for operators.
   
   
6. Attracting More Businesses to Host Chargers
   Businesses that host chargers with credit card terminals are essentially hanging a welcome sign that says “Easy EV Charging Here.” This in turn brings more guests to their venue and makes charging a value-added service, not a burden. Retailers and convenience stores, especially, appreciate the bonus foot-traffic and additional sales. After all, it still takes 10 to 20 minutes on a Level 3 DC fast charger for most EVs to charge from 50% up to 80-90%, allowing ample time for drivers to stretch their legs and purchase refreshments and an impulse item or two.

Payroc has extensive experience with unattended payments and strong relationships with a variety of high-quality payment hardware providers. In other words, we know payment terminals, and we have a long list of payment hardware devices certified to connect through our gateway, making both EMV chip transactions and contactless payments readily accepted in our systems on any number of payment terminals that may work best in your environment. So whether you are adding card terminals to older EV chargers or building a card-forward experience from scratch, we would be happy to provide a complimentary consultation and make recommendations to help you achieve our goals.

Essential Payment Capabilities for a Frictionless Driver Experience

For your EV-charging application, we recommend that you choose an integrated payments partner with experience in the EV vertical and robust product offerings that meet your needs today and future-proof your software for tomorrow.

Look for:

• Open & Contactless Payments
  Your payment system should be interoperable across various networks and platforms, allowing users to make transactions with a range of payment methods and services without being restricted to a single provider or network. For example, drivers should be able to use a bank-issued credit card, a mobile wallet, a QR code, or any form of contactless payment—RFID or NFC—including tap-to-pay, mobile devices, or wearables.

• Tokenization & Digital Wallets
  In EV charging, tokenization and digital wallets improve security, ease of use, and the overall user experience. Both protect sensitive card data through the use of tokens in lieu of actual credit card details, which means the card numbers are never shared with the charging system. Fraud risk goes down; driver confidence goes up. In addition, tokenization and digital wallets enable recurring payments. If you’re developing EV charging applications for business models that rely on driver subscriptions or memberships, these are critical capabilities to drive success.

• Level II & Level III Data Support for Commercial Fleets
  When it comes to fleet and commercial vehicle payments, Level II and Level III processing capabilities are game-changers. They allow for the capture of enhanced transaction details—like vehicle ID, driver number, fuel type, odometer reading, and line-item purchase details—that are essential for accurate tracking, spend controls, and reconciliation. This richer data helps fleets simplify reporting, reduce administrative overhead, and often qualify for lower interchange rates. For ISVs supporting fleet charging apps or commercial fueling solutions, Level II/III data support isn't just nice to have—it’s a competitive necessity.

• Real-Time Monitoring & Analytics
  EV charging stations may be located in far-flung places, but that doesn’t mean they don’t still need close monitoring. The right payments integration allows service providers to track payment transactions in real-time so that issues like payment failures and technical problems with the payment terminal can be addressed quickly. Real-time monitoring can also help detect suspicious activity and notify the service provider without delay. What’s more, the use of analytics helps ISVs and operators optimize station use and load, predict and proactively schedule maintenance, leverage customer insights, and audit payment data for regulatory purposes, among other benefits.

• Remote Terminal Management & OTA Updates
  Back to the far-flung nature of EV charger locations… Your payments provider should provide remote terminal management and Over-the-Air updates to push updates securely and avoid costly technician dispatches. Physical payment terminals may be necessary to meet regulatory mandates and do provide a number of user and operator benefits, but without remote management and OTA updates, they can become a nuisance to upkeep.

This isn’t a definitive list of integrated payments partner criteria, of course, but it’s a good start. Think of these items as must-haves. Without them, your application will be soon be roadblocked from growth and scalability.

Benefits for Charging Operators

ISVs who choose a strong integrated payments partner are doing so not only on their behalf but also on behalf of their owner/operator clients. A smart, robust, seamless integration simply works better for everyone involved.

For charging owner/operators, a great payments integration provides:

• Operational Efficiency
  With real-time analytics and transaction tracking, owners can monitor payments, identify trends, and track revenue as they happen. What’s more, since payments are automatically reconciled, the need for manual accounting tasks is virtually eliminated. Cash flow is streamlined, and operators can more quickly adjust their pricing to optimize profits. Centralized oversight also minimizes downtime and reduces support needs.

• Better User Experience
  Streamlined transactions lead to happier drivers and more repeat usage. EV drivers care about convenience and will often choose the chargers they find easiest to use.

• A Larger Customer Base
  Some B2B/fleet EV-charging owner/operators are looking for ways to open their stations to consumers as well, potentially through models such as subscription plans or memberships. For experienced payments providers with a full range of products, adding these features into your B2B applications is typically straightforward and successful.

• Scalability
  If your application includes a great payments integration, expanding across geographies without re-architecting payment infrastructure becomes much simpler. This can benefit you as well as your owner/operators.

• Regulatory Compliance
  Built-in security and automated updates keep operations compliant. Fraud prevention is baked in, too. For EV charging owner/operators, there’s perhaps no bigger headache than dealing with security breaches and fraud incursions. A strong payments integration will ward most security and fraud issues off before they become problems.

• Lower Costs
  Your EV charging owner/operator clients want to be able to manage their networks, no matter how small or large, remotely, wherever they or their staff happen to be. Remote payment terminal management and fewer on-site visits can cut expenses dramatically and keep charging stations up and running with minimal payment-related downtime.

With the right integrated payments provider in your corner, there’s no need for your EV charging-station clients to ever know what a bad payments integration is like. It is better to future-proof your payments integration now than to regret a less-than-optimal choice a few years from now.

Let’s Talk Payments

With opportunities still unlimited in the EV charging vertical, now is the time to take a look at your payments integration options and how they can help you stake your claim in this exciting industry.

Growth is the focus, and scalable, flexible, and user-friendly payments are critical to the future of EV charging. Card-present payments, especially, may play a key role in mainstream EV adoption, while cloud-based and embedded APIs allow operators to manage and grow with ease. No matter your needs and use cases, Payroc has the expertise, technology, and scalability to help you grow quickly.

Let’s connect today.