Payment issues revealed for electric vehicle charging

A survey by EV payment specialist Paythru, carried out in partnership with the EV Café, found many frustrations that need to be addressed to support faster EV uptake

The analysis of 200 EV drivers found drivers still use multiple payment methods, despite an often-stated preference for universal solutions. Only 13% of people have a single payment option they use 100% of the time. Most have three or more regular options that they switch between, such as contactless and a couple of different apps, each making up less than a quarter of their overall usage.

This level of variation suggests the majority of users are being forced to use multiple payment options to navigate an overly complex charging system,

said Sara Sloman, Paythru’s chief strategy officer.

The survey also reveals a high level of problems at the charger. Almost nine in 10 (87%) of respondents said they’ve had to download a new app at the charging point at least once, in order to pay. A total of 80% have faced app payment problems due to mobile connectivity issues. And more than half (56%) have had their card rejected.

Furthermore, 45% of drivers said they’ve had to phone up to make a payment, and 61% have left the charge point because of unacceptable payment options.

Keith Brown, Paythru’s managing director, warned that as the EV market moves from early adopters to mainstream drivers, expectations will rise and intolerance will fall for the type of problems highlighted by this survey.

People have little patience for complex and cumbersome EV charging transactions,

he said.

The charging experience remains overly complicated, creating what we call ‘Payment Anxiety: the feeling of going to charge and knowing there’s a very real chance – even if it’s a small one – that the charge point won’t work the way you want for one reason or another.

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