Some even offer cheaper rates and discounts if you pay through the app, which can be better value than charging using contactless. Others have reward systems so they can be well worth it over time.
Apple Pay and Google Pay
Paying for your charge using Apple Pay and Google Pay is as easy as using your contactless credit card.
You use it in the same way as contactless. First, set up your card on either Apple or Google Pay. Then hold your phone close enough to the card reader when the machine prompts you. Easy!
Depending on your settings, you can access your card on your phone with the touch of a button, or, if you require a bit more security, you can set it to unlock with a password, or through face recognition, on more modern mobile phones.
RFID card or provider-issued fob
Some charging networks offer a subscription service where you’re able to sign up and receive a unique RFID card or a fob that you can use to pay for your charge.
When you scan this card at a charger, you’ll automatically be sent the bill for any costs you incur – so it’s quick and easy.
Some older chargers are limited to RFID-only, which means you and a few other drivers will have exclusive use of them. There’s a downside, though: RFID cards can be limited to chargers installed by the company that supplied the card.
Paying for an electric car charge abroad
Europe’s charging network is constantly growing, so finding a charger on a continental highway should be a simple task. As in the UK, paying with contactless is widespread but some older chargers will still require an app or, in rarer cases, an RFID card.
Beware, though: some banks restrict the amount you’re able to spend in one transaction when using contactless, or when paying with a mobile phone abroad. Some countries will tax you slightly for using contactless too.
It’s also worth noting that in 2023, as part of the alternative fuels infrastructure regulation (AFIR), the EU agreed that there should be a rapid EV charger every 60km (37 miles) along the continent’s main transport corridors.
