Payment methods
A driver can pay for a charge on Road in several ways, and an operator can offer as many of them as suits the site. They split into two kinds: drivers who have an account or a card, and drivers who just want to tap and pay.
- Charge cards and the roaming network — a driver with an RFID card or a contract, including drivers from other networks, charging on the strength of who they are and settling later.
- On-station card terminals — a payment terminal at the charging station, so anyone can tap a bank card, no app and no account.
- Web checkout — scan a QR at the charging station and pay on a web page, no hardware to install.
- In the mobile app — a stored card, wallet or linked charge card in the Road mobile app.
Ad-hoc payment and the law
The card terminal and web checkout methods matter for more than convenience: they are how an operator meets the rules on ad-hoc payment at public charging stations. A public charging station has to let a driver pay there and then, without signing up to anything.
- In the EU, this is the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR): public stations opened after 14 April 2024 must offer a means of anonymous payment for a charge.
- In the UK, the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 carry a similar contactless-payment duty (alongside the reliability reporting duty).
An on-station terminal or web checkout is the regulated ad-hoc path in both cases, so switching one on is how an operator meets the obligation.
How each method settles
Where the money ends up differs by method:
- Charge cards and roaming settle through billing: the charge is collected and, for a visiting driver, reconciled between the two networks. See Billing.
- On-station terminals settle at the terminal, outside roaming and mobility-provider billing, so they are not invoiced again.
- Web checkout and mobile take payment from the driver's card through a payment provider, reserving an amount up front and taking the final cost when the charge ends.