The Public Charge Point Regulations 2023

PART 2 Payment requirements

Contactless payment

5.—(1) For a new public charge point with a power of 8 kilowatts or above, a charge point operator must, within one year from the date on which these Regulations come into force, ensure that a person using that charge point is able to pay by contactless payment to charge an electric vehicle.

(2) For a rapid charge point in operation before the date on which these Regulations come into force, a charge point operator must, within one year from the date on which these Regulations come into force, ensure that a person using that charge point is able to pay by contactless payment to charge an electric vehicle.

(3) Where an existing charge point becomes a public charge point after the coming into force of these Regulations, a charge point operator must, within one year from the date on which the charge point becomes a public charge point, ensure that a person using that charge point is able to pay by contactless payment to charge an electric vehicle.

(4) In this regulation—

(a) “contactless payment” means a payment made at a contactless payment terminal using the contactless payment facility of a payment card that does not require the payer to have entered into a pre-existing contract with the charge point operator;

(b) “existing charge point” means a charge point with a power of 8 kilowatts or above in operation before these Regulations come into force;

(c) “new public charge point” means a public charge point installed after the coming into force of these Regulations.

Payment roaming

6.—(1) A charge point operator must, within two years from the date on which these Regulations come into force, ensure that a person using any of its charge points is able to pay to charge an electric vehicle using a payment service provided by a third party roaming provider.

(2) Where, on the date on which these Regulations come into force, a charge point operator permits a person using its charge points to pay to charge an electric vehicle using a payment service provided by a third party roaming provider, the charge point operator must, within 28 days from the date on which these Regulations come into force, submit a report to the Secretary of State which lists each third party roaming provider permitted to provide such a service.

(3) A charge point operator must notify the Secretary of State of—

(a) any third party roaming provider permitted to provide a payment service for its charge points and such notification must be given within 28 days from the date on which permission to provide that service is granted; and

(b) any third party roaming provider which is no longer permitted to provide a payment service for its charge points and such notification must be given within 28 days from the date on which permission to provide that service is withdrawn.

(4) In this regulation—

(a) “application” means a software programme that runs through a web browser or offline on a mobile telephone or other device and enables a person to charge an electric vehicle, and which does not serve solely as a method of payment;

(b) “network of public charge points” means all the public charge points owned or operated by a single charge point operator;

(c) “payment service” means a service that enables a person to pay, using an application or an RFID card, for charging an electric vehicle at public charge points operated by different charge point operators;

(d) “RFID card” means a card with Radio Frequency Identification functionality which allows a person to charge an electric vehicle but which is not a payment card;

(e) “third party roaming provider” means a person who provides a payment service in respect of different networks of public charge points.