EMVCo Publishes Electric Vehicle Open Payments Solution

WHY THIS MATTERS
EV charging is quickly becoming a payments problem as much as an infrastructure one. Today, drivers often face fragmented experiences—apps, subscriptions, or closed-loop systems tied to specific networks. EMVCo’s new open payments framework aims to standardise this by enabling card-based payments directly within Plug & Charge ecosystems, using existing global payment rails.

The significance lies in interoperability. By leveraging EMV SRC and aligning with ISO 15118 standards, this approach removes the need for new hardware and minimises integration complexity. That lowers barriers for charging station operators while ensuring drivers can pay seamlessly across networks—similar to how contactless payments work globally today.

EMVCo – the technical body that creates and manages EMV® Specifications and programmes that enable seamless and secure card-based payments worldwide – has published Version 1.0 of the Electric Vehicle (EV) Open Payments Use Case document, which outlines an interoperable open payment solution for EV charging.

The use case document explains how EMV Secure Remote Commerce (SRC) technology – which simplifies the digital payment process to help make it more consistent, convenient and secure – can be used to integrate card-based payments at EV charging stations supporting ISO 15118 Plug and Charge.   

The use of EMV SRC technology maximises global interoperability and supports compatibility with the existing global EV charging infrastructure. As such, no hardware changes are anticipated from EV manufacturers, and it is expected that charging station operators (CSOs) will need only limited backend integration. 

This can help ease deployments, reduce costs and accelerate time-to-market, all while removing unnecessary friction and inconvenience for EV drivers when paying to charge their vehicle.

Patrik Smets, EMVCo Executive Committee Chair, comments: “Open payments provide EV drivers with more choice and flexibility when charging their vehicle, while merchants can be confident that all drivers are able to pay for charging. This will help to enable a trusted, consistent and convenient EV charging payment experience for drivers across the world.” 

The publication of the document follows extensive consultation with EMVCo Associates and Subscribers, as well as the wider global EV and payments industries. This included two rounds of public review to gather input and feedback from key stakeholders and final approval from the EMVCo Board of Advisors. 

EMVCo also worked closely with technical bodies and industry associations – such as the Car Connectivity Consortium, CharIN, ISO (the International Organization for Standardization), the Open Charge Alliance and the Secure Technology Alliance – and is committed to ongoing collaboration.   

This includes a joint initiative with CharIN, titled “New Payment Solutions”, which aims to bring together global industry leaders to discuss how EMV-based payments can work alongside ISO 15118 Plug & Charge systems in an open, secure, and interoperable way. 

Michael Keller, CTO of CharIN, comments: “Collaboration is essential to provide EV drivers with simple and convenient payment options – no matter where they charge their vehicle. We look forward to continuing working together with EMVCo, the EV industry and payments community, to help make EV charging payments simple, seamless and reliable.”

WHY THIS MATTERS
EV charging is quickly becoming a payments problem as much as an infrastructure one. Today, drivers often face fragmented experiences—apps, subscriptions, or closed-loop systems tied to specific networks. EMVCo’s new open payments framework aims to standardise this by enabling card-based payments directly within Plug & Charge ecosystems, using existing global payment rails.

The significance lies in interoperability. By leveraging EMV SRC and aligning with ISO 15118 standards, this approach removes the need for new hardware and minimises integration complexity. That lowers barriers for charging station operators while ensuring drivers can pay seamlessly across networks—similar to how contactless payments work globally today.