Visa has called for the standardisation of payment systems at electric vehicle (EV) charging points across Europe.

The payments tech company said that because there is no widespread industry standard for payment acceptance at charging points, European consumers don’t have a choice of payment method and are “forced into a single option” like signing up to an app or provider programme.

According to the card provider, there are currently only handful of European countries – including Germany – that have legislation in place for a standardised approach.

“We believe the widespread adoption of electric vehicles is key to helping Europe meet its net zero targets. Ensuring people can easily pay to charge their vehicles is essential if we want them to go electric,” said Charlotte Hogg, chief executive, Visa, Europe. “At the moment, this is not the case.

“We believe this must change so consumers have the choice they deserve.”

Visa also announced the launch of a new consultation for electric vehicle charging point manufacturers to identify barriers to rolling out contactless payment points.

“We want to play our part in finding solutions to this challenge which is why we’ve launched an industry consultation on how contactless and digital payments can be accepted as standard,” continued Hogg. “We’re also looking forward to participating as a member of CharIN to advance the debate.”

The company will become the first financial services firm to join CharIN, a non-profit international charging initiative working with all parts of the e-mobility value chain.

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