For companies whose employees regularly drive abroad, a charging card is not a detail.

Anyone at the wrong charger with the wrong card in France, the Netherlands or Germany sometimes sees the cost per kWh double. Or the card simply refuses to work. These are the criteria to check before you settle on a European charging card strategy.

How does a European charging card work?

A charging card connects you to a charging network through a mobility service provider (MSP). That MSP has contracts with charge point operators (CPOs) across Europe and handles payment and pricing behind the scenes. You keep one card or one app and get one monthly invoice, even if you charged in four countries.

Not every MSP has a contract with every CPO, and not every roaming relationship runs on the same terms. That is where the spread in rates and coverage comes from.

Five criteria for choosing your European charging card

01

Coverage per country

Ask per country how many active charging points the card gives access to and which major operators are included. You will rarely get a watertight coverage percentage, and whoever promises one can usually not back it up.

How to approach it: test on the countries and operators your drivers actually use.
02

Pricing per category

A complete rate list per operator does not exist in practice and changes constantly.

How to approach it: ask for the rates per charger category (public AC, DC up to 50 kW, DC from 150 kW) and per country, and test them on a fixed reference session.
03

Session and time surcharges

A price of €0.55 per kWh looks reasonable, until you discover a €0.40 session fee and €0.05 per minute on top.

How to approach it: always ask for the full all-in rate on a 30-minute reference session.
04

Back office and reporting

Can you segment per employee, per vehicle, per country and per operator?

Key takeaway: for a fleet of 10 cars or more, that is essential for cost control and tax accountability.
05

Integration with split billing

Can the same card be used for public charging in Europe and for split billing on a home charger?

Key takeaway: that avoids two separate systems for one employee.
How does your current card score?We analyse your driving profiles per country and calculate what a different mix delivers.
Get the calculation

One card or several?

For fleets that structurally drive in several countries, one card is rarely the best choice. A typical strategy:

PrimaryBest all-in rateFor the most used countries.
Back-upWider coverageFor countries where the primary card is weak.
OptionalSeparate DC arrangementFor fast charging on motorways, if the primary card is expensive there.

Why one card is rarely the cheapest everywhere: public charging in Belgium.

In practice: what does the employee get?

Give employees one physical card plus an app. That app shows at least:

  • Charging points nearby
  • The rate at that charger
  • Real-time availability
  • The option to start a session without a physical card, handy if the card is at home

Train your employees in using it. Fleet managers often underestimate how many more expensive sessions come from awkward choices in a busy car park.

What does a charging card strategy really cost?

The direct cost of a card is usually a fixed €1 to €5 per month per card, plus any activation fees. The real cost is in the usage.

For a fleet of 30 cars with mixed European driving, the difference between a well-chosen and a poorly chosen strategy is typically €10,000 to €25,000 per year.

Where those costs hide: hidden costs of public charging for fleets.

One card, at home and on the road

Certipower installs, measures, manages and bills. At the employee’s home, on the company site and on the road, in one monthly invoice to the employer.

InstallAt the employee’s home, on the company site and on the road.
MeasureConsumption per user and per location, without estimates.
Split billingYour employee pays nothing upfront and submits no receipts. How split billing works
My.CertipowerCharging sessions per employee, per vehicle, per country and per operator.

More about our public charging card. Read also OCPP and interoperability.

No obligation

Have your European charging card strategy reviewed?

We analyse your driving profiles per country and calculate what an adjusted mix delivers.

  • Analysis of sessions per country and operator
  • Comparison of all-in rates per category
  • Annual savings in euros
Schedule a call+32 51 15 30 15
Prefer email? sales@certipower.be
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