Contactless Charging One Year On

It’s been almost a year since the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 made contactless payment mandatory for most public EV chargers across the UK.

For fleet managers, what started as a regulatory box-tick has become a driver of data quality, compliance confidence, and HMRC alignment.

1 | From legal requirement to daily reality

Since 24 November 2024, all new public chargers ≥ 8 kW and all existing rapid chargers ≥ 50 kW must offer tap-and-go payment (card, Apple Pay, Google Pay).

No proprietary apps, no closed memberships — just plug, pay and go.

The UK government’s goal was to simplify charging, but the ripple effect has been broader:

• Contactless payments now underpin auditable spend.

• Transparent pricing (p/kWh) and 24/7 helpline requirements have pushed the market toward greater accountability.

• The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) oversees enforcement, with penalties of up to £10 000 per non-compliant charger.

Official GOV.UK guidance →

2 | Fleet impact in numbers

• 94 % of rapid chargers are now fully contactless-ready (Zapmap Q3 2025).

• Session downtime has dropped by roughly 6 minutes on average as “app-gate” failures vanish.

• Expense disputes fell by about 25 % (Fleet News 2025 survey).

  Contactless transformed charging from a patchwork of accounts into a data-rich financial trail. Each payment creates a verified record — a simple foundation for AER-compliant reimbursement.

3 | Why this matters for HMRC and compliance

In 2025, HMRC formally split the Advisory Electricity Rate (AER):

• 8 p/mile for home charging

• 14 p/mile for public charging (HMRC AER update, Sept 2025)

  To apply those rates fairly, fleets need proof of where energy was purchased. Contactless makes that possible: each transaction carries merchant data, time, and kWh cost — perfect evidence for payroll and audits.

  If you are updating reimbursement policies, pair those receipts with the frameworks in EV Mileage Policy: HMRC Compliance Test to keep payroll workflows aligned with quarterly AER reviews.

  Fleet operators using the AER Compliance Pack (72 h) now automatically:

• Tag public vs home charging via card receipts,

• Reimburse drivers accurately at 8p/14p,

• Maintain a complete, exportable audit trail for HMRC review.

4 | Operational gains beyond payment

a | Better VAT reclaim

With standardised pricing in p/kWh and itemised receipts, VAT validation became simpler.

Finance teams can reclaim confidently without manual interpretation.

b | Cleaner cost-per-mile data

Payment data feeds directly into TCO dashboards, creating a measurable link between route, cost and driver behaviour.

c | Less downtime, higher utilisation

Universal contactless means fewer failed sessions, more predictable charging stops, and improved vehicle-use ratios — a quiet but real productivity gain.

d | Open-data advantage

The same regulation compels charge-point operators to publish live status and pricing data.

Fleet software can now monitor charger uptime or congestion in near-real time, reducing wasted detours.

Explore how charging data shapes fleet strategy →

Pair those network insights with the monthly signals in EV Policy Pulse: October 2025 to track how regulation and infrastructure shifts collide.

5 | Where fleets still struggle

• Rural lag: sub-22 kW chargers still missing card readers.

• Data silos: card feeds, telematics and expense systems rarely align.

• Cross-border operations: EU rules differ; receipts abroad don’t follow AER logic.

• Policy drift: AER rates update quarterly; static payroll settings lead to silent non-compliance.

  To stay ahead, fleets should schedule a quarterly audit of reimbursement policy and network compliance — ideally using structured templates from the AER Compliance Pack.

6 | Strategic takeaway

The contactless mandate didn’t just modernise payment; it redefined data ownership in fleet electrification.

Fleets that view every charge session as a traceable financial event can:

• eliminate guesswork in mileage reimbursement,

• enforce HMRC-ready documentation, and

• benchmark true energy cost per mile across vehicles and regions.

  As EVDecisionCompass repeatedly finds in client audits, “payment compliance is now as measurable as energy cost”. Compliance isn’t a constraint — it’s a competitive edge.

📚 Related Reading

• Fair or Unfair? How HMRC’s split AER hits fleets Detailed walkthrough of the September 2025 AER split, equity implications and policy controls for UK company cars.

• UK Charging Growth & EV Registrations – Fleet Signals Latest network growth metrics, uptime insights and what they mean for route planning and utilisation.

• EV Mileage Policy: HMRC Compliance Test Audit-ready templates that help payroll teams validate public vs home charging claims before reimbursement runs.

🔗 Official References

• GOV.UK — Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 Guidance <https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-public-charge-point-regulations-2023-guidance/public-charge-point-regulations-2023-guidance>

• GOV.UK — Advisory Fuel Rates (company cars) <https://www.gov.uk/guidance/advisory-fuel-rates>

  Bottom line: One year on, the UK’s contactless mandate has turned fleet charging from a messy expense into a transparent, auditable system that finally aligns with HMRC. Fleets that combine contactless payment data with clear AER policy automation are not just compliant — they’re operationally sharper.

Implement your audit-ready workflow in 72 hours → AER Compliance Pack