OCEAN Team
04, Feb 2026
Blog
Scaling Ad-hoc EV Charging on Nets with Apple Pay and Google Pay
As ad-hoc EV charging becomes the default, this article shows how Apple Pay and Google Pay on Nets help our partners meet regulatory requirements, reduce payment friction, and scale charging services with confidence.
Ad-hoc EV charging is no longer an edge case. Across Europe, drivers increasingly expect to arrive at a charger, pay, and start charging immediately without registration, apps, or prior setup.
For our partners using the Nets payments service provider, the shift creates both pressure and opportunity. Supporting Apple Pay and Google Pay on Nets allows partners to meet these expectations without reworking their core systems or adding operational complexity.
This is especially visible as regulatory requirements such as the AFIR regulation make ad-hoc payment mandatory, exposing where existing payment flows fall short across the EU and across public EV charging networks.
Why ad-hoc payment is no longer optional
To understand why this matters, it helps to clarify what an ad hoc payment is in EV charging.
The ad hoc payment definition is simple: a driver must be able to start a charging session without mandatory registration, contracts, or prior setup. Under the AFIR EU framework, this is no longer optional.
Delivering ad-hoc payment at scale is difficult. It must work instantly, support domestic and cross-border drivers, and avoid introducing new credentials or friction. Under AFIR regulation EV charging requirements, weak or partial payment implementations are no longer sufficient.
The factors that make Apple Pay and Google Pay central
Digital wallets play a critical role in making ad-hoc charging usable in practice.
With Apple Pay and Google Pay, drivers can rely on familiar, trusted payment flows without creating accounts or downloading apps. For operators, this translates into higher completion rates for ad-hoc sessions, fewer UX edge cases, and lower support overhead.
When implemented on Nets, wallet payments remove friction at the most sensitive point of the charging journey: the moment a session begins. This includes handling platform-specific requirements such as Apple Pay integration on iOS, without exposing complexity to the driver.
How it works in practice on Nets
Supporting Apple Pay and Google Pay on Nets is not simply about adding payment methods.
It affects:
- ad-hoc application logic
- transaction handling and reconciliation
- session lifecycle tracking
- consistent behaviour across platforms and devices
Wallet support on Nets creates predictable payment flows that charging systems can depend on when sessions are initiated on demand.
At the same time, ad-hoc charging does not mean losing visibility. Modern Nets implementations allow drivers to charge anonymously while still providing session summaries, receipts through the payment provider, and access via transaction references. Charging sessions remain transparent and auditable for both users and operators.
What this enables for our partners
The AFIR (Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation) did not introduce ad-hoc EV charging - it made it unavoidable.
For Ocean partners, supporting Apple Pay and Google Pay on Nets means delivering AFIR‑compliant ad‑hoc EV charging without increasing complexity.
It allows partners to meet AFIR regulation EV charging requirements, reduce payment friction for drivers, and rely on proven wallet infrastructure - making it easier to scale charging services with confidence.
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