A roaming agreement is the contract that lets drivers holding another network’s account charge on yours — and yours on theirs — with the money settled between the networks afterwards. For a new network it has to settle four things before the first roaming session: how drivers are authenticated, how the money moves, whose price the driver sees, and what session data flows between the platforms. Direct or through an intermediary, the anatomy — and the exposures — are the same.
Key Takeaways
- A roaming agreement settles authentication, session data, settlement, price display, support and exit — before the first roaming session.
- Your exposures: disputed sessions, settlement timing, and prices shown to drivers that you did not set.
- Readiness is a platform function, stated-protocol hardware, settle-grade records and a support route.
- Roaming adds account-based access; it never replaces direct payment at the charger.
What the Agreement Has to Settle
| Clause area | What it settles | A new network’s exposure |
|---|---|---|
| Authentication | Which credentials — accounts, apps, RFID cards — each side accepts, and how a session is authorised or refused | You serve drivers you have no contract with; the agreement is your only recourse in a dispute |
| Session records and data | What data flows per session — energy, time, charger, price basis — in what format and how quickly | Incomplete records are sessions you cannot settle; the data specification is a billing document |
| Settlement | How money moves between the networks, on what cycle, and how failed sessions are handled | You carry the electricity cost until settlement lands — the cycle length is a cash-flow term |
| Price display | Whose price the driver sees before starting — yours, or their provider’s price for your station — and who answers disputes | A driver can be charged a price you never set, at your charger, under your name on the map |
| Faults and support | Who a roaming driver calls, what fault and availability data the platforms exchange, and who carries a failed session | Your reliability is judged inside someone else’s app, on information you supply |
| Term and exit | Duration, notice, and what happens to driver access and unsettled sessions at the end | An exit without a records and settlement tail leaves the last cycle unreconciled |
One floor sits underneath all of it: roaming adds to direct access, never substitutes for it. U.S. NEVI corridor stations must, under 23 CFR Part 680, accept contactless card payment with no membership required. The agreement widens who can pay by account; the walk-up driver’s route stays.
Readiness Before You Sign
- A platform that supports the connection. Roaming runs platform to platform, above the charger — the layer our OCPP explainer covers. Confirm roaming support as a written contract function.
- Networked hardware with a stated protocol. A charger joins only if it reports sessions to your platform. In the EVDANCE range, the EV-AC03201T AC station and the EV-RHDC30K-L compact DC charger state OCPP 1.6J with RFID authorisation.
- Records complete enough to settle. Energy, duration, charger and price basis captured the same way, every session — test this on your own drivers first.
- Your own prices published clearly. Roaming drivers compare your posted price with their provider’s — see our guide to how much charging stations charge.
The Questions a New Network Asks First
Start with reach and terms, in that order. Which driver base does this agreement actually bring — accounts you cannot otherwise reach, or overlap with your own? Direct connection or through an intermediary — and what does each route take from a session, as the agreement states it? What settlement cycle will your cash flow carry? Who controls the price the driver sees? What data do you receive back — enough to run your sites, or only enough to be paid? And how does it end? A new network’s bargaining power is small; its protection is reading these answers while walking away is still free.
EVDANCE builds network hardware and operates no roaming service; roaming is arranged between operators and platform providers. Networks planning platform-paired hardware can start from our commercial charging page or contact us. EVDANCE is a Shenzhen manufacturer founded in 2011, with a 3-year standard warranty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does roaming make my chargers visible to every EV driver?
No. A charger is reachable only by drivers whose provider has an agreement covering your network. Coverage is agreement by agreement — which is why the reach question comes first.
Who sets the price a roaming driver pays?
The driver’s bill comes from their own provider, under the arrangements the agreement sets. That price can differ from your posted price — why the display and dispute clauses matter to your reputation, not only revenue.
Do I need roaming if my chargers accept contactless cards?
No. Contactless serves any driver at the charger; roaming adds account-based drivers from partner networks, billed at home. Many networks run both.
Related Reading
- OCPP Explained: What Charge Point Operators Need From EV Charger Hardware
- How Much Do EV Charging Stations Charge? Pricing Models Explained
- What Is an RFID Card for EV Charging?
