A site host is not paid by drivers. The driver pays the network that runs the chargers, and the network pays the host under the structure the agreement sets: fixed rent, a share of charging revenue, a mix of the two — or nothing at all, where the host bought the chargers and keeps everything. The money follows one route — driver, network, host — minus whatever the agreement says comes off first.
Key Takeaways
- Drivers pay the network, never the host directly. The host is paid by the network, under the agreement’s structure.
- The four structures are fixed rent, a revenue share, a hybrid of both, and host-owned — where there is no network payment at all.
- Every structure is calculated from the platform’s session records — a statement you cannot reconcile is one you cannot check.
- Energy is the largest cost in the deal: agree who holds the supply contract and how it is settled.
Follow One Session’s Money
A session creates one payment and several claims on it.
The driver pays the price the network set — the pricing models behind that price are explained in our guide to how much charging stations charge. Before the host sees anything, the money passes through items the agreement assigns:
- The energy cost. Whoever holds the electricity supply contract carries it. If that is the host, energy may be netted against the payment.
- The running costs. Platform, payment processing and maintenance are the operator’s costs — whether they reduce the host’s share depends on how the agreement defines the share.
- The host’s entitlement. Rent, share or hybrid — it is calculated from the session records the platform holds: sessions, energy delivered and prices charged.
The Four Payment Structures
| Structure | How the host is paid | What it means in practice |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed rent or licence fee | A set amount for the use of the bays and space | Predictable income, busy site or quiet; the network carries the utilisation risk |
| Revenue share | A share of the charging revenue, as the agreement defines revenue | The host’s income follows how busy the site turns out to be — and how “revenue” is defined |
| Hybrid | A base rent plus a smaller share of revenue | A floor under the income, with some upside when the site performs |
| Host-owned | No network payment — the host bought the chargers and keeps the revenue | Not hosting at all: the host is the operator, with its costs and duties |
How Payment Reaches You — and How You Check It
Settlement is the operator’s process, and the agreement is where it is written down. Establish the mechanics before signing, not a number: what statement you receive, what it shows (sessions, energy, prices, deductions), and what records stand behind it. A host who receives only a total cannot check it. A host who receives the session records can reconcile the payment against the site they can see — chargers busy at the stated hours, energy in line with the meter. Whether the numbers can work at all for a site like yours is the modelling question in our look at whether a charging station business is profitable.
Electricity needs its own mechanism: if the chargers run on your supply contract, agree how energy is measured and settled — a separate meter, the platform’s records, or reimbursement.
Where the Hardware Sits in This
EVDANCE is a charger manufacturer, not a network: it does not collect driver payments and it does not pay hosts. Its stations are the equipment both sides rely on for records. The EV-AC03201T dual-connector AC station — two Type 2 connectors, up to 43 kW shared, OCPP 1.6J and RFID — reports each session to the operator’s platform, where host statements come from. The EV-RHDC30K-L compact DC fast charger does the same at 22 kW DC. Hosts who keep the whole route themselves start from our guide to opening a charging station and the range on our commercial EV charging page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I be paid both rent and a revenue share?
Yes — the hybrid structure in the table, common where a host wants a floor plus a stake in performance. Both parts belong in the same agreement, each with its own definition.
The network’s statement looks low. What can I check?
Work from the records: sessions and energy per charger, the prices charged, and the deductions listed. Compare energy with your meter if the chargers run on your supply. If your agreement does not give you the records behind a statement, that gap is itself the finding — raise it before the next period.
Who pays for the electricity under a hosting deal?
Whoever the agreement assigns — usually the party holding the supply contract, with the other side reimbursing or netting it off.
Related Reading
- How Much Do EV Charging Stations Charge? Pricing Models Explained
- Is an EV Charging Station Business Profitable?
- How to Open an EV Charging Station: Step by Step
- Are EV Charging Stations a Good Investment?
