Employers who charge staff collect the money in one of three ways: a payroll deduction, a monthly bill raised from the charger’s session records, or direct payment per session. All three stand on the same base: every session metered and tied to a named employee, usually by RFID card or app account. Which route fits depends on payroll practice, not on the charger.
Key Takeaways
- Employers collect through payroll deduction, platform billing, or direct payment per session — all built on named, metered sessions.
- Set the staff tariff from the site’s own electricity bill and document it; do not copy a public price.
- Payroll deduction needs written agreement and puts disputes on payroll’s desk; platform routes keep money out of payroll.
- Joiners and leavers are an HR-cycle routine: enrol, deactivate, settle the final month, keep the records.
The Base: Named, Metered Sessions
Two things must exist first. Enrolment: each employee gets a card or app account against their staff record, so only listed staff can start a session. Metering: the platform records how many kWh each named user took — the identification layer our explainer on RFID cards for EV charging covers. On top sits the staff tariff: a per-kWh price set by the employer, built from the site’s own electricity bill. The EIA’s U.S. commercial average of 14.53 cents per kWh is only a benchmark for scale; the policy number comes from the actual tariff.
The Three Collection Routes
| Route | How the collection runs | What the employer must set up |
|---|---|---|
| Payroll deduction | Monthly session totals go to payroll, which deducts each employee’s total — or a flat monthly fee — from pay | The employee’s written agreement to the deduction, taken at enrolment; a monthly export both sides can check |
| Platform billing | The platform bills the staff group: a card on file charged monthly, or an invoice per employee | A platform arrangement with a staff group and tariff; the employer administers membership, not money |
| Direct payment per session | Staff pay at the charger like public users, at the staff rate; the platform settles with the site | Staff group and rate configured on the platform; no payroll involvement |
The routes differ mainly in whose systems touch the money. Payroll deduction is tidy for a stable workforce, but joiners, leavers and disputes land on the payroll team’s desk. Platform billing keeps money out of payroll. Direct payment is lightest: staff pay a staff price, and visitors can use the same chargers at a public price.
Setting the Staff Tariff Without Guesswork
Most staff schemes aim at cost recovery. Set the price by documenting its parts: the energy rate from the site’s own bill, plus a share of platform and maintenance costs. Two cautions belong in the policy. Pricing below cost makes the difference a partial benefit whose tax treatment is a question for the payroll team or a tax adviser, not a charger setting. And selling electricity on can raise metering and resale questions that vary by place — confirm where the line sits locally before the first bill. Public pricing works differently, as our explainer on how charging stations charge sets out.
Joiners, Leavers and Records
Run the scheme on the HR cycle. Enrolment: card issued, deduction agreement signed if the payroll route is used, tariff and rules handed over. Leaving reverses it: account deactivated, the final part-month settled the usual way, any prepaid balance handled as the written policy says — decide that line before anyone leaves. Keep the per-user records: they settle billing disputes and evidence utilisation when the scheme expands.
Hardware That Attributes Every Session
The hardware must identify users and report sessions. The EV-AC03201T dual-connector AC station (two Type 2 connectors, up to 43 kW shared, OCPP 1.6J, RFID, IP54) is built for shared sites where each session must be attributed to a user; its screen is a display, not a payment terminal — payment runs through the platform. For single bays, the EV-ACT3204PE 22 kW wallbox (Type 2, RFID and app, IP66, CE) gives the same per-user start. EVDANCE’s commercial charging page covers workplace layouts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an employer deduct charging costs from wages?
Yes — normally arranged with the employee’s written agreement at enrolment and run as a monthly total from the session records. Rules on deductions from pay are set locally, so payroll should confirm the arrangement first.
Do employers charge staff the same price as the public?
Usually not. Staff run as their own user group at their own tariff — commonly a cost-recovery price — while visitors sit in a separate group at a public rate.
What happens to a staff charging account when someone leaves?
It is deactivated on the leaving date, the final part-month settled through the usual route, and any prepaid balance handled as the written policy states — which is why that line belongs in the policy from the start.
Related Reading
- How to Plan a Workplace EV Charging Program
- What Is an RFID Card for EV Charging?
- RFID and User Management for Shared EV Chargers
- How Much Do EV Charging Stations Charge? Pricing Models Explained
