How Chargefox keeps EV charging simple with Pin Payment’s scalable solution

About Chargefox

Chargefox isn’t just Australia’s largest EV charging network – it’s also the fastest-growing.

Since launching in 2018, the company has attracted thousands of EV drivers, resulting in over 3 million vehicle charges across the country.

One key to Chargefox’s success? Finding a payment provider that could support a truly frictionless payment experience for its loyal customers.

Read on to learn how Pin Payments helped Chargefox achieve that goal.

THE PROBLEM: Payment process friction makes charging a drag

Today, Chargefox is the market leader in Australia’s EV charging network. But its path to success wasn’t straightforward.

‘When we started, we were working in uncharted territories. The market didn’t exist – and there were no competitors,’ John Sullivan, Chargefox’s CEO, reflects.

‘There was nothing to replicate or automate. Even now, we’re working in a volatile environment where the terrain is constantly evolving. That means we’re constantly adapting our business strategy to meet our vision.’

But one thing remained constant: the desire to ensure a smooth, frictionless charging process for customers.

You see, Chargefox knew that the key to a great customer experience was making payment as effortless as the charging itself. Which made integrating scalable payment processes as the company grew essential.

More importantly, Chargefox wanted to capture payment only after users had finished charging their cars – a main differentiator that would set the company apart from its competitors.

‘Unlike other charge point operators, we don’t want to hold funds before a transaction,’ John explains. ‘We don’t want to do a pre-purchase credit check and hold an amount on our customers’ cards.

‘We trust our customers, and payment should be easy, not a barrier to our service. So, although pre-authorisations and card holds were common in the industry, we wanted to do things differently.’

And that was certainly something Pin Payments could help with.

THE SOLUTION: Automatic, secure payments – captured after every charge

With Pin Payments’ Customers API, Chargefox can securely ‘tokenise’ customers’ payment cards when they add them to their Chargefox account. This means that instead of storing sensitive card details, the app generates a unique identifier (or token) for each card.

The token allows Chargefox to automatically collect payment once a customer’s charging session is complete – without needing to re-enter card details each time. Easy as!

‘All our payments are now automated using Pin Payments’ APIs, with options to do everything from charges to refunds,’ says John. ‘It’s great because we can build a scalable business – which wouldn’t be possible if we had to rely on manual processes.’

Chargefox has also leveraged Pin Payments’ eftpos and Least-Cost Routing (LCR) support tools to reduce transaction costs. By using LCR, Pin Payments automatically routes eftpos payments through the lowest cost network. This, in turn, allows Chargefox to keep its pricing competitive, ultimately passing the savings on to customers.

THE RESULTS: Superior payment experience, consistent customer growth

It’s been 6 years since Chargefox partnered with Pin Payments. Since then, the company has continued to steadily grow its customer base. In fact, in the last year alone, Chargefox’s online payments grew by an impressive 100%.

'Pin Payments makes everything run smoothly,' says John. 'The team is quick to respond, and thanks to their support, I never have to think twice about payments. It’s all handled effortlessly.

'That gives me the freedom to focus on what matters: growing the business and delivering top-notch service to our customers.’

Ready to introduce a seamless payment solution into your business? Get in touch with the friendly Pin Payments team today.