Osprey is one of the five largest charging networks in the UK, with around half of charging sessions paid for directly at the post. To make paying at the post as simple as possible for everyone, the question arises:

How can we create a system that meets both the needs of the consumer and the charging station operator?

Balancing customer convenience and administrative control

Convenience for the customer; manageability for the administrator

The customer demands seamless convenience: paying with the bank card for fast transactions, insight into charging sessions, receipts, and the ability to see available charging stations. On the other hand, station managers want control, insight into station occupancy and increase customer loyalty.

Osprey is responding to this with new innovations and features to increase the adoption of the app. For example, with the recently launched Hatchcard game, which allows users to win extra kWh.

The technology behind paying at the post

To simplify the payment process, Osprey uses existing payment terminals, such as those from Payter. A transaction takes place via this terminal, where the station sends a unique code to our CPMS (Charge Point Management System) so that a charging session can be started.

A challenge becomes a solution

The challenge: receipts

Paying with a bank card creates a new customer need that we did not have before. Customers request receipts of their charging session so that they can declare to their boss, for example. For security reasons, there is limited access to payment details, and without an account there is little customer information to quickly create the receipt.

In order to process a request for a receipt, we first need a lot of information from the customer. Consider the date, exact price, location, charging station ID, and the last four digits of the payment method. This allows the charging session to be traced and the receipt to be generated. It is clear that this takes a lot of time from the support department at the charging station operator, and the customer has to wait a long time for the receipt.

The solution: automation

We have automated this entire process. First of all, we have enriched the receipt requests with a quick search for relevant charging sessions, so that support quickly has the correct information.

In addition, we have made the request form smarter, so that we receive the exact location and charging station ID data, to apply accurate search methods. Finally, when we find one charging session, we immediately send the customer a receipt.

As a result, we have drastically reduced the pressure on the support department and greatly reduced response times.

Plug&Charge: the future of charging

With Plug&Charge, charging at the station will be even more simplified. Although still in the experimental phase, we have hopeful expectations.

Challenges and dependencies

The road to Plug&Charge is littered with challenges, requiring collaboration between charging station manufacturers, car manufacturers and CPMSs. How does a car identify and authorize itself? And how do we link a car to a specific customer? Cracking those puzzles is what we love to do every day.

Although the exact production date of Plug&Charge is still uncertain, there are visible steps forward. The industry is evolving, and while standards are sometimes applied flexibly, there is an optimistic outlook.

As ihomer, the driving force behind Osprey, we remain driven to improve the charging experience. The fact that Osprey has been voted number 1 in the United Kingdom twice (*) naturally makes us very proud and gives us even more motivation to maintain this leading position.

* Electric Vehicle Innovation and Excellence Awards
Transport + Energy Awards 2023