The fee stack behind networked charging
A network subscription is not one fee, it is up to five, and they are charged on different bases so they cannot be compared as a single number. The stack is: a per-port software subscription, usually billed annually; payment processing on every paid session, typically a percentage plus a fixed amount per transaction; a revenue share on paid sessions, taken by the network on top of processing; cellular connectivity for each port; and, sometimes folded into the same invoice line, a service or maintenance plan. Published per-port prices are not reliably comparable between vendors and we do not quote figures we cannot attribute to your specific agreement. What we can show you is the arithmetic, and the arithmetic explains something properties find baffling: on a short amenity session, the fixed portion of the payment fee can be worth more than the electricity sold. That is the actual reason sites introduce session minimums, and it is not greed.
Updated 2026-08-20
The five charges, and what each is based on
Ask every bidder to price these five separately. A single blended number per port per year hides which one will grow when your site gets busier.
| Charge | Usual basis | Grows with | Question for the vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software subscription | Per port, per year | Port count only | Is it prepaid for a term, and what happens at renewal? |
| Payment processing | Percentage of the transaction plus a fixed amount | Number of sessions, not energy | Is the fixed component per session or per authorisation? |
| Network revenue share | Percentage of session revenue | Paid session revenue | Share of gross or of net after processing? |
| Cellular connectivity | Per port, per year or per month | Port count only | Is this inside the subscription or on top of it? |
| Service or maintenance plan | Per port, per year | Port count | Does it include labour and a truck roll, or only parts? |
| Activation or onboarding | One time, per port or per site | Nothing | Is it refundable if commissioning is delayed? |
Why a short session can lose money on the payment fee alone
Payment processing has a fixed component, and a fixed component is brutal on small transactions.
| Session | Energy at 7.2 kW | Gross at $0.25/kWh | Card fee at 2.9% + $0.30 | Energy cost at $0.13/kWh | Left before subscription and revenue share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 minutes | 1.8 kWh | $0.45 | $0.31 | $0.23 | -$0.09 |
| 30 minutes | 3.6 kWh | $0.90 | $0.33 | $0.47 | $0.10 |
| 45 minutes | 5.4 kWh | $1.35 | $0.34 | $0.70 | $0.31 |
| 1 hour | 7.2 kWh | $1.80 | $0.35 | $0.94 | $0.51 |
| 3 hours | 21.6 kWh | $5.40 | $0.46 | $2.81 | $2.13 |
| 8 hours | 57.6 kWh | $14.40 | $0.72 | $7.49 | $6.19 |
Revenue share is where the negotiation actually is
The headline percentage is less important than the base it applies to, and most properties negotiate the percentage.
Comparing two bids that are not comparable
Normalise every proposal onto the same five lines and a five-year horizon, and the cheapest headline usually stops being the cheapest deal.
Where the fee stack changes the design
Fees are per port, so port count is a recurring cost decision and not only a capital one.
How much do EV charger network fees cost per port?
We do not publish a figure, because the ones circulating are not comparable and the real number is in your proposal. What we can tell you is the structure: a per-port annual subscription, payment processing on each paid session, a revenue share, cellular connectivity, and sometimes a service plan. Ask every bidder to price those five separately over five years at two different session volumes, and the comparison becomes possible.
Why do charging stations have a session minimum?
Because card processing has a fixed component per transaction. On a 15-minute Level 2 session you might sell under two kilowatt-hours, and a fixed fee of roughly thirty cents on top of a percentage can exceed what is left after the energy cost. A minimum or a connection fee makes small sessions solvent. It looks like a money grab and it is arithmetic.
Can we avoid network fees by not billing anyone?
You avoid processing and revenue share, but not the subscription or connectivity, because those are charged for the software regardless of whether money changes hands. If nobody pays for sessions and the site is small and access-controlled, the honest question is whether you need a network at all. Past about a dozen ports, remote diagnostics usually justifies it even with free charging.
Is the revenue share taken from gross or net?
It depends on the contract, and this is the single most valuable thing to clarify before signing. The same headline percentage means different money depending on whether it applies to gross session revenue or to what remains after payment processing. Ask in writing, and ask separately whether idle and occupancy fees are inside or outside the share.
Do network fees go up at renewal?
They can, and an uncapped renewal after a discounted first term is a common structure. Ask for a cap on renewal increases and get it in the agreement. Also ask what the fees are if you extend to more ports later, since a site that adds ports mid-term sometimes finds the incremental ports priced differently from the original ones.
Does a federal tax credit offset network fees?
No. The Section 30C credit terminated for property placed in service after June 30, 2026 and has no federal replacement, and it never covered recurring software fees in any case. Utility make-ready programs remain the meaningful source of money for commercial charging, and they generally fund infrastructure rather than subscriptions.
- Stripe — published US payment processing pricing, used here as a stand-in rate for card processing
- US Energy Information Administration — Electric Power Monthly, average retail price of electricity by sector and state
- US DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center — state and utility laws and incentives index
- IRS — Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit (§30C termination status)
Fees are recurring. The install is the number you commit to first.
Before you compare subscriptions, get the capital range. Enter your port count, the distance from your electrical service and what the route crosses, and the estimate breaks the install into line items you can put next to the vendor quotes.