One of the first questions commercial and residential property managers ask is: “How do people pay for charging?” It’s a perfectly valid query, but all too often (in our industry) the answer is complicated, involves expensive monthly subscriptions, or is full of hidden fees. Zaptec is all about no-nonsense solutions, so we’ve partnered with EV payment services provider Tap Electric – prioritising functionality, efficiency, cost, and transparency for both installers and customers.
Justin Savage, Head of Built Environment, said: “We first started trialling the system in August and it has been extremely well received by Zaptec Pro users, particularly those with new build apartments and communal charging areas that needed to comply with new ‘Part S’ building regulations.”
“Tap Electric really comes into its own where 100% of a site is required to have an EV charger, but only a small percentage of tenants will actually use them from day one. Other CPO’s charge landlords a monthly fee per charger, regardless of the EV uptake, meaning that without Tap, costs can quickly spiral with no way of recouping them.”
Why Tap Electric?
Tap’s innovative business model stands out in a market dominated by subscription-based platforms. Unlike its competitors, Tap offers its software free to owners, installers, and operators, deriving revenue from a small transaction fee or subscription fee to the driver. This model not only makes uptake more feasible for businesses or building management but also delivers a better experience for end-users.
Dan Pezim, Co-Founder & CCO at Tap Electric, added: “We are really excited to see how this partnership has been received in the UK to date. Our installer partners love working with Zaptec – it’s made in Europe, has a great warranty, and is simple to install.”
“When we combine that with the strengths of Tap, we’ve seen great outcomes for property managers. They are getting a beautiful piece of kit with a management platform that is not only really easy to use and obviously cost-effective, but also a truly driver-focused product that residents actually like using.”
How does it work?
This partnership will save Zaptec customers a great deal of cost and headache. With no fees or subscriptions of any kind for Zaptec Pro / Zaptec Go owners, installers, and operators, it is a straightforward payment solution. With the Tap ecosystem, there are different levels of driver subscription. The higher levels of subscription charge a monthly fee in exchange for reduced or zero transaction fees. Every driver can optimize their own costs, making the system more fair for everyone.
No subscription
Light
Regular
Premium
Monthly fee
Free
Free
£2.00/month
£5.00/month
Fee per session
10%
8%
5%
0%
Free RFID Tapkey
No
No
Yes
Yes
Monthly fee
Fee per session
Free RFID Tapkey
No subscription
Free
10%
No
Light
Free
8%
No
Regular
£2.00/ month
5%
Yes
Premium
£5.00/ month
0%
Yes
Tap’s charge management system combines a consumer-grade user experience with many quality-of-life functions that make it easy to configure charger access, set tariffs, and receive payments. It offers total control and oversight, ensuring owners know exactly what’s happening. Control – for both managers and drivers – comes from the Tap smartphone application. Owners also get access to a web app.
Drivers in focus
Equally as important is the experience for drivers – those recharging every day. The good news is that the stunning design of Zaptec chargers is matched only by their functionality and ease of use – sensational. Now, when paired with Tap, drivers have access to a familiar app packed with features that integrate seamlessly with the available charger.
Drivers benefit from real-time cost and performance information throughout their charging sessions, giving them a clear idea of what is going on. They can also set price limits, with the charger stopping at the requested amount. Additionally, paid subscriptions come with a free RFID Tapkey that syncs with the app, so a driver can quickly start a session with their key and see the progress in real-time via the app.
Planning is critical to drivers, so Tap uses AI to predict charger availability alongside a reliability score based on connectivity, error messages, and user feedback. With Tap, drivers can also access popular public charging networks like Fastned, Mer, and Chargepoint.
In-built messaging
Tap discovered that many offices and residential buildings used group chats to communicate charger use and availability. Seeing clear benefits to this approach, they swiftly integrated group messaging into the app for better coordination in communal settings.
For public spaces where users may not know each other or belong to the same organisation, Tap developed (optional) license plate-based peer-to-peer messaging.
“Hey, I’m parked nearby, could you please let me know when you’re done?”
“Of course, I should be back in about 20 minutes.”
Security
Tap has worked to ensure that its software – much like the Zaptec Pro – is fully compliant with the UK’s latest smart charging regulations as well as the UK’s version of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
An exciting development
This new partnership is addressing some of the most significant pain points in the commercial and residential public charging market – a fantastic step for property managers. The partnership between Zaptec and Tap Electric greatly enhances the EV charging experience, combining state-of-the-art Scandi chargers with a user-friendly, cost-effective payment system.
If you have any questions about setting up Tap on Zaptec Pro, get in touch via [email protected]
