Transparent Pricing: The Key for Independent CPOs

Retail fuel has posted prices for a century. Public EV charging, by contrast, has too often asked drivers to plug first, learn later—and that’s frayed trust. This week, the conversation shifted: Chargeway rolled out real-time, station-level kWh pricing and total-session estimates inside its app, putting costs up front the way drivers expect at a gas station. For commercial property owners, that’s more than an app update; it’s a nudge to bring your on-site pricing practices into the open.

What’s Changed—and Why it Matters for Your Site

Until now, many drivers only discovered the bill after the session. With Chargeway Plus, users can see live kWh rates on the map, factor in time-of-use (TOU) swings, and preview a total cost to charge based on their battery’s state of charge. That’s exactly the mental model mainstream consumers want: “How long, how much, is it available?” Clear answers reduce support calls and cut abandonment at the stall.

There’s policy gravity here, too. Federal NEVI rules already push toward transparent pricing and open data—requiring that price, fees and real-time availability be accessible via mapping and displayed clearly to consumers for federally funded stations. Even if your installs aren’t NEVI-funded, the standard is setting expectations that spill into private networks and private property.

The CRE Playbook: Make Price Clarity Part of the Guest Experience

Post prices where they charge. Treat stalls like pumps. On each dispenser—and the adjacent wayfinding—show price per kWh, session fees, and any time-based/idle fees. If you apply TOU (time of use) pricing, post the schedule in plain language (“Peak 4–9pm: $0.59/kWh; Off-Peak 9pm–noon: $0.35/kWh”). You’ll pre-empt disputes and boost throughput.

Fix the kiosk and app UX. Your target is a three-step flow: Plug in → Tap Start → Go. That means large type, high-contrast screens readable in sun, and pricing at the top of the start screen—not three taps deep. Where you control app UI, mirror the stall display so numbers match across channels. (Drivers punish mismatches.)

Offer easy, universal payments. Contactless credit/debit (tap-to-pay) is no longer optional; NEVI codified it, and consumers expect it. Add QR code “pay by phone” as a backup for chipped or gloved users. Reduce the cognitive load: no mandatory accounts, no surprise pre-auths that look like overcharges on bank apps.

Share data openly. Push price and availability to aggregators (Chargeway, PlugShare, Google). If dynamic prices change, publish the effective window so apps can estimate total session cost accurately. That cross-posting is now a marketing channel, steering drivers to your property before they arrive.

Use smart charging to keep prices honest—and competitive. TOU exposure is real. Pair your EVSE with load management and demand controls so you can advertise attractive off-peak rates without destroying margins. A clear “Off-Peak Deal” every night turns transparency into a promotion, not just compliance.

Why transparency pays for landlords

Fewer “bill shock” complaints. When prices are obvious, support tickets and chargebacks fall. That lowers soft costs that rarely make the model but erode ROI. The visibility also shortens dwell for opportunistic fast-charge users who just need a top-off and will happily move on when costs rise at peak.

More first-time and casual users. Occasional EV drivers—hotel guests, outlet-mall shoppers, eventgoers—are the most price-sensitive and least app-savvy. Clear signage plus tap-to-pay converts them, adding incremental visits and basket lift to your P&L.

Brand trust you can measure. Property reviews and star ratings increasingly mention charging. “Fair, predictable pricing” reads like “clean restrooms” did for fuel: it’s a proxy for quality. Expect improved booking conversion in hospitality and higher repeat visits in retail when sticker shock disappears.

Future-proofing against rules. As standards evolve, operators who already post real-time price and fees will glide through grant applications and utility partnerships. You’ll be NEVI-ready—even if you never apply.

Bottom line

The market just told us what “good” looks like: kWh price up front, total session cost in sight, simple start-to-charge, and universal payment. Apps like Chargeway now surface that clarity before a driver turns into your lot. Match it at the dispenser and in your digital touchpoints, and you’ll convert anxiety into confidence—and confidence into revenue.