Business charging card: charging card, fuel card or fleet platform?
A business charging card bundles all public charging sessions of your fleet onto one invoice and assigns them to drivers, vehicles or cost centres. A traditional fuel card with a charging feature is enough while most of your fleet still runs on fuel. Once vehicles also charge at home and on site, a fleet platform that brings all charging locations together is usually the better choice.
As the number of company EVs grows, many fleet managers ask the same question: keep the fuel card, add a separate charging card or move to a platform? This article compares the three models and shows what to look for.
What is a business charging card?
A company charging card is an RFID card or app feature drivers use at public charge points. Costs do not run through private accounts but go straight to the company. Unlike a private card, you manage cards centrally, block and reissue them and analyse sessions.
Charging card, fuel card or platform – what is the difference?
Criterion | Fuel card with charging | Charging card only | Fleet platform |
|---|---|---|---|
Focus | fuel, charging as add-on | public charging | charging at every location |
Home charging | usually not covered | usually not covered | can be integrated, with records |
Charging on site | no | rarely | can be integrated |
Driver charge planning | limited | depends on provider | app with route and price info |
Fits | mixed fleet, few EVs | EV fleet, public charging only | growing EV fleet, several locations |
The overview describes typical models; actual features depend on each offer, so always check the service description.
What should a company charging card offer?
Network and coverage
What matters is where your vehicles drive. Check that key routes, customer sites and fast-charging hubs are in the network, and coverage in neighbouring countries for trips abroad. Our article on checking the charging network for field teams shows how to test this with real routes.
Prices and transparency
Charging prices vary by location, operator, power and tariff. Drivers should see the price before starting, and the invoice should show what each session cost. Watch for fees per card or driver and possible idle fees. See comparing fleet charging tariffs.
Billing and assignment
A monthly consolidated invoice saves paperwork. Assignment matters even more: can you analyse and export sessions by driver, vehicle, cost centre or entity? That decides how much manual work remains for accounting.
Administration and security
Cards should be quick to block and reissue, for example after loss or when someone leaves. Roles and permissions help when several people need portal access. A fixed onboarding process for new drivers is worth it – see onboarding employees with EV charging cards.
When is a charging card alone not enough?
A charging card only covers public charging, but many company EVs mostly charge at home. Since 2026, tax-free reimbursement of home charging in Germany requires separately measured energy under the BMF circular of 11 November 2025. If you need a second system for this, data and costs are spread across sources. A platform connecting public, home and on-site charging solves this.
Selection checklist
Network covers your main routes and customer regions
Prices visible before charging, fees clearly described
Monthly consolidated invoice with session details
Assignment by driver, vehicle and cost centre, with export
Central blocking and reissuing of cards
Driver app with charger search and route planning
Home and on-site charging can be integrated
Trial possible without long commitment
When comparing providers, a structured pilot with a small group of drivers helps – see piloting a fleet charging provider.
How do you introduce a new charging card?
Introducing or switching cards works best in small steps. Start with a pilot group of high-mileage drivers and drivers with typical routes. After a few weeks, check whether coverage, prices and billing work in daily use. Only then roll the card out to everyone and cancel old contracts if needed.
Define the pilot group and goals, such as receipt effort and charging success
Add drivers to the portal, assign cost centres, activate cards
Give a short introduction to the app and card
Review invoice and reports after the first month
Plan the rollout and replace old cards in an orderly way
If you are switching from an existing provider, see switching fleet charging provider.
Also plan a transition period in which old and new cards work in parallel. This prevents drivers being stranded without a working card and lets you reconcile both providers' invoices cleanly for one month.
What does the StromNow charging card offer?
With the StromNow fleet charging card your drivers charge at more than 1.2 million charge points in 32 countries, AC from EUR 0.30 and DC from EUR 0.34 per kWh. Every driver gets a physical card and the Driver App with route planner and current prices. In the Fleet Portal you manage cards centrally, and all sessions go onto one monthly invoice. Home charging can be added with StromNow Home Charging. Package prices are on the pricing page.
Try a business charging card – book a demo
Sources and further information
As of 20 October 2026. Prices from stromnow.com as of 20 October 2026; charging prices are dynamic and vary by location, operator and tariff. The cover image is an AI-generated illustrative image.
BMF circular of 11 November 2025 (German)
Frequently asked questions about business charging cards
What is a business charging card?
A centrally managed card or app feature employees use for public charging. Costs go straight to the company, usually via one monthly invoice.
Is a fuel card with charging enough?
For mixed fleets with few EVs, often yes. A fuel card usually does not cover home or on-site charging. For a growing EV fleet, a platform for all locations usually makes more sense.
What should I look for in a company charging card?
Network, transparent prices, consolidated invoice, assignment by driver and cost centre, central card management, a driver app and home charging integration.
Can a charging card also handle home charging billing?
A charging card alone usually cannot. You need separate metering and reimbursement. Platforms such as StromNow Fleet connect public and home charging.
How many charge points does the StromNow card cover?
According to stromnow.com, more than 1.2 million charge points in 32 countries, AC from EUR 0.30 and DC from EUR 0.34 per kWh.