SB533 requires most publicly available electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in California that charge fees to offer nonsubscribers direct payment options rather than forcing subscriptions or memberships. For stations first made available on or after July 10, 2023, the bill mandates contactless card acceptance and either an automated toll‑free number or SMS payment option; DC fast chargers must support ISO 15118 Plug and Charge by July 10, 2024.
The bill also orders operators to disclose station location, fee schedules, accepted payment methods, and roaming charges to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, references federal labeling rules, and authorizes the California Public Utilities Commission to adopt interoperability billing standards for major network providers (those managing at least 100 public stations). A narrow exception allows arena operators with 15,000+ seats to require payment through an internet-based app for stations located on their premises and only reachable via that app.
At a Glance
What It Does
SB533 bars conditioning use of a paid EV charger on subscriptions or memberships and requires contactless card acceptance plus an automated toll-free or SMS payment option for stations first made public on or after July 10, 2023. It mandates Plug and Charge (ISO 15118) on new DC fast chargers by July 10, 2024, requires operator disclosures to NREL, and lets the CPUC set roaming/interoperability billing standards for major providers.
Who It Affects
Owners and operators of paid EV charging stations in California—particularly those that opened on or after July 10, 2023—major charging network providers managing 100+ public stations, DC fast‑charger manufacturers and integrators required to support ISO 15118, and arena operators with venues of 15,000+ seats.
Why It Matters
The bill pushes the market toward card‑based and automated payments and toward ISO‑standard Plug and Charge, while creating a regulatory trigger for roaming interoperability among large networks—changes that affect station deployment costs, payment technology suppliers, and how drivers access chargers.
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What This Bill Actually Does
SB533 starts from a simple consumer-protection premise: if a charging station charges a fee, it cannot require a subscription or club membership as a condition of use. The bill preserves a station owner’s option to sell subscription services, but if they do, they must still let nonmembers pay on a per‑use basis using the payment channels the statute mandates.
That keeps casual or one‑time users from being shut out by membership paywalls.
For chargers first installed or opened to the public on or after July 10, 2023, the bill sets concrete minimum payment capabilities. Those stations must accept contactless payments that take major credit and debit cards (using RFID/NFC) and must also offer either an automated toll‑free phone line or an SMS option to start a session and accept payment.
DC fast‑charging stations added on or after the same July 10, 2023 threshold must implement Plug and Charge capabilities compliant with ISO 15118 by July 10, 2024. The CPUC retains the authority to alter required payment methods by regulation, but any changes cannot take effect before January 1, 2028.SB533 creates an explicit, narrow exception for large arenas: if a charger sits on the premises of an arena with at least 15,000 seats and can only be accessed through an internet‑based application, the owner may lawfully require payment via that app.
Separately, the statute forces service providers or their designees to submit geographic location, fee schedules, accepted payment methods, and network roaming charges to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory so the government has a central dataset on stations and costs.On interoperability, the bill authorizes the CPUC to adopt billing standards for network roaming if no national standard exists. Any CPUC standard would apply only to “major” network providers—defined as those managing at least 100 public stations, although the CPUC may raise that threshold.
If adopted, network roaming standards must require major providers to accept payments from users of other major providers and automakers, while preserving providers’ ability to choose bilateral or hub‑based roaming architectures. The bill also requires federal labeling compliance and allows reasonable directional signage where feasible.
The Five Things You Need to Know
The bill prohibits requiring a subscription, membership, or club affiliation as a condition of using a paid EV charging station.
Chargers first made public on or after July 10, 2023 must accept contactless credit/debit card payments and provide either an automated toll‑free phone option or an SMS payment option.
Direct current fast chargers first made public on or after July 10, 2023 must support ISO 15118 Plug and Charge no later than July 10, 2024.
Operators or their designees must disclose each station’s geographic location, fee schedule, accepted payment methods, and any network roaming charges to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
The CPUC may adopt network roaming billing standards applied only to 'major' network providers (managing ≥100 public stations by default) and must allow bilateral or hub‑based roaming arrangements.
Section-by-Section Breakdown
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Ban on subscription‑only access with permitted subscription services
These clauses forbid station owners from conditioning access to a paid charger on a subscription, membership, or club status. They also clarify that owners may still offer subscription or membership services so long as nonsubscribers can pay using the payment options the statute requires. Practically, operators that sell memberships for reduced rates must still provide a straightforward pay‑as‑you‑go option at the point of sale.
Minimum payment methods for new stations: contactless card plus phone/SMS
This provision requires any charging station first installed or made public on or after July 10, 2023 to provide contactless payment acceptance for major credit and debit cards (RFID/NFC) and either an automated toll‑free phone number or SMS payment capability. The mechanical implication is twofold: station hardware/firmware must support secure contactless card readers, and back‑end systems must tie phone/SMS triggers to session initiation and payment processing.
Plug and Charge mandate for new DC fast chargers and CPUC’s future flexibility
DC fast chargers first made public on or after July 10, 2023 must include Plug and Charge capabilities compliant with ISO 15118 by July 10, 2024. The CPUC is empowered to adjust the list of required payment methods by regulation (effective no earlier than January 1, 2028), giving regulators a path to update obligations as payment technology evolves. Implementers will need to plan for certificate management, vehicle‑to‑charger authentication, and software updates to meet ISO 15118.
Arena exception permitting app‑only payment on certain premises
This subsection carves out a narrow exception: an operator may require payment through an internet‑based application if the charger sits on the premises of an arena with seating capacity of at least 15,000 and the charger can only be accessed through that app. That creates a controlled, venue‑specific ecosystem where operators can limit physical access but also excludes casual drivers from using those specific chargers without the app.
Data disclosure to NREL and labeling/signage requirements
Service providers or their designees must disclose to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory each station’s geographic location, fee schedule, accepted payments, and any roaming charges for nonmembers. The bill also incorporates existing federal labeling rules (Part 309 of Title 16 CFR) and authorizes reasonable directional signage. The disclosure requirement creates a public data feed useful for planning and consumer information but also raises operational and privacy considerations for operators and their vendors.
CPUC authority to adopt roaming interoperability standards and ‘major provider’ threshold
If no national interoperability billing standards exist, the CPUC may adopt standards and require compliance within one year. Those standards apply only to 'major' electric vehicle charging network providers—defined as those managing at least 100 public stations by default, though the CPUC may increase that threshold. Any adopted roaming standards must require major providers to accept payments from users of other major providers and automakers, while allowing providers to choose bilateral or hub‑based roaming arrangements, preserving multiple business models for interoperability.
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Explore Transportation in Codify Search →Who Benefits and Who Bears the Cost
Every bill creates winners and losers. Here's who stands to gain and who bears the cost.
Who Benefits
- Casual and one‑time EV drivers — They gain guaranteed pay‑as‑you‑go options (contactless card or phone/SMS) at stations subject to the statute, removing the barrier of forced subscriptions.
- Fleet managers and automakers supporting Plug and Charge — ISO 15118 support on mandated DC fast chargers simplifies authentication and billing integration between vehicles and chargers.
- State planners and researchers — The mandatory disclosures to NREL produce a standardized dataset on station locations, fees, payment methods, and roaming charges useful for grid planning and consumer tools.
Who Bears the Cost
- Small station owners and property managers — They must install or upgrade hardware and back‑end payment systems to accept contactless cards and implement phone/SMS payment flows, which can be costly for low‑volume sites.
- Major charging network providers — If the CPUC adopts roaming standards, large networks will face integration, settlement, and technical interoperability costs to accept payments and enable roaming across providers.
- DC fast‑charger manufacturers and integrators — They must implement ISO 15118 Plug and Charge capabilities (including security/certificate management) for units falling under the July 10, 2024 deadline, potentially requiring firmware updates or hardware replacements.
Key Issues
The Core Tension
The bill forces a trade‑off between guaranteeing simple, card‑based access for drivers and preserving operators’ ability to innovate, segment customers, and recoup infrastructure costs; regulators must calibrate interoperability and disclosure rules so they increase consumer access without imposing disproportionate retrofit and integration costs on smaller operators or freezing competitive business models.
SB533 mixes backward‑looking effective dates and future regulatory hooks in a way that raises practical questions for implementers. Several requirements apply to stations 'first installed or first made publicly available' on or after July 10, 2023, and DC fast chargers have a July 10, 2024 Plug and Charge deadline—dates that may be moot for many currently deployed stations and create uncertainty about whether older chargers must be retrofitted.
The CPUC’s ability to add or subtract payment methods effective no earlier than January 1, 2028 introduces a second phase of potential obligations; operators will need to watch rulemaking to avoid stranded investments.
The bill aims for interoperability while protecting providers’ commercial arrangements, but leaves many details to the CPUC. Defining 'major' providers by a 100‑station threshold is administrable but arbitrary; allowing the CPUC to raise the threshold creates regulatory discretion that could shift compliance burdens.
The mandate to disclose fees and roaming charges to NREL improves transparency but raises questions about data formats, update frequency, confidentiality of commercially sensitive rates, and how disclosure aligns with consumer-facing data feeds. Finally, the arena app‑only exception reconciles operator control with consumer access in a narrow case, but it also institutionalizes closed payment ecosystems in high‑traffic venues and may complicate access for visiting drivers.
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