> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.spirii.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Billing and payout flows > How money moves from a driver's payment through to your payout — the parties, the billing flow, and who acts as the merchant. On the Spirii platform, every charging session ends in money moving from the driver to you — with Spirii in the middle handling acquiring, VAT, settlement, and payouts. How that plays out depends on who operates the chargers, who owns the site, and whether Spirii holds the acquiring agreement. ## The transaction flow The driver pays Spirii directly at the tariff you've set, using the app, a contactless terminal, or a stored payment method. Spirii charges the driver's payment method, applies the correct VAT for the charger's country, and issues a receipt. At the end of the billing period, Spirii pays you for the energy consumed via a self-billing invoice, net of platform and payment fees. The commercial relationship is between the driver and Spirii, and between Spirii and you. Roaming partners and CPOs don't invoice you for sessions Spirii collected on. You do not need to invoice Roaming partners and eMSPs. How each payment channel (app, terminal, token, and roaming) moves money into your account. ## Payment channel comparison Spirii supports four payment channels for CPOs and Site Owners. Each captures a different type of driver and requires different infrastructure. Most public CPOs enable several channels on the same location. | | In-app | In-person | Token billing | Roaming | | ------------------------- | ------------------------------ | ------------------------------ | ------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | | **Driver action** | Start session in app | Tap card or phone on terminal | Tap RFID card or virtual token | Start via their eMSP's app or physical token | | **Account required** | Yes (Spirii Go or branded app) | No | Yes (fleet/eMSP account) | Yes (with their eMSP) | | **Who is the merchant** | Spirii (always) | Spirii (turnkey) or CPO (PAAS) | Spirii | Spirii | | **Who gets invoiced** | Driver (card charge) | Driver (card charge) | Fleet company or eMSP (monthly) | Roaming partner (monthly) | | **VAT reported by** | Spirii | Spirii (turnkey) or CPO (PAAS) | Spirii (Full Service) or CPO | Spirii | | **CPO hardware required** | None | Payter Apollo terminal | RFID reader on charger | None (uses existing infrastructure) | | **CPO payout timing** | Following month | Following month | Following month | Same month as roaming partner is invoiced | | **Receipts** | In-app (digital) | Terminal printout or digital | Monthly invoice to fleet | Via roaming partner's app | ## Spirii as Merchant of Record When Spirii acts as Merchant of Record (MoR), Spirii legally buys energy from you and resells it to the driver at the moment of the transaction. You get paid for the energy; Spirii handles everything that comes with being the seller: card processing, chargebacks, PCI compliance, and VAT reporting. ### What changes when Spirii is the merchant By default on Spirii-managed payment channels (in-app and payment terminal sessions where Spirii holds the acquiring agreement), Spirii is the MoR. Here is what that means in practice. * Acquiring and card processing (via Stripe and other PSPs) * Chargebacks, disputes, and refunds * PCI-DSS compliance for the cardholder data environment * VAT calculation and local reporting in each country of operation * Automated digital receipts to drivers * Pre-authorisation and capture on the driver's payment method * Setting the charging tariff * Providing the physical infrastructure (chargers and locations) * Receiving your monthly payout from Spirii ## Entities | Entity | Role | | ------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Spirii** | Acts as the platform and, in most cases, the Merchant of Record, buying energy from the CPO and reselling it to the driver or eMSP. | | **CPO** | The business that operates the chargers. Receives charging revenue from Spirii. May also act as an eMSP if they issue tokens to their own drivers. | | **Site Owner** | The business that owns the physical location and electricity connection. Often different from the CPO. May receive a revenue share directly from Spirii. | | **eMSP** | The business that gives drivers access to charging — via an app or physical token. Invoiced by Spirii for the charging their drivers use. | | **Fleet** | A business with a fleet of EVs. Pays a consolidated monthly invoice for all charging by their drivers. Employees may be reimbursed for home charging. | | **Roaming partner** | A third-party eMSP or CPO connected to Spirii via a roaming protocol (Hubject, OCPI). Spirii invoices them for inbound sessions; they invoice Spirii for outbound sessions. | | **Driver** | The person charging an EV. May be a private individual or a business employee as part of a Fleet. Pays for charging directly (app, terminal) or indirectly (fleet invoice). | ## Common setup scenarios How the parties relate, and how money flows between them, depends on who operates the chargers and who owns the site. The CPO operates chargers and accepts payments. Spirii collects revenue from drivers (via app, terminal, roaming) and pays the CPO. As part of using Spirii, a CPO has the option of having all their sales channels managed by Spirii with guaranteed revenue. ``` Driver → pays Spirii → Spirii pays CPO ``` The CPO operates the charger but a site owner (landlord, retailer) owns the location. Spirii splits the payout: part goes to the CPO, part to the site owner (also called a charge station owner, CSO). The revenue share is defined by the CPO in the Spirii Connect platform as a percentage or rate per kWh. ``` Driver → pays Spirii → Spirii pays CPO + CSO ``` A fleet company gives tokens to employees. Employees charge across the network. Spirii invoices the fleet company monthly; CPOs are paid by Spirii. An eMSP can also have the billing relationship with their Fleet customers. In that scenario, Spirii invoices the eMSP only for charging sessions that take place on chargers not managed by the eMSP as a CPO. ``` Employee charges → Spirii invoices fleet company → Spirii pays CPOs ``` A fleet company reimburses employees for home electricity. Spirii generates expense reports and reimbursement is performed by the Fleet's payroll or via a licenced PSP. ## VAT When Spirii is the MoR, Spirii reports and remits VAT in each country where your chargers operate. Your payout from Spirii is net of VAT. Spirii does not pass the VAT collected from the driver on to you; it reports it directly to the relevant tax authority. If you are the MoR (PAAS terminal mode), you report VAT on those sessions yourself. ## When Spirii is not the merchant In PAAS (Platform as a Service) mode, you bring your own acquiring agreement and remain the MoR for payment terminal sessions. In this case: * You receive card funds directly from your payment service provider (PSP) * You are responsible for PCI-DSS self-assessment as a merchant * You handle disputes and refunds for your customers * Spirii still provides the platform, POS software, and session data, but does not touch the financial flow for those sessions * You manage P2P roaming agreements and settling with eMSPs * You manage token billing and settling your mobility sessions. ## Related Spirii is always the MoR for app-based charging sessions. Choose between Spirii acquiring (turnkey) and your own acquiring (PAAS). How Spirii distributes the revenue it collects on your behalf.