How real-time retail rewards are reshaping the EV charging experience

The future of charging isn’t just faster, it’s smarter.

As EV adoption accelerates, more emphasis is being placed on the charging experience.

Drivers typically choose charging stations based on price or availability. But what if charging could extend value beyond the plug - creating benefits for drivers, operators, and retailers?

At Cariqa, we believe charging should work harder for everyone involved.

• For drivers, that means extra convenience and everyday savings
• For CPOs, it means higher utilisation and new revenue opportunities
• For retailers, it means turning nearby chargers into guaranteed customer spend

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That’s where Cariqa Retail Rewards comes in. An innovative feature fresh out of a successful beta phase that connects these worlds in real time. A win-win for the entire EV ecosystem.

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Linking retail and charging in real time

Cariqa Retail Rewards links local shopping and charging activity to create shared benefits for everyone involved.

When a driver charges their vehicle, they can spend a set amount at a partner retailer, scan their receipt via Cariqa Drive, Go or Connect, and instantly receive a discount on their charging session once the purchase is verified.

The Cariqa platform handles the rest. It automatically verifies the receipt - checking the time, date, and total - and applies the discount in real time.

Better yet, the program couldn’t be simpler to activate. No integration, no staff training, and no development work required on either side. Just a simple digital connection that makes retail and charging work together intelligently.

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Why this connection matters

EV charging has typically been a standalone service, but in reality, it sits at the intersection of mobility, time, and place - and that’s exactly where retail lives too.

CPOs and retailers have long talked about partnerships that could bring drivers into stores and turn dwell time into spend time. But until now, those collaborations have been complex, fragmented, and difficult to scale.

Cariqa Retail Rewards changes that, connecting both sides in real time, automatically verifying spend, and rewarding drivers instantly.

By linking these moments, we unlock value that’s been hiding in plain sight.

• CPOs can strengthen their retailer relationships and drive utilisation
• Retailers capture measurable, confirmed spend from nearby drivers
• Drivers gain more from every charge, turning routine shopping into instant rewards

It turns dwell time into spend time, and spend time into shared growth.

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Solving an industry-wide challenge

The EV sector is growing fast, but industry fragmentation is a well-known challenge. CPOs and retailers have long worked toward the promise of mutual benefit - more footfall for stores, more utilisation for chargers - but most solutions have required complex integrations or manual coordination.

Retail Rewards offers a unified, lightweight framework for collaboration; one that helps CPOs fill chargers, helps retailers attract in-store traffic, and rewards drivers instantly.

And it does so without adding operational friction: 

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✅ No ERP or POS integration 

✅ No hardware 

✅ No training 

✅ Just instant, data-backed value for everyone involved

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The bigger picture: charging that gives back

The relationship between mobility and retail has always existed. People travel, stop, refuel, and spend. EVs haven’t changed that. What’s changing is how intelligently we connect those moments.

With Cariqa Retail Rewards, we’re helping CPOs drive new revenue, retailers capture measurable demand, and drivers feel rewarded - all in real time.

Because charging shouldn’t just move vehicles. It should move value - across the whole ecosystem.

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Interested? We thought so.

After a successful beta phase, the full rollout of Cariqa Retail Rewards will begin in the coming weeks - with CPO and retail partners to be announced soon.

If you’d like to explore how Retail Rewards can drive value for your business and customers, register your interest here.

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