Vinci Energies streamlines EV payments with Lemonway.

Citeos, a Vinci Energies brand specialising in mobility infrastructure, faces the daily challenge of simplifying the management of financial flows involved in recharging electric vehicles. As a Charge Point Operator (CPO), Citeos oversees the technical and electronic payment operations for thousands of charging stations serving both public and private clients across France.

This activity is built on a demanding model: payments are received through multiple channels – MSP card, QR code, Eftpos terminal – and must be redistributed to a wide range of recipients. Operating within a strictly regulated framework, managing these complex flows requires a secure, traceable, and fully compliant solution.

To address these challenges, Citeos partnered with Lemonway, a pan-European payment institution authorised by the ACPR, known for its expertise in secure payment solutions tailored to marketplaces. Thanks to this collaboration, the company is now able to efficiently handle third-party collections, automate disbursements, and monitor every transaction with full transparency and peace of mind.

This case study outlines the challenges, strategic decisions, and outcomes of a partnership driven by a shared ambition: to streamline payments in support of the shift towards more sustainable mobility

A multi-source payment terminal

Citeos, a charging operator serving local communities

Citeos supports both public and private sector stakeholders in the development of intelligent lighting, urban signage, and sustainable mobility solutions. For several years, Citeos has been actively engaged in rolling out electric vehicle charging stations. Its mission? To manage not only the technical infrastructure but also the payment value chain.

As a Charge Point Operator (CPO), Citeos oversees 18,000 charge points throughout France. It manages the entire network, covering everything from equipment maintenance and performance monitoring to incident response. However, its responsibilities go far beyond the technical aspects

Multi-source terminal payment

Payment management is becoming an increasingly important aspect of the business. Each day, thousands of users connect to charging stations to recharge their vehicles, using an MSP (Mobility Service Provider) card, a QR code, or a payment card (TPE). The transaction is then processed, and the revenue is distributed to the charging point owner—whether public or private.

This model brings together many stakeholders: users, operators, local authorities, unions, MSPs—and often, multiple payment methods for a single charging unit. Citeos’ role is to centralise all financial flows, break them down by source, and process the corresponding payments within a regulated timeframe. This is a significant challenge, especially in the public sector, where strict compliance requirements apply.

To ensure the transparency of these operations and comply with legal obligations, Citeos cannot collect the funds directly. The brand therefore needed an approved payment institution capable of structuring the flows, while adapting to the specific nature of its business.

Managing flows on behalf of third parties: a regulatory and operational challenge

Managing flows on behalf of third parties involves much more than a simple financial operation. In the IRVE ecosystem, every euro collected from a user must be traced, segregated and then paid to the right entity, in compliance with the rules governing public or semi-public funds. For Citeos, it was impossible to assume this responsibility internally without obtaining approval as a payment institution - a complex, time-consuming process that was far removed from its core business.

Lemonway fulfils this role in full compliance, enabling Citeos to position itself in tenders where control of financial flows has become a selection criterion.

A wide range of players and operational complexity

Citeos' end customers are as diverse as the territories it covers. Local authorities, energy associations, private companies: each structure has its own specific administrative requirements. Some require manual validation, while others require the signature of an elected official or technical manager. This diversity calls for a flexible management system, capable of supporting multiple configurations while guaranteeing a high level of reliability

A strong requirement for traceability and transparency

For each payment, Citeos must be able to justify the origin of the funds, the details of the recharging sessions, the means of payment used and the breakdown. This information is required by both customers and internal accounting departments.

The increase in activity is adding to the pressure. The company expects to process up to 6.5 million electronic payment transactions a year by 2025. This projection calls for a high level of automation and the ability to evolve without friction.

Lemonway, a solution tailored to the IRVE ecosystem

A modular solution for complex flows

The recharging business involves a variety of scenarios: multiple payment methods, multi-beneficiary out payments, and specific requirements on the public side. Lemonway offers a solution designed to manage this complexity, with a modular architecture that enables Citeos to group together different flows (Eftpos terminals, QR codes, MSPs) and break them down without manual re-entry. This approach provides greater clarity and efficiency, even in a context where transaction volumes are set to increase sharply.

Greater autonomy thanks to the dashboard

Operational management is carried out directly from the Lemonway interface. Citeos teams can monitor receipts, initiate transfers, open new payment accounts or check the status of documents transmitted, without having to rely on external support on a day to-day basis.

This level of autonomy is particularly useful for managing a large number of customers at the same time - trade unions, local authorities, businesses - each with its own specific characteristics.

A clear interface, designed for the field

Lemonway focuses on a fluid user experience. The dashboard provides a consolidated view of operations, with quick access to key data: balances, transaction history and outpayments. Even for non-technical users, navigation remains intuitive. 

By making data accessible and readable, Lemonway facilitates the day-to-day work of Citeos teams, while limiting the risk of error

Automation, reliability, scaling:concrete benefits for Citeos

Since implementing the Lemonway solution, Citeos has automated a large proportion of its kiosk payment operations. The centralisation of payments, automated breakdown and monitoring of out payments have resulted in significant savings in operational time. Teams are no longer mobilised on low-added-value tasks and can concentrate on continuous service improvement.

Better control over volumes

Citeos' IRVE business is growing fast, with an ambitious target of managing up to 6.5 million electronic payment transactions a year by 2025. Thanks to the Lemonway infrastructure, the company can absorb this increase in workload without burdening its structure or relying on complex IT deployment.

The platform is designed to scale quickly while maintaining a consolidated view of flows, simplifying large-scale financial supervision.

An enhanced user experience

For teams and end customers alike, payment management is now much smoother. Payments are made on time, with sufficient detail to ensure total transparency. This rigour strengthens the confidence of public and private partners, a key criterion for winning new projects.

A long-term partnership

A relationship built on listening and adaptation

In addition to the technical solution, Citeos values the quality of the relationship with the Lemonway teams. From the earliest stages of the project, our support was marked by a clear understanding of the issues specific to electric mobility and the public sector.

Lemonway's ability to adapt to the needs of the field - and not the other way around - was a differentiating factor. The people we spoke to at Lemonway were able to react quickly while taking into account Citeos' internal constraints, particularly those relating to the tools currently being developed

Dedicated and committed contacts 

The relationship is also facilitated by clearly identified contact points, capable of monitoring projects over time. Exchanges are fluid, which is in line with Citeos' operational culture.

The support team is frequently called upon, especially for help with account setup or monitoring Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures. Response times are well-regarded, and there is a high level of transparency throughout each step of the process.

Thanks to Lemonway, Citeos has successfully structured its electronic payment operations around a model that is secure, automated, and fully compliant. The solution has enabled the company to streamline financial flow management, handle a substantial increase in transaction volume, and ensure the traceability that is critical in a complex, multi-stakeholder ecosystem.

This partnership extends well beyond the technical scope. It demonstrates the capacity of two organisations to collaborate effectively on shared challenges: making electric vehicle charging more accessible, improving financial transparency, and actively contributing to the energy transition within local communities