Invoicing in micro-mobility business is now simple
December 20, 2021
min. read
Doing micro-mobility business means doing business with hundreds of thousands of customers. On the other hand, expanding into new markets means that your business has to comply with a lot of different regulations. And this is not only in terms of micro-mobility, but also, for example, accounting. However, this might not be as complicated as it sounds provided that you choose the right partner. And Space Invoices could be the partner to choose when considering centralized invoicing.
“Our business is not sexy per se and we understand that invoicing will never be interesting. However, we are interested in devising solutions that are useful for our customers. The less you care about invoicing, the better we are doing our job,” says Space Invoices CEO Boštjan Pišler. With its API solution, the company is helping developers to focus on building software instead of dealing with financial calculations and invoicing legislation.
Space Invoices has two approaches to its business model. When the customer is a multi-tenant business, the company charges per every customer. However, if the customer has a big volume of invoices that are issued monthly, a tiny fee is added for every invoice created. Boštjan says that although the company works with a small number of clients, its service is actually used by about 8,000 businesses across Europe and Australia. It also plans to launch in Brazil and Mexico in the near future, as well as add support for North American countries. Documents can currently be sent in 14 different languages. “As a software provider, we need to ensure while doing business in all those different countries that we also send invoices to the government if needs be. And it is important for companies that operate in these countries that they have a service provider that meets all government requirements.” According to Boštjan, “We do.”
Creates an API that becomes a successful business
Bostjan developed and used to run a classic online invoicing software on the local market. This is where the idea for Space Invoices comes from. There was apparently a need for an easy-to-integrate invoicing API. Bostjan's development agency used a lot of different APIs for different parts of the software they were building for clients, “We managed to create a really good invoicing API for developers. I came up with the idea to create Space Invoices that could be a solution, where there is an existing API and developers can implement it to the software to easily create invoices with a couple of lines of code. We now have a multi-tenant type of approach to the API. If you compare this to traditional solutions, which mostly just add API to invoicing functionality, we rebuild the whole system to support a multi-tenant approach with an API first approach and developers in mind.”
This is how ATOM also uses the system. It is simple for micro-mobility service users because they only need to provide primary data. Afterward, ATOM can automatically create accounts and link them to businesses. Invoices are also created automatically. And then it is up to the service provider to decide how and at what stage they will process invoices.
Dashboard and additional features
What does the end-user see on the dashboard inside the system? It depends on the amount of data the company would like to make available. “We have customers that do not show anything through dashboards. But in the case of ATOM, we have a more complicated implementation. The end-user primarily views issued invoices. Each invoice is also individually available so it is easy to find out what the price was, and what the service was, etc. And it is possible to download another copy of each pdf file,” reveals Boštjan before adding that a lot more different options are available. In this case, ATOM's system triggers the functionality, and then Space Invoices’ API processes the remaining data.
In this case payment gateway implementation is covered by ATOM. Payments are processed before the invoice in the app. In the case of a refund, it is also up to ATOM to decide if there is a need to issue a credit note invoice. So this is also triggered. Space Invoices are currently working on a solution to make it possible to accept payments via the invoice - if the customer opts not to pay the invoice directly, he later receives a form enabling him to pay online via the invoice.
ATOM uses the Space Invoices system to send documents to their clients. “The sender is our address, but the e-mail address for replies is the one indicated by ATOM. We have multiple templates or PDFs to choose from. They can be edited by color, logo, etc. The whole design experience can be fully customized,” says Boštjan. Space Invoices use Sendgrid for e-mails. Boštjan explains that they have a 99% sender score. Moreover, sending invoices doesn't harm their service. Most of the time, content is simple and definitely not promotional, as it only contains a pdf. Space Invoices do not have any spam reports, because customers never report the invoice as spam.
Country specific solutions
Most countries require invoices although the situation can differ from country to country. In Canada and the US, for example, invoicing requirements are slightly less strict and an invoice is not as important a document as it is in South America and Europe. So sometimes specific statements have to appear on the invoice in order for the recipient to make this document valid. Whenever VAT is applied, it is important that the recipient company can correctly deduce the VAT. Space Invoices also does the customization regarding reporting to governments. “We are still working on those and always are adding additional options. And, in general, we don't have a lot of clients so close collaboration is possible along with an individual approach to solving different challenges,” explains Boštjan.
Talk to ATOM Mobility team to activate online invoicing for your operations: support@atommobility.com
Interested in launching your own mobility platform?
Click below to learn more or request a demo.
Blog
Bid your price: ATOM Mobility launches rider-controlled pricing feature
💸 ATOM Mobility launches “Offer your price” - a rider-controlled pricing feature. Riders can suggest higher or lower fares within pre-set limits. Boosts demand & helps stand out in competitive ride-hail markets 🚖🌍
August 4, 2025
min. read
The ride-hailing market is always changing. From Latin America to Eastern Europe, platforms like inDrive have popularized a new norm: letting riders suggest what they want to pay. Now, in response to this growing global trend, ATOM Mobility is proud to introduce: Offer your price – a fully configurable pricing feature built right into your rider app.
💡How It works
Available on all ride-hail projects, this feature lets riders propose a price – higher or lower than the default fare – within operator-set limits. Drivers can then accept or decline based on the offer.
Here’s how it reshapes the experience:
In the Rider app:
- A new "Offer your price" button appears when selecting a vehicle class.
- Riders can slide or tap “+/-” buttons to adjust price:
- e.g. +30% to get a faster ride 🟢
- or -10% to save on a flexible trip 🔵
- For scheduled rides, this feature is disabled to keep things predictable.
Smart logic behind the slider:
Your admin dashboard defines the limits – say, up to +500% from regular price and down to -30% – and the app calculates step sizes automatically:
- +500% limit → 1 step = 5%
- +100% limit → 1 step = 1%
- +200% limit → 1 step = 2%
Slider position adapts dynamically, depending on your defined range. And yes – the button color and style can be customized to match your brand 🎨.
On the operator dashboard:
You’ll find complete control and clarity:
- Enable/disable the feature per vehicle class
- Set custom % limits for price increase/decrease
- Price card, exports and ride activity logs are all updated with the adjusted ride price
- New ride status - Ride requested (adjusted ride price) for transparency in reporting
What drivers see:
In the driver app:
- Price offers are marked clearly (e.g. 🔻 "Discount requested" or 🔺 "Extra fee offered");
- Final earnings are adjusted accordingly and logged in driver stats.
Who's already doing this – and winning?
Real-world companies are already proving that rider-defined pricing works:
🚘 inDrive (LATAM, Africa, Asia)
Now one of the top global ride-hailing players outside the U.S. (over 200M downloads, active in 700+ cities across 45+ countries), inDrive built its brand around rider-negotiated pricing. It helps them stand out in price-sensitive markets and win over both drivers and passengers with more transparent pricing dynamics.
🚖 Comin (France)
A local success story, Comin has embraced flexible rider pricing to gain traction in several French cities (onboarded 6,000+ drivers). The feature gives them an edge against larger platforms, offering more freedom for users and better utilization for drivers.
These examples show that letting riders bid their price isn’t just a gimmick – it’s a growth strategy.
From our previosu blog “How to Find Your Niche in the Ride-Hail Market”, we saw how localisation and user control drive loyalty and conversion.
This new pricing flexibility supports:
- Emerging markets with income-sensitive riders
- Driver shortages, where riders can tip in real-time
- Brand positioning, letting you stand apart from competition
🚀 Ready to lead the market?
This is just one of the 300+ features available in ATOM’s white-label ride-hailing platform.
Let’s talk about how to launch or upgrade your app with “Offer your price”, advanced pricing logic, and more tools to dominate your niche.
👉 Contact our team and explore how to become the market leader: www.atommobility.com
Blog
Is car sharing profitable in 2025?
🚗💡 Is car sharing still a profitable business in 2025? Short answer – yes, if done right. From rising fleet costs to smarter user behavior and green transport trends, the shared mobility game is changing fast. Learn what makes a car sharing business work today – and why some succeed while others shut down. 👉 Real stories, data-backed tips, and practical advice for operators and mobility founders.
July 23, 2025
min. read
In 2024, the global car-sharing market was valued at approximately €8.9 billion, with Europe accounting for over 50.2% of that total. Analysts forecast it will grow at a CAGR of 11.8% between 2025 and 2033, reaching roughly €24.4 billion by 2033. This blend of urbanization, environmental regulation and a growing preference for flexible mobility continues to create fertile ground for operators - yet not every service finds a clear path to profitability.
Success hinges on your location, business model, fleet, operations and local market dynamics. There are strong success stories, but also many high-profile failures. Here’s a closer look at what really affects profitability in today’s car-sharing market - and what you can learn from real-world cases.
What makes a car-sharing business profitable?
Profitability in car sharing boils down to securing enough paid usage while keeping costs under control. Every unused hour or unnecessary expense erodes margins.
Key factors:
- Fleet utilization – the most important metric. Cars need to be in use several hours each day to cover fixed costs.
- Operational efficiency – cleaning, charging, relocation, maintenance and insurance add up quickly.
- Fleet acquisition – leasing usually optimizes cash flow and scalability, but still carries fixed monthly expenses.
- Pricing and competition – too low cuts margins; too high drives away users. Finding the right balance is essential.
- Tech stack – a robust platform automates operations, improves customer experience and reduces support costs.
The operators who win are those who combine solid daily usage with lean operations.
❌ PANEK S.A. suspends its car-sharing service to focus on rental
29 March 2025 marked the end of Panek’s car-sharing experiment. Despite peaking at 2 700–3 000 vehicles, Panek never turned a profit in over seven years.
About Panek
- Launch: Car sharing added in 2017 by Maciej Panek, entirely internally funded (no VC)
- Fleet mix: City cars, hybrids, EVs, cargo vans and vintage models
- 2023 acquisition: Regional Rent (+ 45% fleet), making Panek Poland’s largest integrated rental/operator
2024 performance
- Revenue split: Car sharing ≈ 20 % of total. Traditional rental 80 %
- Utilization: 0.7–1.0 rides/car/day
- Maintenance & overhead: Up to €690/car-month
- Profitability: Negative since inception
Why it failed
- Under-utilization: < 1 ride/day vs. ~ 2-4 rides/day needed to cover fixed costs
- Price wars: Fierce competition in Warsaw eroded margins and drove up customer-acquisition costs
- High OPEX: Parking, maintenance, insurance and vandalism pushed costs > €690 per car each month
- Tech drag: Two-year outsourced app development cycle meant poor UX and slow feature delivery
- No public support: Missed out on parking incentives or EV subsidies
Faced with persistent losses, Panek’s leadership refocused on profitable core segments: daily/weekly rentals, corporate leasing and Fleet-as-a-Service.
🚗 WiBLE Spain finds its profitable lane in Madrid
WiBLE (50/50 joint venture between Kia Europe and Repsol) launched in 2018 and has just closed its second consecutive year with positive EBITDA.
- Fleet: 600+ plug-in hybrids (Kia Niro, XCeed, Ceed Tourer)
- 2024 revenue: €6.93 million (+ 5% vs. 2023)
- Usage: ~1 500 trips/day ⇒ 2.5 rides/car/day
- Diversification: Monthly rentals (€599+) now 5% of revenue
- Market share: ~19% of Madrid’s car-sharing market
Key enablers:
- Higher utilization – rides up 15% YoY, driving a 10% lift in core revenue
- Fleet scale efficiencies – added 150 vehicles in 2 years, lowering per-unit costs
- Service diversification – multi-day and monthly rental options opened new revenue streams
After five years of absorbing fixed-cost drag and depreciation, WiBLE now leverages Madrid’s regulatory environment (low-emission zones, parking benefits) and delivers lean, tech-driven operations.
🚗 SOCAR South Korea: scale + longer rentals
SOCAR (backed by SoftBank, SK Inc. and Lotte Group) operates 20 000 vehicles, generates nearly €300 million in annual turnover and has 20% of South Koreans signed up.
- Model: Station-based, pay-per-minute with average rental duration of a whoping 12 hrs
- Segmentation trick: Aging cars shift from on-demand sharing to long-term monthly rentals (10% of revenue), extending resale life with minimal depreciation impact
By pairing massive scale with savvy car lifecycle management, extra-long rental duration, SOCAR converts high utilization into robust profitability.
🚗 Carguru (Latvia)
30 August 2024: Carguru (est. 2017) acquired EV-focused OX Drive (est. 2021), adding 200+ Tesla to the fleet.
- Growth: From just 30 cars and total budget below 500 000 EUR (2017) to over 1 000 cars (mid-2025) via leasing and strategic partnerships
- 2023 turnover: €4 million; 435 000 trips (+35.9 %); 7 million km driven; profit €375 600
Outcome: A combined ICE, hybrid and EV fleet—backed by local expertise and strategic acquisitions - has driven strong growth and high utilization.
🎯 Core suggestions for aspiring operators
- Target 2–4 rides/day per vehicle
- Leverage dynamic/off-peak pricing, B2B partnerships (hotels, offices) and event tie-ins.
- Contain OPEX via automation
- Use predictive maintenance, remote diagnostics and gig-economy cleaning/relocation.
- Secure municipal support early
- Negotiate parking incentives, EV charging access and low-emission zone permits.
- Choose your tech wisely
- Build an in-house development team for full control with higher costs, or adopt a proven white-label platform for speed to market, stability and lower costs.
- Validate unit economics before scaling
- Prove break-even utilization in one zone before expanding to others.
With clear benchmarks and smart execution - drawing on lessons from Panek, WiBLE, SOCAR and Carguru - car sharing can still be a highly profitable component of a modern mobility portfolio.
If you’re planning to start or improve your service, ATOM Mobility is ready to help. We’ve built the platform and supported dozens of teams worldwide - reach out, and we’ll share what we’ve learned.
Image credit: https://kursors.lv/2018/03/13/carguru-palielina-autoparku-un-paplasina-darbibas-zonas-mikrorajonos
Driver App demo credentials - Email: test@atom.com, Password: driver
