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Automaker Mercedes-Benz is enabling in-car fuel payments for users of its Mercedes pay+ service. Announced Monday, the service also integrates Mastercard Inc.’s Secure Card on File for Commerce Platform technology.
Available initially only on select Mercedes models in Germany, the fuel payment app joins a parking-payment app the giant carmaker announced in March that incorporates Visa Inc.’s Delegated Authentication and Cloud Token Framework. It is similar in scope to the Mastercard platform in enabling payment organizations to tokenize primary account numbers for use in e-commerce and in-app transactions.
Mercedes says both Mastercard and Visa cards work with the parking and fuel-payment applications and that it is the first automaker to incorporate the Mastercard code into its vehicles. Effectively, the tech makes the car a secure device for payments.
The fuel-payment app, which Mercedes calls Fuel & Pay, starts automatically on the car’s infotainment system upon the car’s arrival at any of more than 3,600 participating stations in Germany and as soon as the driver shuts off the engine and selects the pump. “Even before refueling, the system will calculate the maximum total amount based on the current fuel price and the amount of fuel when the tank is full. And, rather than authorizing the payment via a mobile device, the driver will complete their transaction seamlessly through fingerprint authentication,” Mercedes says. The fingerprint sensor is embedded at the bottom of the infotainment screen.
When done, the amount of fuel and its cost are displayed on the screen in the car. Payment is automatically made through the card selected in the user’s Mercedes profile. An email receipt is then issued.
The service is available on Mercedes models with a select group of infotainment series. In some instances, a fingerprint sensor, if not already equipped, can be added. Motorists using eligible cars without a sensor can authorize payment by scanning a QR code displayed on the in-car screen with a mobile device. No U.S. models are eligible for the Mercedes pay+ service yet, though in March Mercedes told Digital Transactions News it is expected to be available at an undetermined time.
Mercedes is not the only automaker to jump into in-car payments. Earlier this month, Hyundai Motor North America launched Hyundai Pay, a service available in the 2024 Kona crossover in the United States. Initially, parking payment is the first use case, but expectations are that other use cases will follow, a Hyundai executive told Digital Transactions News.
