Mercedes-Benz introduce in-car payments with Mercedes pay+

Mercedes-Benz customers in Germany can now start the fuelling process directly from their vehicle and pay digitally by fingerprint, eliminating the need to enter a PIN or authenticate via mobile device.

In-car payments with Mercedes pay+

The native in-car payment service via Mercedes pay+ will turn the car into a form of payment device and can be used to make payments at service stations using the fingerprint sensor integrated into the MBUX infotainment system.

This is now live with Mastercard debit and credit cards in current Mercedes-Benz models.

Fingerprint payment authorization at service stations represents the first use case for native in-car payments at the point of sale, in addition to Mercedes-Benz as the world’s first automaker to integrate Mastercard’s Secure Card on File for Commerce platform into the car.

Secure Card on File technology allows for transaction data to be encrypted using uniquely assigned cryptograms, in turn protecting sensitive payment information.

A study conducted by the German market research company GfK on behalf of Mastercard shows that around half of 18- to 39-year-olds would order and pay for services and goods directly via the infotainment display.

The proponents would like to use in-car payment primarily for everyday car-related services: 60% would pay their gas bill or electric vehicle charging directly via the car.

“This joint effort between Mastercard and Mercedes-Benz to enable native in-car payments for fuelling is an example of a real-world step towards a more seamless and integrated payments ecosystem that brings together consumer need, the right data, and payment credentials to reduce payment friction,” says Christopher Miller, Emerging Payments Analyst, Javelin.

“Payment flows that are truly differentiated will persuade consumers to adopt emerging technologies such as pay-by-car.”

How Mercedes pay+ in-car payment works

When a driver reaches a connected service station and switches off the engine, the Mercedes me Fuel & Pay service will start automatically on the MBUX infotainment system.

Once started, the driver can simply select the appropriate gas pump.

Even before refuelling, 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.

After refuelling, the driver will see the amount of fuel refuelled and the invoice amount to their Mastercard debit or credit cards on the MBUX display.

Payment will be made automatically, and the driver will be able to leave the gas station without having to walk to the checkout area. The invoice is then sent to the customer by e-mail.

For more on Mercedes Pay+ CLICK HERE