With the help of Mastercard, luxury German automaker Mercedes-Benz will soon offer embedded in-car payments at the point of sale.
Mercedes-Benz customers in Germany may now begin the fuelling process straight from their car and pay digitally with a fingerprint thanks to a new agreement with Mastercard. Drivers can now take advantage of quick payments to improve the in-car experience, as they do not require entering a PIN or authenticating via a mobile device.
Using the fingerprint sensor included into the MBUX infotainment system, the native in-car payment service via Mercedes pay+ will convert the vehicle into a type of payment device that can be used to make payments at service stations. In modern Mercedes-Benz cars, this service is already available for Mastercard credit and debit cards.
More than 3,600 participating gas stations in Germany now accept contactless payment using Mercedes me “Fuel & Pay” and fingerprint sensors.
In addition to Mercedes-Benz being the first automaker in the world to incorporate Mastercard’s Secure Card on File for Commerce platform inside the vehicle, fingerprint payment authorization at a fueling station offers the first use case for native in-car payments at the point of sale. With the use of specially assigned cryptograms, this technology makes it possible to encrypt transaction data, safeguarding private financial information.
Mercedes-Benz Mobility AG’s chairman of the board, Franz Reiner, stated: “We are making everyday life easier for our customers with Mercedes pay+.” They may now easily, safely, and conveniently pay their fuel bill with their fingerprint straight from their car.
“The successful implementation of digital offerings is predicated on a user-friendly payment procedure and an exceptional customer experience.” We are leaders in the field of native in-car payments, and we’re already integrating new services.
How do you make payments in-car?
The Mercedes me Fuel & Pay feature will launch on the MBUX infotainment system instantly when a motorist stops the engine at a connected service station. After starting, the driver has the option of choosing the right petrol pump. Based on the current fuel price and the amount of fuel in the tank when it is full, the system will determine the maximum total amount even before refueling.
By using fingerprint authentication, the motorist can finish their transaction without using a mobile device to authorise payments. The motorist will see on the MBUX display the amount of fuel they have refueled as well as the invoice amount for their Mastercard debit or credit cards after refueling.
The driver won’t have to walk to the checkout area; payment will be processed instantly and they can exit the gas station.
The partnership’s significance was elucidated by Jorn Lambert, Chief Digital Officer at Mastercard: “Digital payments are maturing, and customers want to embrace new forms that are integrated into their daily experiences and activities.”
We are pleased to collaborate with Mercedes-Benz to give its cars safer, better, and more intelligent commerce experiences thanks to our dynamic payments technology.
“We look forward to carrying out our ongoing efforts to promote more innovation in this field in Germany and globally.”
According to a study done for Mastercard by the German market research firm GfK, about half of people between the ages of 18 and 39 would use the infotainment display to directly order and pay for goods and services.
Cut down on payment friction
“This joint effort between Mastercard and Mercedes-Benz to enable native in-car payments for fueling 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 while retaining payment security,” said Christopher Miller, emerging payments analyst at research firm Javelin.
Moreover the announcement emphasizes the significance of fully integrated payment experiences from beginning to end—from the vehicle’s authentication hardware through the computation of fuel requirements and charges to the email transmission of receipts.
Pay-by-car and other future technologies will be adopted by customers if payment flows are truly differentiated. In order to provide these kinds of experiences, partners must be able to integrate all of these many elements into a cohesive whole that is simple for customers to use and comprehend.
Mercedes-Benz announced that other vehicle-related services and additional European markets will soon accept fingerprint payments from the vehicle.
