Mercedes cars become payment devices through Mastercard partnership

Carmaker Mercedes-Benz has introduced embedded in-car payments at the point of sale to its vehicles for customers in Germany, through a partnership with Mastercard.

According to Mercedes-Benz, this makes it the first automaker globally to integrate Mastercard ‘Secure Card on File for Commerce’ platforms technology for online payments into its vehicles.

Mercedes-Benz customers will be able to pay for fuel digitally at more than 3,600 service stations in Germany using a fingerprint sensor, removing the need to either enter a PIN or authenticate via a mobile device.

Fingerprint payments from the car are now live with Mastercard debit and credit cards in current Mercedes-Benz models and will soon be extended to other vehicle-related services and to other European markets, Mercedes confirmed.

Mastercard’s ‘Secure Card on File for Commerce’ technology allows for transaction data to be encrypted, using “uniquely assigned cryptograms” and, in turn, protects sensitive payment information.

The native in-car payment service is available via Mercedes pay+.

“With Mercedes pay+, we are making everyday life easier for our customers. From now on, they can pay their fuel bill directly from their car using their fingerprint – simply, securely, and conveniently,” said Franz Reiner, chair of the board of Mercedes-Benz Mobility AG.

“An intuitive payment process and a best-in-class customer experience lay the foundation for the success of digital offerings. We are pioneers in native in-car payment and are already working on the integration of further services,” he added.

The Mercedes ‘Fuel and Pay’ service will start automatically when the driver turns off their car engine at a fuel station, allowing them to select a pump.

Before refuelling, the system calculates the maximum total amount based on the current fuel price and the amount of fuel when the tank is full.

After the driver has filled their car with fuel, they will see the amount of fuel refuelled and the invoice amount to their Mastercard debit or credit cards on the car’s display.

Jorn Lambert, chief digital officer at Mastercard, added: “Digital payments are coming of age, and consumers want to embrace new forms that are infused into their everyday experiences and activities.”