Mercedez-Benz users in Germany can now make in-car payments using its new digital payment service, the company has announced.
Through Mercedes pay+, car users can authenticate payments via an in-car fingerprint sensor that has been integrated with Visa’s Delegated Authentication and Cloud Token Framework technology.
The first Mercedes-Benz models to be made available with the sensors are the EQS and EQE series, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and C-Class, and the new GLC.
For now, the firm said the technology will be used to pay for digital services and on-demand hardware upgrades in the Mercedes me Store. It means rather than typing in a PIN on the MBUX infotainment system or using a smartphone to verify a payment in the car, users can instead implement biometric two-factor authentication with the fingerprint sensor.
“Mercedes-Benz becomes a software-driven company that provides a digital, seamless experience to customers. Therefore, our digital services have to be intuitive, convenient and secure,” said Franz Reiner, CEO at Mercedes-Benz Mobility in a statement.
He added, “This is why we have established Mercedes pay+ as a modern and secure payment solution. As such, we are creating a completely new, enhanced customer experience. By introducing native e-commerce into the car, we are once again pioneers and at the beginning of a promising development.”
Payment from the car by fingerprint will be extended to other services such as fuelling as well as to other European markets later this year, the company added.
A study by Juniper Research revealed that the global transaction volume of in-vehicle payments is expected to reach more than 4.7 billion by 2026. Paying for fuel will be the most common use for in-vehicle payments over the next five years; accounting for around 48 percent of total in-vehicle payment transactions by volume.
