BIOMETRICS: Mercedes drivers in Germany can now pay in their car for fuel using their fingerprint and Pay+
Drivers with current series 206, 223, 232 and 254 – C-Class, S-Class, AMG SL and GLC – Mercedes vehicles can now make contactless in-car payments for fuel at more than 3,600 service stations in Germany and authorise them using a fingerprint sensor in their vehicle’s dashboard.
Mercedes-Benz has rolled out biometric fuel payments in the country with support for Mastercard debit and credit cards as the first use case for the Mercedes Pay+ native in-car payments platform at the point of sale. It says it now plans to integrate the solution with other services and introduce it to other European markets.
“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,” Mercedes explains.
“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 authorising 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 email.”
Mercedes announced in November 2021 that it was planning to let drivers authenticate in-vehicle payments for goods and services with their fingerprint in Germany and the UK.
Mercedes goes live with in-vehicle biometric payments in Germany was written by Tom Phillips and published by NFCW.