Mercedes-Benz models to become mobile credit cards

Mercedes-Benz and Visa have partnered up to deliver a new in-car payment system that will allow European drivers to pay for goods and services from the comfort and safety of their vehicles.

Daimler says the ground-breaking native in-car payment system will operate via a simple scan of the driver’s fingerprint, without the need to tap a credit card or even enter a PIN.

Dubbed ‘Mercedes pay’, the service will enable credit card purchases via the vehicle’s MBUX infotainment unit, which will also handle in-car payments for Mercedes me services such as fuel and parking.

The two-factor authentication payment system will be available initially in the UK and Germany from March 2022, with other European markets set to roll out the tech later.

Mercedes-Benz Australia is yet to confirm local plans for the in-car payment system, which according to Visa uses cloud-based security tech.

“We are excited to bring to life a native solution for in-car payments for the first time, together with our partner Daimler Mobility,” said Antony Cahill from Visa Europe.

“This is a powerful example of how the world’s leader in digital payments and the inventor of the automobile are able to combine their technologies to create the next generation of smart solutions for the automobility sector, providing the driver and passengers with a completely new in-car connected commerce experience.”

Daimler Mobility chief executive officer Franz Reiner said the Mercedes payment system will be both secure and user-friendly.

“There is nothing more convenient than authorising a payment with your fingerprint,” he said.

“A luxury customer experience of course includes the aspect of safety, and we fulfill that through native in-car payment. We offer our customers security not only when driving, but also when paying.”

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