Daimler, Visa team up to create in-car payment technology

Daimler and Visa have partnered to offer in-car payment features in vehicles to eliminate the hassle of relying on mobile devices for payment authentication. Through this feature, one can make payments through the vehicle which will become a biometrically enabled payments device thanks to Visa’s Delegated Authentication technology.

Mercedes-Benz will provide its customers in the UK and Germany with this service and they will be able to make payments using a fingerprint sensor in the car. The company informed that purchases can then be made directly through the car’s head unit, or MBUX. The automaker stated that the facility will be offered to other European markets as well as global markets at a later stage.

Daimler Mobility's global payment platform called Mercedes pay will enable the users to buy goods and services directly from their car including Mercedes me services. Customers can also avail services such as fuelling and parking, informed the company. Antony Cahill, deputy CEO and head of European Markets at Visa in Europe, shared that this move is a significant one as both the pilot testing and initial launch activities are taking place in 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" he added.

Franz Reiner, chief executive officer, Daimler Mobility conveyed that Mercedes pay as an in-car payment facility will offer the customers worldwide seamless digital services that will be integrated within the Mercedes-Benz ecosystem. “In partnership with Visa, Daimler aims to offer native in-car payments that meets the requirements of two-factor authentication in a secure and user-friendly way. There is nothing more convenient than authorising a payment with your fingerprint. We offer our customers security not only when driving, but also when paying," he stated.