Mercedes-Benz customers in Germany can now start the fueling process directly from their vehicle and pay digitally by fingerprint. Eliminating the need to enter a PIN or authenticate via mobile device, drivers can now leverage convenient payments to enhance the in-vehicle experience. The native in-car payment service via Mercedes pay+ will turn the car into a form of payment device and can be used to make payments at service stations using the fingerprint sensor integrated into the MBUX infotainment system. This is now live with Mastercard debit and credit cards in current Mercedes-Benz models.1
Fingerprint payment authorization at a gas station represents the first use case for native in-car payments at the point of sale, in addition to Mercedes-Benz as the world’s first automaker to integrate Mastercard’s Secure Card on File for Commerce platform into the car. This technology allows for transaction data to be encrypted using uniquely assigned cryptograms,2 in turn protecting sensitive payment information.
How in-car payment with fingerprint works
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.3 Once started, the driver can simply select the appropriate gas pump. Even before refueling, 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 authorizing the payment via a mobile device, the driver will complete their transaction seamlessly through fingerprint authentication.4 After refueling, the driver will see the amount of fuel refueled 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 e-mail.
Where to find Mercedes me Fuel & Pay
Contactless payment via Mercedes me Fuel & Pay and fingerprint sensor is now possible at over 3,600 cooperating gas stations in Germany. Consumers can use their German-issued5 Mastercard credit or debit cards for native in-car payment by registering their card in the Mercedes me user account and activating it in the vehicle via the MBUX infotainment system Mercedes pay+.
Fingerprint payments from the car will be extended soon to other vehicle-related services and to other European markets.
| 1 Series: 223, 206, 254, 232 |
| 2 Mercedes-Benz uses the Mastercard Digital Enablement Service (MDES) to encrypt transaction data. The customer’s physical card number is replaced by a so-called token. The payment information is created once for each individual transaction and the token can only be used by the merchant who requested it. |
| 3 To use the Mercedes me connect services, create a Mercedes me ID and agree to the Terms of Use for the Mercedes me connect services. The services shown and their availability and functionalities depend in particular on the vehicle model, year of manufacture, selected optional equipment and country. |
| 4 Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) compliance requires two-factor authentication consisting of: something the consumer knows (e.g. a password), owns (e.g. a connected device), or is (e.g. biometrics). Mercedes pay uses the Mastercard Token Authentication Framework, where the authentication (SCA) is transferred from the card-issuing banks to Mercedes pay. |
| 5 The authorization is subject to the card-issuing bank or savings bank and not to Mercedes-Benz. |
