You can already make payments with your phone, and soon you’ll be able to do it with your Mercedes-Benz using only your fingerprint for authentication.
Mercedes already has its own Mercedes Pay system that allows users to purchase goods or services from a car, but now the automaker has teamed up with Visa to make the process easier and more widely available through the new Mercedes Pay+ feature. Instead of having to enter a pin or use the phone, all it takes for authentication is a fingerprint scan. Payments are then handled through Visa’s new Cloud Token Framework.
Cloud Token Framework is basically an online payment system where stored authentication data is secured using individual digital tokens which encrypt any sensitive payment information before storing it. This makes paying much easier, for example when using a new service, because you no longer need to enter long card numbers or complex passwords to complete a purchase. It is also possible to pair multiple devices with the car, so that more than one user can make payments with fingerprint scanning.
Mercedes Pay+ is launching in Europe initially, starting with the Mercedes home market in Germany in March. Availability in other markets has not been announced.
Models available with fingerprint sensors include the EQS and EQE electric vehicles, as well as the S-Class, GLC-Class, and C-Class.
Currently, Mercedes Pay+ can be used to pay for various digital services such as enhanced navigation features or remote connectivity, as well as on-demand vehicle hardware upgrades such as rear axle steering with a greater steering angle. Eventually, payments will extend to other car-related services, such as refueling, said Mercedes.
