Contactless fuelling transactions: The new Mercedes me “Fuel & Pay” service for digital payment at the pump has launched. The service is free of charge for Mercedes me users and offers convenient digital payment – no need at all to go into the filling station or to pay by card at the pump. This innovative service can be controlled via the Mercedes me App as well as conveniently from inside the vehicle via the MBUX infotainment system.
And this is how Fuel & Pay works:
Customers use the map view on their head unit to select a participating filling station and start the navigation. The filling station is automatically identified by means of the geofencing function the moment the engine is switched off at the destination – and the customer selects the desired pump. The system now calculates the maximum amount for fuelling based on the tank capacity, the fuel type and fuel price, and the customer authorizes to reserve that amount for payment. The only thing non-digital that is left is the fuelling itself – the driver has to get out of the vehicle and operate the pump for this purpose. Only the actual amount of the fuel pumped is charged to the account. This gives customers optimal transparency and oversight.
The payment transaction is concluded after the end of the fuelling process. The customer immediately receives a confirmation via display message in the Mercedes me app or within MBUX and can continue the trip right away. For documentation purposes, the customer is sent a fuel receipt via email or Mercedes me Inbox message that includes all the information such as filling quantity, fuel type and price per litre.
It is of course at the customer’s discretion whether he handles the payment transaction in the Mercedes me App or via the display of MBUX. The procedure is identical in both cases.
Availability of Fuel & Pay:
The Mercedes-Benz service will be integrated automatically into the Mercedes me App for devices with Android or iOS operating system as part of an update. The availability of the service is updated in the Mercedes-Benz head unit (MBUX) automatically. In both cases, the customer has to activate the service separately and might possibly still need to fill in his payment information when using the service for the first time.
Vehicle models with MBUX infotainment system and the ‘Hard disc navigation’ feature have the appropriate compatibility and customers can use the in-car payment function directly in the vehicle. Access to the service for vehicles with the latest infotainment generation (new S-Class from year of construction 2020) via MBUX will be possible from the end of 2021.
Fuel & Pay is initially only available for customers from Germany. The service will be rolled out in further European countries by the end of 2021, for example, in Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland.
SOURCE: Daimler
