Daimler has partnered with Visa to develop native in-car payments.

From Spring 2022, Visa’s authentication technology will enable Mercedes-Benz customers in Europe to pay for goods and services by using their fingerprint in the car.

Purchases can then be made directly through the car’s head unit, or MBUX.

According to research from Capgemini, in the next two years, the number of connected cars is estimated to increase to more than 352 million worldwide.

Juniper predicts that the total volume of in-car payments is set to reach approximately $86 billion by 2025.

Daimler Mobility's existing global payment platform called Mercedes pay enables customers to buy goods and services directly in their car, including Mercedes me services, as well as for other use cases such as fuelling and parking.

“Mercedes pay is our competence centre for in-car payment, through which we offer our customers worldwide digital services seamlessly integrated within the Mercedes-Benz ecosystem,” said Franz Reiner, chief executive, Daimler Mobility. “In partnership with Visa, Daimler aims to offer native in-car payments that meet 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."

To begin with, consumers in the UK and Germany will be able to make payments using a fingerprint sensor in the car, with other European markets to follow. The company also plans to roll out the technology worldwide at some stage.

"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, deputy chief executive and head of European markets, Visa in Europe. “It is significant that both the successful pilot testing and initial launch activities are taking place in Europe, a world-leading hub for payments and automotive innovation.”

Cahill added: “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.”

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