Mercedes pay+: In-car payment by fingerprint

Mercedes makes in-car sales possible via fingerprint. The Mercedes pay+ function is intended to make in-car payments much easier, which in turn should benefit their spread. Payments can be made primarily for upgrades and extras – such as a pre-air conditioning function.

Mercedes pay+ available now

The new payment function is available in Germany with immediate effect. It can be used to unlock hardware upgrades and additional chargeable services via the on-board computer as well as a connected smartphone. Previously, this was also possible, but a PIN had to be entered. Mercedes hopes that the introduction of fingerprint activation will provide lower-threshold access to upgrades. This in turn could increase the company’s sales.

Models equipped with the fingerprint sensor include the EQS and EQE series, the latest S-Class and C-Class vehicles, and the GLC model. Services that can be purchased in this way include an app that can be used to pre-condition the vehicle interior via cell phone. Advanced navigation can also be purchased directly in the car. Further, in the U.S., Mercedes offers unlocking of the car’s full performance only for additional payment. Overall, there is a discernible trend in the automotive industry toward subscription and add-on models: it is becoming increasingly rare for all the options technically created in the car to be acquired by paying the purchase price.

For the time being, the new function will only be available with Visa cards. Whether the Visa card used is a credit or debit card is irrelevant. Other card providers are also expected to be included soon to enable access to Mercedes pay+ for a larger target group.

In-car payment transactions are on the rise

The move toward in-car payment transactions has existed for some time. In newer models from a wide range of manufacturers, it has already been possible for years to pay for and activate additional functions directly in the vehicle. But external services are also increasingly being handled via the vehicle itself. In particular, refueling or recharging processes can in many cases already be handled via the car and do not require contact with an external payment point.

Juniper Research estimates that the payment of refueling transactions via the car in particular will increase sharply in the future. For 2026, Juniper Research expects 4.7 billion corresponding payment transactions worldwide.