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Consumers with Alexa, Amazon.com Inc.’s voice assistant, enabled in their cars and trucks soon will be able to pay for fuel at more than 11,500 Exxon and Mobil gas stations from inside their vehicles.
Announced Monday, the service, compatible with vehicles with Alexa built in or enabled with an Echo Auto or other Alexa-enabled device, means consumers will be able to use Amazon Pay and the default payment information stored in it to pay for fuel. Payment processor Fiserv Inc. will provide technology to enable the service. Some Audi, Ford, Lincoln, Lexus, and Toyota models work with Alexa natively or with an app.
Details of how the service will work are scant, but a short Amazon Pay video shows an animated driver pulling up to an Exxon pump and saying, “Alexa, pay for gas on pump 4.” Alexa responds with a confirmation request for the station’s location. If confirmed, it then asks if the user is ready to activate the pump. A “yes” starts the activation process and Alexa affirms that Amazon Pay will be used. From there, the user fills the gas tank.
Several fuel retailers, including Irving, Texas-based ExxonMobil Corp., already have similar services, albeit without the voice assistant. They work by geolocating the device, in this case a smart phone, confirming the location and payment method, and completing the pump activation.
Paying for fuel using Alexa is another example of a potentially vast new payments venue, in-car commerce. Alexa for the pump will be available later this year, Fiserv and ExxonMobil note. It is being demonstrated this week at CES 2020, the show formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Show, in Las Vegas.
Seattle-based Amazon has been keen to add more payments services beyond its e-commerce site for Amazon Pay. In October, bill-payment provider Paymentus Corp. announced the ability to get bill information via Alexa https://www.digitaltransactions.net/eye-on-amazon-alexa-will-pay-your-bills-and-a-grocer-enables-in-store-cash-payments-for-amazon-purchases/ and eventually pay bills using Amazon Pay.
In related news, Campbell, Calif.-based Aiqudo Inc., a voice-technology provider, said it will allow drivers of Byton Ltd. electric vehicles to interact with payments, shopping, and other apps on their mobile devices while driving.
Also, New York City-based EyeLock LLC said it has collaborated with SiriusXM to create an in-vehicle iris-authentication technology that can allow drivers to access the SiriusXM e-wallet.
