Certain drivers who fill up their tanks at an ExxonMobil station will soon be able to pay for their gas using Amazon Alexa.
The oil and gas corporation—along with Fiserv—just announced drivers with Alexa-enabled cars, Echo Auto, and other Alexa-enabled mobility devices will be able to use the smart assistant to pay for gas later this year at more than 11,500 Exxon and Mobil stations in the U.S.
When these drivers pull up to the pump, they won’t even have to leave their vehicles to activate a pump. Instead, they can simply say, “Alexa, pay for gas.” Alexa then confirms the station location and the pump number, while Fiserv’s technology will turn on the pump and enable token generation for a secure payment, which will be processed via Amazon Pay.
“As consumer expectations change, there is growing demand for frictionless interactions that span the digital and physical worlds,” said Devin McGranahan, senior group president, Global Business Solutions at Fiserv. “The age of connected commerce is here, and voice-activated smart devices will play a pivotal role in the future of payments by streamlining the way consumers make purchases every day.”
Voice-enabled payments, which brought in around $2.6 billion in volume last year in the U.S., can also help consumers prevent their credit cards from being skimmed at the pump. In fact, just last month Visa sent out a warning to its customers about a data theft operation specifically targeting point-of-sale (PoS) systems at fuel pumps.
Amazon launched Alexa Auto software development kit (SDK) in 2018, as well as the Alexa Auto device to wire Alexa OS directly into a car via Bluetooth, Bluetooth LE or an auxiliary jack.
Earlier this month, it was reported that Rivian, an electric car company backed by Amazon, is planning to add Alexa voice assistant capability to its R1T pickup and R1S SUV, as well as the 100,000 delivery trucks Amazon has ordered. Lamborghini also recently announced that it will add Alexa capability to its Huracán EVO sports vehicle. Ford and Toyota have also added Alexa to some of their vehicles, while Alexa skills has been introduced by Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai and General Motors, among others.
