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Ever want to pay for your gas from your car? Honda and Phillips 66 have teamed up to make that a reality
There are a handful of states out there where someone else will pump your gas. For the rest of us that means that we have to do it ourselves. It is of course relatively simple to do and it is also safe but for those people it means having to get out of the car and into the elements, whether it is extreme heat, extreme cold or rain. While payment technology cannot help to improve that, it can make the process go just a little quicker.
See you at the Pumps
When you pull up to a gas pump there are typically two ways that you can pay. Either you have to swipe or tap your credit card at the pump or you have to go inside to pay. Now there is a third way. Phillips 66 and Honda Developer Studio have teamed up to develop a system to pay for your gas from your car’s dashboard. This builds on Phillips 66’s mobile app and will be deployed at all stations, including 76 and Conoco stations, at some point this year.
The system will allow either the mobile app or the built in interface to connect with the pump through the car’s entertainment system. The app will also allow for customers to find the nearest station with the technology and prepay for the fuel.
Benefits of this Payment Method
Before you complain that the people using this are just being lazy there are benefits. The main one concerns the rash of skimmers found on gas station pumps around the country. By not ever needing to use a credit card the chance of having its details stolen drop to 0%. Of course many people do not want to get out of their comfy car in the middle of extreme weather as well. For people on the go or who are late for work (or everything that they do) driving right up to the pumps and filling up with a prepaid amount of gas could actually help those who are perpetually tardy.
Will this work is another question? Phillips 66 is certainly not a small fish when it comes to the service station world but stations cannot be found nationwide. The company is found for the most part found in the Midwest and Southwest. 76, known for its orange ball logo, is found primarily in California but is beginning to open stations in the Eastern US. Conoco stations are found mostly in the Midwest. Overlap that with the number of people who will be driving newer Honda’s equipped with the technology and it is reaching a limited market, at least to start. If the idea is good others will be sure to emulate it.
