Visa has announced it will trial its Visa Token Service with car makers to pave the way for “easy and secure car-based commerce”.

VISA HAS PARTNERED with Honda and ParkWhiz to trial its Visa Token Service which would allow, in the right connected environment, your vehicle to automatically pay for petrol, car parking and maybe more things, like drive-in takeaway.

“The notion of transforming a car into a platform for payments is not as far off as some may think, and we have made a great deal of progress since first introducing the idea one year ago,” said Jim McCarthy, executive vice president of innovation and strategic partnerships, Visa Inc.

“Working with Honda to test these prototypes gets us another step closer toward commercial reality, which we think provides exciting opportunities to everyone who plays a role in the payments and automotive ecosystems.”

“This project demonstrates how apps can truly transform the in-car experience while creating new opportunities for automakers,” said John Moon, developer relations lead for Honda Developer Studio.

Developed by Honda Developer Studio and fully integrated into Honda’s head unit, the fuel and parking proof-of-concepts are designed to bring greater simplicity and convenience to services and tasks consumers do every day. Both apps showcase Visa Token Service and feature Visa Checkout, Visa’s online payment service offering simple, one-touch payments. Additional features include:

Fuel App Concept: Pay for gas in one click without leaving the car. The fuel app detects when the car is low on fuel and navigates the driver to nearby gas stations. Once parked next to the pump, the app knows the exact amount of gas needed to fill the tank and can calculate the cost to fill up. The driver can also purchase convenience store items with full integration of discount and loyalty/rewards programs.

Parking App Concept: Just park your car, push the ‘park’ button on the app, and go. Designed in partnership with ParkWhiz for off-street parking spots, the parking app helps a driver pay only for the time used and helps avoid under- and over-paying. Once a parking session is ended, the elapsed time and amount paid are shown on the car’s dashboard, requiring the driver to simply press a button to complete the transaction.

All three companies involved in the test expect to begin real-world testing over a three-month period later this year.

“At ParkWhiz we are very focused on creating a frictionless, and of course safe, parking experience for drivers,” said Aashish Dalal, CEO, ParkWhiz. “Eliminating the need for drivers to take tickets or check out at pay boxes is a giant step toward a frictionless experience and a big win for drivers. ParkWhiz is thrilled to be partnered with Visa on this ground-breaking innovation.”