Most of us have experienced how frustrating it can be to try and use a gas pump that’s malfunctioning for one reason or another. Even when fully functional, some pumps can be slow, clunky, and troublesome to use. Apple thinks that it might have a solution that involves paying for your fuel through CarPlay and it might be live before the end of the year.
First mentioned by Apple at its developer conference, the new system meant to allow buyers to pay for fuel from their car already has the support of major players in the segment. Jack Barger, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Sinclair, told Reuters that it’s going to use the new CarPlay technology with details to be released in the near future.
“We are excited by the idea that consumers could navigate to a Sinclair station and purchase fuel from their vehicle navigation screen,” he said. That would certainly smooth the process of fuel purchases which is a major goal of the marketplace in general. Every bit of friction in the purchasing process makes it less likely that consumers will spend that money.
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To use the new feature, iPhone users will be required to download whichever fuel company’s app they wish to purchase from. Then they’ll set up payment credentials through the application and then they’ll be capable of paying for fuel from inside of their vehicle. This isn’t the first instance of Apple using CarPlay to make automotive purchases from the infotainment system either.
CarPlay already allows users to log mileage for business trips, purchase parking, order food, and more. For now, CarPlay is free across the board whether you’re a developer, an automaker, or a consumer. The potential for data mining is vast and only going to grow as the system is incorporated into more vehicles in the future.
Apple expects to roll out the version of CarPlay with fuel payments enabled sometime later this fall. There’s no word yet on if there will be some added incentive to pay through CarPlay aside from the potential convenience. How do you feel about paying for gas from the comfort of your driver’s seat? Does it excite you, or is this just a gimmick you’ll ignore?
