You can now use the Alexa app on your phone or Alexa-enabled device in your car for an easy way to pay for gas at Exxon and Mobil stations nationwide.
Here’s how it works in a nutshell:
- Drive your vehicle up to the pump at your Exxon or Mobil station.
- Use the Alexa-enabled device in your car or Alexa app on your phone and say “Alexa, pay for gas.”
- Follow Alexa’s prompts to activate the pump.
- Fuel up and drive away. Payment is handled automatically.
I’m not sure whether they’re using Near Field Communications (NFC) or cellular data to communicate, but basically what’s happening is that in the same way a card swipe or tap to pay reader on the pump receives payment method information and validates payment, the pumps at select Exxon Mobil stations can now receive Amazon Pay default payment information, validate it and unlock the pump in the same way.
It’s a nice convenience and a clever way of trying to increase the adoption of Amazon Pay, but is it an innovation?
What do you think?
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