# How Your Car Can Become a Payment Card > This patent describes a system where a car's computer system can store your payment cards and use special short-range signals from external car parts to securely pay at places like gas stations or drive-thrus. - **Patent:** US 12737743 - **Original title:** Connected car as a payment device - **Granted:** 2026 - **Status:** Active - **Times cited:** 0 - **Field:** automotive, consumer_electronics, software, finance, telecommunications ## What it does This patent details a method for using a vehicle as a payment device. It involves selecting a stored financial card or account from the car's main display, called a head unit. The system then sends a scrambled, secure version of the card number, known as a tokenized card number, to a payment terminal. This transfer happens over a very short-range wireless connection, using electronic parts attached to the outside of the car. For example, this external circuitry might be within a few inches or feet of the payment terminal, ensuring a secure, close-proximity transaction. ## What it does NOT cover - Does not cover payments made using a smartphone or smartwatch that is merely *inside* the vehicle. - Does not cover payments where the financial card number is transmitted without first being converted into a 'tokenized card number'. - Does not cover payments made over long-range wireless connections, such as cellular networks or Wi-Fi, for direct payment to a point-of-sale terminal. - Does not cover payment systems that do not involve 'electronic circuitry attached to the exterior of the vehicle' for the final short-range transmission. - Does not cover payment methods that do not require a 'very short-range communication link' with a 'threshold distance' (e.g., one inch to three feet) to the payment terminal. ## The clever bit The novel aspect is combining the car's internal computer system with dedicated external electronic circuitry for very short-range, tokenized payments. This specific setup ensures both the convenience of in-car selection and the security of close-proximity, token-based transmission, preventing unauthorized long-distance interception. ## Real-world examples 1. Tesla in-car payment for Supercharging 2. Mercedes-Benz in-car payment for fuel 3. Hyundai and Kia in-car payment systems for parking or tolls 4. General Motors MarketPlace for ordering and paying from the dashboard ## Why it matters This technology aims to make payments more convenient and potentially more secure for drivers. It could streamline transactions at places like gas pumps, toll booths, and drive-thru restaurants, allowing drivers to pay without reaching for a wallet or phone. By integrating payment directly into the vehicle, it offers a hands-free payment experience. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does How Your Car Can Become a Payment Card cover? This patent describes a system where a car's computer system can store your payment cards and use special short-range signals from external car parts to securely pay at places like gas stations or drive-thrus. ### When does this patent expire? This patent is expected to expire on September 15, 2046, when the invention enters the public domain. ### What problem does this patent solve? This technology aims to make payments more convenient and potentially more secure for drivers. It could streamline transactions at places like gas pumps, toll booths, and drive-thru restaurants, allowing drivers to pay without reaching for a wallet or phone. By integrating payment directly into the vehicle, it offers a hands-free payment experience. ### What does this patent NOT cover? Does not cover payments made using a smartphone or smartwatch that is merely *inside* the vehicle. **Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12737743/connected-car-as-a-payment-device-12737743 **Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US12737743 --- _Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._ ## Related patents Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus: - [Smart Payment Card with Transaction Info Locked to Payment Method](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12737748/multi-function-electronic-payment-card-and-device-system) — This patent describes a smart payment card that can use various payment methods like magnetic stripes or NFC, and generates unique, single-use payment information specific to the chosen interface for each transaction. - [How a Store's Payment System Keeps Your Card Info Safe](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12737570/point-of-sale-system-transaction-processing) — This patent describes a store payment system where your touchscreen inputs, like your PIN, are encrypted by a special processor before being sent for payment, keeping your information secure. - [Central Bank Digital Currency for Phones and Watches](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10147076/airbnb-experiences) — This patent describes a system for using a central bank-issued digital currency on mobile devices, generating a special 3D code for payments that can be scanned or read via near field communication. - [How a Single Card Can Pay for Transit Using Loyalty Points](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10176475/square-point-of-sale) — A system that lets one payment card handle both retail shopping and transit fares, automatically converting loyalty points between different geographic regions to cover travel costs. - [How Digital Wallets Pull Data From Multiple Sources for Payments](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12100000/starship-mars-edl) — A system that lets a digital wallet gather and combine account information from different companies to help a user complete a payment transaction.