Deutsche Tamoil is taking another step towards digitalization: in cooperation with the tech start-up PACE Telematics, the HEM gas station chain is expanding its mobile payment service at the fuel pump throughout Germany. With the new “Connected Fueling” platform from PACE, the payment process when filling up directly at the fuel pump is completely contactless. This reduces any unnecessary contacts and avoids queues, especially in the current situation.

Since January 2019, HEM has been successfully offering mobile payment solutions for its customers and is thus a clear pioneer in smart refueling. “The possibilities of digitalization are immense, so we want to consequently expand and use them. Our goal is to develop the perfectly tailored offer for our customers and their needs, before they are even on site,” explains Tamoil Managing Director Carsten Pohl, adding: “This is also evident in the payment process. For example, the customer can pay for the refueling with his smartphone from within the car and is immediately ready to continue the trip without entering the shop. For this reason, we are now starting the nationwide rollout with PACE”.

Following a successful pilot phase, the mobile payment solution is to be available at over 350 HEM stations in Germany in the course of the year. Initial tests with automobile manufacturers for integration directly into the on-board computer of new vehicles have also been successfully completed.

Next generation Connected Fueling

The open and flexible architecture of the platform makes it possible to implement the brand identity of the fuel station all the way to the end customer’s smartphone. With Connected Fueling, PACE thus offers HEM great advantages in customer retention. To start with, the “Connected Fueling” functionality for drivers is available in the mobile apps of PACE Telematics. The PACE Drive App can be downloaded free of charge from the App Stores. In addition to the payment function, it also offers a gas station search function that displays all gas stations in the immediate vicinity including opening hours, all fuel types and prices, equipment, services and payment methods. With the PACE Car solution, drivers can also benefit from the advantages of an intelligent networked vehicle – functions such as error code analysis, the Find My Car function or the Performance and Traffic Monitor make driving more efficient.

For the technical integration of the PACE solution, Deutsche Tamoil chose the newly developed Mobile Payment Hub (MPH) of WEAT Electronic Datenservice GmbH, a specialist for network operation and automation in the fuel station business. In the future, app acceptance via MPH will be as easy for the fuel station operator as additional card acceptance using the existing payment methods and reports. This makes PACE the first partner to implement mobile payment based on this interface together with HEM.