ExxonMobil finally brings Apple Pay to the gas pump

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Apple Pay iPhone
Paying at the pump is about to get a lot easier.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Filling up your car with gasoline is about to get a lot quicker, now that the world’s biggest oil company is finally adding Apple Pay to its pumps.

Starting today, ExxonMobil is activating Apple Pay at more than 6,000 gas stations across the U.S., allowing customers to buy gas or a car wash without having to bust out their wallets.

The rollout will add 2,000 more stores and gas stations by mid-year, according to CNET, with 10,000 of the company’s locations supporting Apple’s mobile wallet by the end of 2016. To use the new Apple Pay service you don’t even have to get out of your car.

Instead of using an NFC reader, ExxonMobil’s solution uses your iPhone’s location and the company’s SpeedPass+ app to determine which gas station you’re at. Simply select the pump number in the app, confirm your purchase with Touch ID, and then start filling up your tank. If you don’t begin fueling within 45 seconds the app will time out and you have to start all over.

“Anything that involves the pump from a hardware point of view takes years to deploy and is extremely expensive,” explained ExxonMobil’s Bryant Russell on why the company didn’t use NFC terminals. As a back up for spots where geolocation data doesn’t work, the app has a back up QR code that you scan at the pump to find your location.

The downside is you won’t be able to use your Apple Watch to pay with, however the company does plan to make its SpeedPass+ app more attractive this year by adding the ability to purchase store items and link to the ExxonMobil loyalty program.

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