Car keys could soon be used to pay for SHOPPING or beer thanks to contactless payment tech launched by DS
Car keys could soon be used to pay for SHOPPING or beer thanks to contactless payment tech launched by DS
Luxury car hard DS has created the very first ever contactless car key with the fob able to make payments just like it’s your credit or debit card
DRIVEN to the shops but realised you’ve forgotten your wallet? Don’t worry, soon you could be able to pay with your car keys.
The UK’s very first key fob that doubles up as a contactless payment card has been launched by luxury French maker DS and Barclaycard.
We’ve all got used to paying with smartphones for our weekly shop, pints of beer or style accessories.
But now instead of swiping your phone, debit or credit card, you’re able to hold your keys up to the car reader to make payments of up to £30.
The clever tech has debuted on a limited edition version of the DS3 – dubbed Connected Chic – and it could be flipped out onto more cars in the future with bosses telling “see this space”.
It uses the same radio signal that permits you to open and embark a car without putting a key in the ignition and harnesses it for use with a card reader.
Each fob contains one of Barclaycard’s bPay chips permitting the payment to be made and then tracked through the bPay app on Android and iPhone. You can also cancel or block the function.
The launch has been done to coincide with ten years since Barclaycard introduced contactless payment into the UK.
It’s technology you’d normally find on a range-topping car very first due to cost but the fact it emerges on a £15,775 DS3 suggests it’s not an inexpensive add-on.
And aside from possessing the car, it only works if you’ve got a got a UK-registered Visa or MasterCard debit or credit card.
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Tami Hargreaves, director of innovation and partnerships at Barclaycard Mobile Payments, said: “Today’s time-pressed consumers are looking for hard-working, multifunctional technology.
“By providing our bPay chips to power the payments behind the fresh DS three Connected Chic, we’re suggesting drivers a rapid, effortless and secure way to make everyday purchases with just a touch of their car keys.
“This partnership represents another arousing step on our journey to shove the boundaries of what ‘touch and go’ technology can do.
“We will proceed to pursue other ways to build ‘the connected car’, so observe this space.”