- First-of-its-kind research highlights that US and German
drivers have significant interest for in-car payment functionality and are willing
to pay for it - 100% of US drivers and 93% of German motorists surveyed
stated that having an easy-to-use in-car payment system would improve their driving
experience - 70% of US motorists and 67% of German drivers stated they
would be willing to pay more upfront for a vehicle with in-car payment
functionality
08 April 2025 – London, UK
A new,
first-of-its-kind report by Drive Research, focused on the full User
Experience journey of in-car payment systems, shows that these services have become
an extremely desirable convenience feature for many drivers who would be willing to
pay for access to significantly improve their driving experience and brand
perception.
The 2025 In-Car Payments User Experience Report presented real-world
drivers in the US and Germany with two in-car payment systems and tasked them with
completing the same exercises on both, before answering quantitative and qualitative
survey and interview questions, to gauge their level of interest in in-car payment
functionality and opinions on the two formats. The first system (A) was an
anonymised current in-production OEM system in each region, with the second system
(B) being an updated setup created together by Parkopedia and Valtech Mobility, with
ease-of-use improvements across enrollment, notifications, engagement and payment
processes.
Drivers want easy-to-use in-car payments for all
driving-related services
All American drivers surveyed
stated that having an easy-to-use in-car payment system would improve their driving
experience, with 100% also highly valuing this functionality in enabling in-car
payments for driving-related services. Simple in-car payments were also
near-universally valued by German participants (93%), demonstrating the wide-ranging
demand for this functionality when it works as intended.
Showing the potential benefit to OEMs from introducing well-executed in-car
payments, 97% of participants in both the US and Germany would consider using in-car
payments for all vehicle transactions, such as parking, EV charging, fuelling and
tolls, if the setup were easy to use. One German participant stated, “System B
(updated) is definitely simpler, time-saving, self-explanatory, efficient, and an
everyday helper.”
The same proportion (97%) stated that in-car payment functionality would
improve their driving experience and would value having multiple in-car payment
services available through one platform, instead of requiring external devices to
access. The consistency of these figures shows that drivers have a strongly-held
interest in more sophisticated, connected car services and OEMs that offer
seamlessly integrated in-car payments stand to win a growing proportion of customers
from rival brands that fail to address this increasing demand.
Demand for notifications when in-car payments are
available
Not only do drivers want broad in-car payment
functionality, but they also want intelligent integration of the service to ensure
they can get the greatest benefit from the features available. 93% of German drivers
and 87% of US participants would value their car having the ability to notify them
through the infotainment system when in-car payments are available nearby.
Demonstrating drivers’ will for having additional in-car payment features
built into their cars, 80% of US drivers would be ‘frustrated’ if in-car payments
were available nearby and their car failed to inform them. Similarly, all German
drivers surveyed and 97% of US motorists would value having an onscreen button to
immediately access connected services nearby, such as parking and charging data or
in-car payments.
Poor enrollment process is limiting uptake and
usage
Drivers flagged that a complex registration process
would reduce their likelihood of signing up for in-car payments, with 77 % of German
drivers and 70% of US participants being put off by a complicated enrollment setup.
More than this, 57% of Germans stated that a long-winded registration format would
make them less likely to use in-car payments after registering, along with half of
US drivers.
This shows that the user experience has a very significant role in
influencing drivers’ behaviour and OEMs must optimise the registration process if
they want to ensure the greatest customer satisfaction and adoption of premium
services. 90% of US drivers considered the current industry standard registration
process as being ‘complex’, highlighting that car manufacturers are already failing
to meet many customers’ expectations.
A significant proportion of drivers in both markets would be willing to pay
a premium to access in-car payments, with more than two-thirds of drivers being open
to paying for this functionality.
More than half of German drivers would be willing to make a monthly payment
for in-car payments, while nearly half of US participants would consider a higher
initial price, showing OEMs the need to offer tailored payment options for this type
of feature to maximise usage.
Drivers demand integrated solutions over reliance on mobile
devices
Drivers saw integrated in-car payment services as
valuable because they could respond appropriately to the situation or route, such as
flagging the need for parking or charging, or helping to reduce the stresses
associated with driving. Furthermore, several motorists considered such
functionality to be a differentiator between rival brands. This could potentially
influence purchase decisions – both pulling drivers towards models with high-quality
in-car payment services and pushing them away from other OEMs that offer poor
services or fail to provide these at all.
Current deployments underrepresent the full capabilities of
in-car payments
Drivers significantly preferred the updated
system shown, which prioritised usability, minimising the amount of clicks needed to
access key payment functions and making it simpler to pay for multiple
vehicle-centric services using one platform. More than 90% of US drivers were
extremely likely to use the updated system compared with just 20% for the current
industry deployment. More than 90% of US and German drivers also engaged more with
the optimised in-car payment system, with 100% of US and 90% of German participants
being more likely to use in-car payments for future transactions if they had what
they perceived to be the more ‘streamlined’ system.
This shows that OEMs risk alienating their own customers by offering poorly
executed in-car payments; drivers want convenient in-car payment functionality, but
expect it to be user-friendly and are likely to be put off using such systems if
they do not meet expectations.
In-car payment execution affects drivers’ opinion of the
brand
Having well-integrated prompts for in-car payment
services has a significant positive impact, with 97% of US drivers stating that this
functionality would notably change their opinion of a car brand. More importantly,
87% of US drivers claimed that intelligent in-car payment integration would
significantly increase their likelihood of buying a car from the same brand in
future.
Car manufacturers not currently offering in-car payments or providing
poor-quality systems with frustrating user experiences could cause significant
damage to their brands, potentially pushing their customers to rival brands that
offer a more sophisticated digital user experience. Addressing this appears to be
relatively straightforward, with all US and German drivers stating that they would
be more likely to use in-car payments if the process were deemed easy to use and
saved them time or money. Furthermore, 87% of US drivers and 63% of Germans would be
dissuaded from using in-car payments if the system required multiple menu screens
above what they deem necessary for confirming in-car payments.
Commenting on the report results, Adam Calland, Global Marketing Director
at Parkopedia, who overseen the focus group sessions, said: “The demand
for connected car services continues to rise rapidly around the world, and this
research shows that in-car payment functionality in particular is now becoming a
must-have feature for motorists who highly value convenience and are willing to pay
for this.
“This is being accelerated by the global shift towards EVs, with
motorists not only valuing having in-car data directing them to suitable charge
points, but also integrating payments within the same platform, to facilitate the
full public charging experience within the vehicle. The need to improve both
awareness for in-car payments and the UX of current implementations was clear from
the findings of the report, but the upside is equally clear on the potential value
for the automakers who get this right.”
Link to access the full
reports
ENDS
About Parkopedia
Parkopedia is the
leading connected car services provider used by automakers, organisations and
millions of drivers around the world. Parkopedia helps drivers find and pay for
parking, EV charging, fuel and tolls across 90 countries. Parkopedia is also
developing highly detailed indoor maps and corresponding algorithms to help drivers
and self-driving vehicles navigate to available parking spaces and EV chargers.
Visit business.parkopedia.com for more information.
Parkopedia Global Media Contact
Adam
Calland
Global Marketing Director
T: +44(0)7838219129
E:
adam.calland@parkopedia.com
