Shell, PayPal team up to enable mobile payments at the pump

There is a new way to pay at the pump in the U.K. – using a smartphone. A partnership between Shell and PayPal called “Fill-Up & Go” lets gas station visitors use a QR code, mobile app and smartphone to refuel.

The system negates the need for gas station visitors to head to a counter to pay and is particularly helpful for those who have children who may not wish to leave them in the car while they queue to pay, or for busy commuters, or those that simply want an easier and quicker gas stop. According to Shell, 50% of their customers only purchase fuel, and so have no need to enter the main shop.

To use “Fill-Up & Go”, an app must be downloaded and a PayPal account is needed. Then, all that’s required is to scan a large QR code at the pump being used, select how much you want to spend on fuel and then fill the tank. The system works on a pre-authorization basis so, if a users selects a fuel amount of $40, but only manages to squeeze in $35, that’s all that will be charged.

Amounts spent are deducted from the PayPal balance or direct from an associated bank account.

But, what about the use of mobile phones on a gas station forecourt in the U.K.? The position of the U.K. Petroleum Industry Association is that, while no studies exist that associate mobile phones with ignition incidents anywhere in the world, the use of mobile phones on forecourts is “actively discouraged“.

To this end, the “Fill-Up & Go” app instructs the user to stay in their vehicle while carrying out the payment process, and to leave the mobile in the car while they are filling the tank.