Car IQ Enables Vehicle Payment Solutions at Sinclair Fuel Stations

Car IQ Pay can now be used at 1,600 Sinclair fuel stations in 30 states.

This technology connects the vehicle directly to the fuel pump, allowing fleet customers to pay for fuel without having to use a credit card, PIN or vehicle odometer reading, Car IQ said in a Monday (May 22) press release.

The ability to use Car IQ Pay at Sinclair stations results from a new agreement between Car IQ, a provider of vehicle payment solutions, and HF Sinclair Refining & Marketing, the supplier of fuels to Sinclair-branded stations, according to the release.

“The addition of Sinclair not only brings more locations, but also the Sinclair brand to Car IQ Pay, which our fleet customers have been asking for,” Car IQ Senior Vice President for Merchant Commercialization Matt Nicholson said in the release. “Automating and simplifying the payment process for our fleet customers helps them streamline their accounting process and eliminate costly time and errors.”

The agreement gives fleets greater choice when it comes to fueling their vehicles, adding Sinclair to the other fuel station brands that accept Car IQ Pay, including Kum & Go, Shell and Sunoco, according to the release.

Car IQ Pay can also be used to initiate and complete payments for toll management, paid parking, electric vehicle (EV) charging and other services, the release said.

“Sinclair is committed to offering our customers the latest technology to manage and pay for fueling,” HF Sinclair Manager of Payments and Technical Solutions Doug Lawes said in the release. “Partnering with Car IQ allows us to help our fleet customers facilitate payments by eliminating the use of credit cards.”

As the connected car trend gathers speed, vehicles are becoming rolling retail stores with embedded payments, enabling drivers to pay for services from inside their vehicles on a transactional basis, Car IQ CEO Sterling Pratz told PYMNTS in an interview posted in February.

“It’s a complete one-stop, in-dash experience,” Pratz said. “That’s what we think is revolutionary. Any payment that’s gone into a car before has always been multiple steps. There’s an app for each merchant, and then a credit card associated for each merchant and app. In our case, that all goes away. Anytime a driver goes into a gas station, it automatically connects and pays, same with driving through a toll booth.”

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