Tata Cars DrivePay Fuel Payment: How In Car UPI Works

Tata.CARS owners can now take part in a pilot that lets them pay for fuel directly through the car's dashboard. Called DrivePay, the system is being introduced with IndianOil, allowing the payment to be completed without pulling out a phone, bank card or another payment device.

How Tata DrivePay works

DrivePay links the connected vehicle's native dashboard interface with the payment system. After refuelling, the owner can complete the transaction from inside the car instead of switching to a separate payment method. The dashboard effectively becomes part of the fuel-payment process.

The technology comes from Bengaluru-based ToneTag, which connects the vehicle to a cloud-based UPI payment framework. The system uses an IoT-enabled version of NPCI's UPI Circle framework, with the connected car acting as the interface for completing the transaction.

Where DrivePay is available now

DrivePay is still at the pilot stage, with initial installations underway at selected IndianOil retail outlets. A broader commercial rollout is planned over the coming months, so Tata owners should not assume the system is available at every IndianOil station yet.

For Tata owners, the key points are:

• Payment is completed through the car dashboard
• No separate mobile payment app is required
• No physical bank card is needed
• No additional payment device is required
• IndianOil XTRAREWARDS points can also be earned

What Tata owners get with XTRAREWARDS

DrivePay also connects fuel payments with IndianOil's XTRAREWARDS programme. Eligible users can earn reward points while paying through the connected-car system. The transaction can also be completed without sharing the user's mobile number.

The setup brings together Tata.CARS for the connected vehicle platform, ToneTag for the payment technology, IndianOil for its fuel station network and NPCI for the digital payment framework. ToneTag also plans to explore similar connected-vehicle payment services with other manufacturers and mobility companies. For now, though, fuel payments are the use case being piloted.

Would you use dashboard-based fuel payments in your Tata car if DrivePay becomes widely available?