Connected car as a payment device

A computer system configured to use a connected vehicle as an electronic payment device, the computer system comprising one or more processors, transceivers, and/or sensors configured to:

• obtain identification information for a user within a vehicle or for the vehicle;
• authenticate the user or the vehicle based upon the identification information to ensure the user or the vehicle is authorized to use a virtual account for purchasing goods or services;
• detect a triggering event indicating that the vehicle is within a predetermined range for communicating with a merchant communication terminal of a merchant;
• present a display including an indication of goods or services that can be purchased at the merchant communication terminal and a user control for transmitting a request to order the goods or services to the merchant communication terminal;
• and
• in response to receiving a selection of the user control:
• transmit the request to order the goods or services to the merchant communication terminal to cause a fuel pump at the merchant communication terminal to provide fuel to the vehicle;
• in response to transmitting the request to order the goods or services, cause within the vehicle a fuel tank cover for the vehicle to open for receiving the fuel at the vehicle, wherein the fuel tank cover opens;
• and
• securely transfer, via a short-range communication link, funds from the virtual account to a virtual account of the merchant to facilitate secure vehicle payment of goods and services.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing thereon a set of instructions that, when executed on one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to:

• obtain identification information for a user within a vehicle or for the vehicle;
• authenticate the user or the vehicle based upon the identification information to ensure the user or the vehicle is authorized to use a virtual account for purchasing goods or services;
• detect a triggering event indicating that the vehicle is within a predetermined range for communicating with a merchant communication terminal of a merchant;
• present a display including an indication of goods or services that can be purchased at the merchant communication terminal and a user control for transmitting a request to order the goods or services to the merchant communication terminal;
• and
• in response to receiving a selection of the user control:
• transmit the request to order the goods or services to the merchant communication terminal to cause a fuel pump at the merchant communication terminal to provide fuel to the vehicle;
• in response to transmitting the request to order the goods or services, cause within the vehicle a fuel tank cover for the vehicle to open for receiving the fuel at the vehicle, wherein the fuel tank cover opens;
• and
• securely transfer, via a short-range communication link, funds from the virtual account to a virtual account of the merchant to facilitate secure vehicle payment of goods and services.