Overview
Cars have become more than just basic transportation. Technology drives automotive innovation, and the typical car now contains between 25 and 50 microprocessors. A new research report from Mercator Advisory Group, The Connected Car: Still in First Gear for Merchant Commerce, discusses the emerging market for consumers in cars to order and pay for items such as food, fuel, beverages, and parking using technology built into the car.
“Cars are becoming rolling mobile devices for on-the-go consumers to order and pay for coffee or a snack, as well as for the convenience of ordering meals for takeout or delivery. Drivers and passengers accustomed to ordering from the car on their mobile phones will someday consider mobile ordering and paying using technology built in the connected car as a regular part their daily commute. For now, however, the landscape of connected car systems remains fragmented and evolving. The connected car has a way to go before it achieves wide acceptance by consumers and merchants,” said Raymond Pucci, Director, Merchant Services at Mercator Advisory Group, and author of this report.
This report is 14 pages long and has 7 exhibits.
Companies mentioned in this report: Amazon, Apple, Applebee’s, Audi, Best Buy, Chevron, Dunkin’ Donuts, Exxon Mobil, Fiat Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Google, Honda, Hyundai, IHOP, Kia, Mastercard, Nissan, Nuance, Parkopedia, Priceline.com, Samsung, Shell, Sirius XM, Starbucks, Subaru, TGI Fridays, Visa, and Volkswagen.
One of the exhibits included in this report:

Highlights of this research report include:
- Early attempts to commercialize connected car commerce
- Connected car payments market opportunities
- Current connected car ecosystem
- Vertical market growth prospects
- Opportunities and challenges impacting connected car systems
Book a Meeting with the Author
Related content
Building the Bridge to Payments: 3 Investment Trends for 2026 and Beyond
Investment in fintechs’ payment technology in 2026 is being shaped by a strong shift toward “bridging technologies” that connect legacy systems with emerging capabilities. Investor...
Agentic Standards: Platform Opportunities and Platform Solutions
The development of open agentic commerce protocols—notably the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) and Agent Commerce Protocol (ACP)—represent an expected and necessary alternative t...
Are Consumers Showing Interest in Direct Payments?
Javelin Strategy & Research’s data dives into consumer behavior show that consumers’ usage of and interest in lower-cost payment methods like account-to-account transactions and pa...
Make informed decisions in a digital financial world