Three MetroWest Towns Try Out Contactless Gas Payments

WELLESLEY, MA — Drivers in Wellesley, Marlborough and Framingham will have the option of paying for gas without ever touching a key pad at the pump.

Three Alltown gas stations in each town will offer the PayByCar service, which allows customers who register with the program to pay using their E-ZPass toll transponder — anyone who doesn't have an EZ-Pass can use PayByCar’s own non-toll sticker to enroll.

Drivers will still traditional payment options at the participating gas stations.

Here's how it works, drivers with an EZ-Pass register for the program online and when they pull into a participating gas station, PayByCar recognizes the car’s transponder and sends a text to their smartphone. The driver can reply to the text with just the pump number and PayByCar automatically turns that pump on, registers the transaction, charges the card on file, and sends the driver an e-receipt.

The goal of the program, according to the company, is to limit the amount of surfaces that drivers touch at the pump and to lower the risk of phishing and skimming scams at key pads. Drivers would still have to touch the gas pumps themselves to pump their gas.

“We’re living at a time when contactless payments are increasingly important,” said Mark Cosenza, Senior Vice President at Global Partners LP, owner of Alltown convenience stores. “We’re excited to offer drivers not only the convenience of simple and quick transactions, but also the added safety and peace of mind during the age of COVID-19."

The program was rolled out in Westborough last year at the Alltown gas station located at 130 Turnpike Rd.

The following gas stations in the MetroWest will use the PayByCar program:

● 656 Boston Post Rd E, Marlborough, MA 01752
● 696 Cochituate Rd, Framingham, MA 01701
● 453 Washington St, Wellesley, MA 02482
● 130 Turnpike Rd, Westborough, MA 0158