Forget the credit card as a way to pay – the next big thing will be the car key! BMW and electronics giant Philips have unveiled a prototype of the world’s first multifunctional fob.

A smart card stored in the key lets users pass it over a sensor, to pay for goods, fuel and road tolls. Advanced encryption protects the driver’s details.

Launch dates remain secret, but it’s set to debut on top BMWs.

yer thats cool un till you loose it lol


In BMW garage when you take you car for warranty work they scan your chip in the/ your key and it come,s up with all you history on the car it,s so cool

The world will be a chip soon lol

Good find R Joe

BMW really are the leaderrs of the pack, I recon in time to come, BMW will be the only big car manufacturer left standing ruling the market.

Lets just hope people dont find a way to hack them...cos lose the key, youve lost your car....and a lot of money...as well as whatever the take out of your account.

Wonder what system theyd use when you come to sell it. Any BMW Im guessing would need to be sold via the dealer.

wrong!mercedes have always led when it comes to in car features(see old top gear for more info)but bmw are startin to do some clever stuff!

Ooooo BMW (sorry, Philips, let's get this correct; in other words the Germans have licensed the technology off the Dutch) are to offer a new way to pay as additional value for their top cars...

Wow money on the move, and no need to carry cash!! OMG amazing stuff.

Tis a real shame Barclaycard launched something called a credit card back in 1972... maybe someone better let the Germans know about this??

You know it makes sense fella; I wonder how many shopkeepers are going to pay thousands to change their equipment/buy additional equipment, to suit a select few BMW drivers?

Yeah you guessed it, very few. Ever get the feeling this will go the same way as Mondex??

You know some people keep their house key on their car key?

Well if i lost the key to my £80,000 Beemer, with the key to my £400,000 house attatched, and easy access to my £1m bank account....... id be pretty gutted.

no you'd be pretty stupid...