MasterCard formed a global partnership with m-commerce provider P97 for making purchases at petrol stations, in the wake of a similar deal between Visa and Chevron.

The partnership will combine MasterCard’s mobile payments capability with P97’s PetroZone m-commerce platform, which is integrated with existing gas station infrastructure.

It will enable fuel companies to offer innovative apps for consumers to search for, and navigate to, the nearest petrol station, and then make a purchase using their mobile phone. The aim is also to make personalised offers to consumers to encourage in-store purchases.

“We know that when a consumer pulls up to the pump, they are not thinking about making a payment. They just want to get what they need and go as fast as possible,” said Felix Marx, executive vice president of Mobile Transaction Solutions at MasterCard.

“This is one way that we’re helping our customers create safer and richer experiences to deliver exactly that,” he added.