A simple moment of frustration while taking his pregnant wife to the doctor has evolved into a revolutionary in-car payment system now operating at over 32,000 fueling stations in India, with plans for global expansion, according to Sheeva.AI’s founder in a recent interview about the company’s journey and partnership with Visa.
The SheevaConnect™ platform, which enables drivers to pay for services directly through their vehicle’s dashboard, combines patented geolocation technology accurate to within two meters with extensive mapping of service points worldwide. The system currently facilitates payments for fuel, parking, EV charging, and tolls, with plans to expand into retail and digital services.
“My car already knows where I am. Why can’t it pay for parking itself?” the founder recalled thinking during that pivotal moment, which led to the development of a system that now allows drivers to complete transactions with a single tap on their in-car screen.
The company’s partnership with Visa Acceptance Solutions has been crucial to its success, utilizing Cybersource’s Token Management Service to handle:
- Multi-processor connections without separate integrations
- Network token management across all payment types
- Secure and frictionless transactions globally
For service providers, the platform offers significant advantages:
- Seamless integration with existing IT infrastructure
- Enhanced customer relationship management
- Improved payment approval rates
- Better understanding of customer behavior
The system has shown particular promise in India, where it has expanded beyond fuel payments to include car wash services. The company reports strong driver adoption of in-car payments, with plans to expand to “millions more service points around the world in the nearest future.”
The platform’s success stems from its focus on essential vehicle-related purchases. “When you’re behind the wheel of a car, fuel, parking, and tolls aren’t ‘nice to haves’—they’re things you have to buy. We wanted to make those purchases faster, easier and safer,” the founder explained.
Security remains a priority, with card details protected in Visa’s data vaults and automatic updates for expired or replaced cards. The system also provides automatic loyalty rewards and discounts for users of Sheeva.AI-enabled services.
