Most people know roughly the price of a cup of coffee, a pint, or a Big Mac before they order. The problem they have when calling or hailing a taxi, cab, or private hire, is that they don’t know what the exact cost will be before they get in touch. If they’re visitors, or new to the area, they won’t have a clue.
Will they have enough cash? Or will they have to hit the hole-in-the-wall? It makes life a lot easier for them if you accept cards.
If you don’t, someone else will; someone like Uber, or Lyft, or even a few of your old rivals.
Cards have overtaken cash as the UK’s most popular form of payment. In fact, 77% of total retail sales are now paid for by card and it’s estimated that by 2024,16 billion card transactions will be taken a year.
Whether you like it or not, cards are here to stay. More and more people have cards and are using them for everything ranging from a cup of coffee to an expensive coffee machine.
So, if you want more customers and perhaps a few juicy airport runs, start accepting cards. And, just in case you’re wondering, you can still receive tips when your passengers pay by card.
How to choose a card machine for a taxi
You’ll need a mobile card machine that accepts all major credit and debit cards including Visa, Mastercard and American Express. Ideally they should also accept contactless, Apple Pay and Android Pay – so you can get paid with a single touch.
That’s not all, there are other important features you should look for. This is what our mobile card machines offer:
- They come with built-in SIM card and strong GPRS connection, so you can take card payments anywhere in the UK.
- They work all day on a single charge and come with a power adaptor so you can charge up later at home, or in the office.
- They’re tough and durable, yet light and portable.
- They have an easy-to-read colour display.
- Simple to operate or navigate menus.
- They have large, easy-to-use keys.
- You can print paper receipts straight from your terminal with our inbuilt fast thermal printers.
- They enable independent connections for your terminal and landline, so you can take payments over the phone.
- The supervisor card lets you manage payments, including authorising refunds and running reconciliations.
- Naturally they enable you to accept all major credit and debit cards including Visa, Mastercard and American Express.
- Our card machines come with the latest technology, like contactless, Apple Pay and Android Pay – so you can get paid with a single touch.
- We’ll get it to you in as little as 3 days – that’s quicker than anyone else.
How to operate a card machine if you’re a taxi driver
It’s so easy. The machine works straight out of the box. All you have to do is switch it on and follow the on-screen instructions.
Here’s a step-by-step guide for non-contactless and contactless.
Non-contactless:
- The customer inserts their debit or credit card into the card machine.
- They then enter their 4-digit PIN code.
- The credit or debit card provider verifies that the customer’s card details are correct and sends an authorisation request to the customer’s bank.
- Once authorised, the payment is sent from the customer’s bank into your business bank account, which can take up to 3-5 days.
- Once their payment is complete, offer them the printed receipt.
Contactless:
- The customer touches the machine with their card.
- A beep or a green light shows as their payment is being processed.
- Once their Contactless payment is complete, offer them the printed receipt.
And when you get back home, or the office, use the supervisor card to run reconciliations and then plug your machine into its power adaptor and leave it to charge up.
That’s it.
How much will a card machine cost if you’re a taxi driver?
We set you up and don’t charge a penny. It’s our mission to help small businesses get paid for less. And no one else can get you a credit card terminal in as little as 3 days (yep, it’s really that quick).
The cost of your monthly rental fee will be based on your mobile card reader. Your card processing fees are charged per transaction and based on card types (debit and credit) and card turnover.
The higher your card turnover, the better your rate is likely to be. If this sounds complicated, don’t worry, we make your bill easy to understand.
But every business is different. So by telling us a few simple details, we can give you a more exact figure. We won’t keep you waiting; we’ll get you a free quote in minutes.
Is there a limit when using a card machine in a taxi?
There is no limit on non-contactless cards.
For contactless card payments, the limit is £45. However, to guarantee customers’ security, payments over £45 need authentication, either through using a password-protected mobile phone, or by entering a PIN.
Why choose Paymentsense?
We currently help over 70,000 businesses make a whopping £10 billion worth of card sales a year – in store, online, over the phone and on the move. So, if you’re new to card payments we can help you.
If you’re thinking of switching card provider, we’ll save you up to 40% on your current bill and can even pay up to £3,000 of your exit fees.
Plus, you’ll get 24/7 UK-based support and next day repair or replacement should anything go wrong.
We’ll send you a handy step-by-step guide showing you how to leave your current card machine provider and what you need to send us to claim your money back.
Not only can we give you the lowest rates out there, you’ll get both excellent customer service and peace of mind – that’s why we’re now Europe’s largest payment processor.
We’re quick too. We’ll get you up and running with a card machine in just 3 days (and online payments in only 24hrs).
Choose Paymentsense and you’ll hit the road running.