Gone are the days when a taxi meant scrambling for cash. Today you can pay by card, contactless, phone or account, and with a fixed price you know the cost before you travel. Here is a quick guide to how taxi payments work now, and why fixed pricing makes the whole thing simpler whatever method you prefer.
- Most journeys can be paid by card, contactless or phone, no need to carry cash.
- A fixed price agreed in advance means you know the cost before you travel, however you pay.
- Accounts and WhatsApp options suit regular travellers and businesses who'd rather not pay per trip.
What payment options are there now?
Modern private hire is flexible: pay by card or contactless in the car, settle online or over WhatsApp, or, for regular travellers, run an account and pay monthly. Cash is still accepted, but rarely necessary. The point is that you can pay however suits you, without hunting for notes at the end of a journey.
Why does a fixed price simplify payment?
With a fixed price agreed in advance, there is no meter total to settle and no surprise to budget for, you know the cost when you book. That makes paying a formality whatever your method, and removes the awkwardness of working out a meter fare and a tip at the kerb. See our fixed-price comparison.
Paying for someone else's journey
Cashless payment makes it easy to arrange and pay for a journey on someone else's behalf, a relative's hospital trip, a guest's airport transfer, a child's ride home, without handing over cash. You can book and settle remotely, which is reassuring for family arranging travel for others. See our note on less-mobile passengers.
Accounts for regular and business travel
For anyone travelling regularly, or any business, an account removes payment from each journey entirely, travel is logged and settled on one monthly invoice. It is the simplest option of all for frequent trips, with no card or cash needed in the car and no per-trip admin.