Double-parked, hazard lights on — now your terminal has ten seconds.
In a taxi, payment happens where no checkout counter stands: at the curb, in moving traffic, at the end of a long shift. The terminal has to connect instantly over cellular, let the passenger out in seconds, and — with several vehicles — roll up cleanly into one statement. Which providers can do that, and at what rates, is what we compare for you: free and independent.
What makes the difference in your business
At the destination, the modem decides — and the battery
The passenger wants out; traffic keeps moving. A taxi terminal needs its own cellular modem instead of a hotspot tether to a phone, and it has to be ready to take payment straight out of standby. Just as critical is continuous operation: a full shift is the endurance test for any battery. Look for runtime under continuous use and a charging mount on the vehicle’s power supply — so the device is just as fast at 4 a.m. as at 2 p.m.
Card acceptance is mandatory in many cities — not a courtesy
In several cities, Hamburg among them, taxis are required to offer cashless payment. That obligation doesn’t end with buying a device: it demands that it works — every ride, at night too, on weekends too. So what matters is how a provider handles failures: replacement device, response time, reachable support. This is exactly where offers often differ more sharply than on price.
In a taxi, tipping means rounding up — with a card too
With card payment, rounding up needs its own function on the terminal, or it silently disappears, ride after ride. And it needs clean separation: a voluntary tip from a passenger to an employed driver stays tax-free — if the owner collects it themselves, it’s business income. A good terminal therefore itemizes tips separately and assigns them to the driver’s shift, not to daily revenue.
Three cars, six drivers, one statement
Settling each terminal separately turns three vehicles into three separate headaches. Good providers consolidate the fleet in one portal: revenue per vehicle and shift, driver login at shift change, one consolidated statement for the tax advisor. And rates should grow with the fleet — whoever registers a fourth vehicle shouldn’t be paying the starter tariff for it.
Currency conversion right on the terminal (DCC) earns a commission — and annoys international passengers who see the worse exchange rate on the receipt. On airport runs especially, this one terminal setting is part of the service — and helps decide the tip.
What your card payments really cost is in your monthly statement. Send it to us — per vehicle, if you like — and we’ll show you which providers fit your fleet: free, independent, no strings attached.
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