Card machines in Taxis

apache · 07-12-2020 2:26pm #1

Just wondering do many Taxis have card machines in them and if not why not?

Duckjob · 07-12-2020 3:06pm

apache wrote: »

Just wondering do many Taxis have card machines in them and if not why not?

Because if they have a card machine they can't look at you with cold dead eyes when you hand over €10 for your €8.20 fare and ask them if they've got change.

apache · 07-12-2020 3:13pm

If they had a card machine it would nearly make up for having to listen to their stories. Note to self - put earphones in.

vandriver · 07-12-2020 3:31pm

The simple answer is that they don't have to.

apache · 07-12-2020 3:37pm

vandriver wrote: »

The simple answer is that they don't have to.

Roughly what percentage would have them?

Amirani · 07-12-2020 4:49pm

I thought I read that the regulator were going to start mandating them. Not sure when that was planned for though.

G_R · 07-12-2020 4:51pm

I have noticed they have become a lot more common since Covid - people are less likely to have cash so rely on either a card machine or being able to pay by FreeNow or whatever

[Deleted User] · 07-12-2020 4:51pm

Amirani wrote: »

I thought I read that the regulator were going to start mandating them. Not sure when that was planned for though.

I remember hearing that, too.

To be honest, I haven't been in a taxi in years, but i rarely ever have cash on me, so it surprises me that aren't all taking card by now anyway.

D'Peoples Voice · 08-12-2020 9:44am

apache wrote: »

Just wondering do many Taxis have card machines in them and if not why not?

While it must be in the best interest of drivers to minimise the amount of cash in a taxi at any one time, I'm sure it doesn't help that the rental cost of card machines from financial institutions(merchant acquirers) is crazy expensive (in relative terms). :rolleyes:

I assume many drivers would be better going for cheaper options such as SumUp or other credit card readers .

But, if a taxi driver took out one of these credit card readers - not having seen them in widespread use, i would immediately think something dodgy going on, and I'm sure i wouldn't be the only one:o

Maybe an education campaign around credit card readers is needed! Though the financial institutions wouldn't be happy losing the business, and we do own some of these financial insttitutions

[Deleted User] · 08-12-2020 9:49am

They used to be more common in taxis and a lot of them used to let you pay using Hailo back in the day (if you didn't use the app to order you could still pay using it). If I remember right a lot of drivers took them out when they weren't allowed pass on the transaction fees anymore.

kirving · 08-12-2020 9:53am

apache wrote: »

if not why not?

If I was guaranteed that I could use my card in a taxi, I'd be far more likely to flag one down myself rather than to use FreeNow.

I couldn't possibly suggest a reason why, in my experience at least, a significant proportion of taxi drivers don't use a form of payment processing easily traceble by Revenue.

apache · 08-12-2020 10:27am

Kevin Irving wrote: »

If I was guaranteed that I could use my card in a taxi, I'd be far more likely to flag one down myself rather than to use FreeNow.

I couldn't possibly suggest a reason why, in my experience at least, a significant proportion of taxi drivers don't use a form of payment processing easily traceble by Revenue.

Yes they don't have them for a reason. They always ask for cash which is a nuisance.

Ashleigh1986 · 08-12-2020 10:45am

A lot of TAXIDRIVERS have credit card machines but say they don't .
The don't want to have to pay the credit card company the % of their fare .
I find since covid the percentage of customer that wants to pay by card is increasing weekly .
It should be mandatory to have credit card facilities in your taxi .
The national transport authority are bringing that in .
As with a lot of businesses there are good and bad operators .
The taxi business has its fair share of bad ones , as with all businesses , the public should support the good ones .

GerardKeating · 08-12-2020 10:53am

Ashleigh1986 wrote: »

The don't want to have to pay the credit card company the % of their fare .

Or perhaps have revenue know how much they earn.

Thelonious Monk · 08-12-2020 11:53am

Well the 2 taxi drivers who are close friends of mine try and avoid them because it means revenue can keep better tabs on them. No taxi drivers declare their real earnings. They're f*cked this year because of COVID anyway so I sympathise a bit, but I was using a card machine in a cab in Hamburg in 2006, and still they wont take them here unless you've booked on an app. Ridiculous in this day and age.

dm2978 · 08-12-2020 1:56pm

A small regional company I work in has 12 vehicles all chip and pin enabled. Has been a huge advantage over competitors over the last 4 years since they were introduced. Percentage taken by card companies is minimal now compared to even 2 years ago. The National Transport Authority haven’t ruled out making them mandatory yet.

trellheim · 09-12-2020 12:31am

I seem to recall DAA saying they were going to make it a condition for an airport permit, to have a card machine. This was pre-COVID tho

strandroad · 09-12-2020 12:49am

trellheim wrote: »

I seem to recall DAA saying they were going to make it a condition for an airport permit, to have a card machine. This was pre-COVID tho

I agree it should be required. For a business traveller it's not convenient or recommended to use the company card in ATMs, you have leftover cash then to account for. I remember spending an hour there once waiting for a taxi with a card machine for that reason. Never used a taxi rank there again...

Strumms · 09-12-2020 1:39am

The taxi, taxi drivers and the industry a whole, exist to provide a public service... a service to the public...

Therefore there really should be a situation where the public are the first in mind to be facilitated...

Make them mandatory... the industry should not be of the ability to hold the public to ransom...

The public and regulator should however be of the ability to demand that the industry provide certain basic services to them... having card payment facilities should now be considered basic, a requirement.

Thelonious Monk · 09-12-2020 2:31pm

Yeah I mean if they can have card machines at farmers markets and the likes why can't taxis have them? Simply because they'd have to pay more tax and if they tried to make it mandatory the f*ckers would probably strike or block things, but I don't think the public would have any sympathy for them in this day and age.
When I was younger and stupider I used to use taxis a lot more, but now that I'm older and more boring I'll always make an effort to make the last bus or dart to get home instead of wasting money on taxis.

Amirani · 09-12-2020 2:38pm

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Yeah I mean if they can have card machines at farmers markets and the likes why can't taxis have them? Simply because they'd have to pay more tax and if they tried to make it mandatory the f*ckers would probably strike or block things, but I don't think the public would have any sympathy for them in this day and age.
When I was younger and stupider I used to use taxis a lot more, but now that I'm older and more boring I'll always make an effort to make the last bus or dart to get home instead of wasting money on taxis.

I'm increasingly surprised at the amount of places that take cards now. Farmers markets and the likes are a good example.

Since Covid, there's actually been a number of places I've been where I've thought would be unlikely to take card, only to arrive to pay and find that they don't take cash. The charges on the likes of SumUp etc. are miniscule now, there's really no excuse for taxis not to be using them.

vandriver · 09-12-2020 2:45pm

There was a proposal to make credit cards readers mandatory in all taxis,which was tied to a 4.5% fare increase.Due to Covid,neither happened.
Btw,since June the DAA have made it mandatory for all airport permit holders to have a card reader.
Also,if you are relying on the 'pay with freenow' feature to get in a Freenow branded taxi with no cash you will probably be disappointed,as Freenow have applied 15% commission where it used to be zero.

dartboardio · 09-12-2020 2:47pm

they should have them IMO, it's bad enough Ireland doesn't have much of an Uber presence.

Actually we are very behind, compared to other EU countries.

I arrived into Dublin airport last week and went to get the Expressway Bus Eireann bus back home, there was a ticket machine at the stop in zone 13, which had an option for paying by card. Tried to buy the ticket, card option wasn't working, the bus driver didn't take card either AND they weren't selling tickets online due to covid and not guaranteeing a seat or something ridiculous.

Rang bus eireann and the young girl on the phone just said 'eh can ya not just take out cash' my god hahaha how old fashioned...

anyway you get my point

Spook_ie · 10-12-2020 12:38am

It's a peculiarity of any service industry where you receive a service before you pay for it, unlike shop goods where the retailer just won't allow you to leave the premises with the unpaid goods, but people have already availed of things like taxis and restaurant meals and if the card is declined the service provider has very little come back.

Perhaps it's time for paying an estimated fare upfront with either cash or card and then settling the difference either way

G_R · 10-12-2020 12:21pm

Spook_ie wrote: »

It's a peculiarity of any service industry where you receive a service before you pay for it, unlike shop goods where the retailer just won't allow you to leave the premises with the unpaid goods, but people have already availed of things like taxis and restaurant meals and if the card is declined the service provider has very little come back.

Perhaps it's time for paying an estimated fare upfront with either cash or card and then settling the difference either way

You could surely have the same argument with cash. Get to where you're going, oh sorry, I actually don't have enough. Wheres the comeback there.

I think this is a non argument.

vandriver · 10-12-2020 12:30pm

G_R wrote: »

You could surely have the same argument with cash. Get to where you're going, oh sorry, I actually don't have enough. Wheres the comeback there.

I think this is a non argument.

If a person takes a taxi and is paying cash,then unless they are a scammer,will have the money.If I am going to pay by card,but I don't realise that there is no money in the account and the card is declined,then in too many cases the driver is left spending days chasing up a customer or just letting it go.

Spook_ie · 10-12-2020 1:50pm

G_R wrote: »

You could surely have the same argument with cash. Get to where you're going, oh sorry, I actually don't have enough. Wheres the comeback there.

I think this is a non argument.

Not really, I often ask if the customer has the cash to pay, most legit customers will check their wallet to see if they have enough, any scammers that I've fell to don't ever look in the wallet.

The comeback is that you need to get the Gardai to attend ( good luck with that on a Friday/Saturday night ) if you're not able to keep the non payer in the car while you deliver them to the Garda Station.

Again one of the problems with a mobile service industry, restraunts etc. tend to have built a local relationship with the local Gards.

trellheim · 10-12-2020 7:22pm

London Taxis have it mandated in the back of every black cab and its worked just fine. That's exactly what we need here

3d4life · 10-12-2020 7:43pm

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Yeah I mean if they can have card machines at farmers markets and the likes why can't taxis have them? Simply because they'd have to pay more tax and if they tried to make it mandatory the f*ckers would probably strike or block things, but I don't think the public would have any sympathy for them in this day and age....

Anyone reading your post would never imagine that there is an obligation to issue receipts.

"the f*ckers would" - Why the abusive term ? If you dont like them then dont use them. How would you like to be a graveyard shift driver obliged to cover every dodgy district of Dublin ?

Wishbone Ash · 10-12-2020 7:44pm

Ashleigh1986 wrote: »

...The taxi business has its fair share of bad ones , as with all businesses , the public should support the good ones .

How would the public know who is good and bad? It's not as if they have it on their sign. I thought I was obliged to take the first taxi in a rank?

(I'm a very infrequent taxi user so apologies if things have changed. I'd say it's 5 years since I sat in a taxi that I was paying for).

trellheim · 10-12-2020 7:48pm

I thought I was obliged to take the first taxi in a rank?

I thought that rule was gone, you can select any taxi you want I thought.

Card machines in Taxis

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