Not all cards are equal. American Express? Sometimes. Visa? Basically always. Mastercard? Yes, but prepare for a tiny delay. The machine might take a deep breath before processing.
Here’s a weird fact: some cabs have a minimum spend for card payments. It’s illegal under that 2016 law, but drivers try it anyway. If your fare is just £4, they might whine. Stand your ground. You have the right to tap.
Do Taxis Take Cash or Cards? A Complete Taxi Payment Guide
And what about contactless? You bet. Tap your phone, your watch, your ring—if you’re that person. Just don’t be surprised if the machine asks for a signature on a receipt that looks like it was printed in 1998. Retro chic.
The Uber Effect: Why This Matters
Before 2016, black cabs were cash-only fortresses. You needed coins. You needed notes. You needed a tiny calculator to figure out the fare. It was chaos.
Then Uber arrived. Uber was all card-friendly and app-based. London’s cabbies panicked. They realized: “If we don’t take plastic, we’re extinct.” So the law changed. And now, your lovely black cab is a mobile banking terminal.
But don’t assume all cabs are the same. Private hire cars (like minicabs) are different. They usually take cards, but always ask first. And never, ever hail a random minicab off the street. That’s a bad movie scene waiting to happen.
