Accepting cashless payment in your taxi

Did you hear that cashless payment options in taxis will soon be mandatory? The Irish National Transit Authority will require all taxi and small public service vehicles to provide their customers the option to pay by card. 

The good news is that cashless payment is a great step for your business, required or not. Read on to learn what the law says and how a card reader can help your business.

The new regulations

As of 1st September 2022, these new rules go into effect. The Irish government has declared a series of regulations governing the presence and use of cashless payment devices in taxis and other similar vehicles. In a nutshell, every driver will need to have a cashless payment device available for customers to use if they wish. 

“Cashless payment” is defined as a payment made via credit card, debit card, contactless payment, mobile wallet (such as Apple or Google Pay), or other method accepted by the EU. And a “cashless payment device” means a physical terminal or card reader that is able to process payments by using either NFC (near-field communication) or chip-and-PIN technology. 

Whenever a driver makes a journey, they must have a functioning cashless payment device ready, and they must accept cashless payment as a means of payment. Drivers are not permitted to record the payment information or other personal details of customers. 

Why accept cashless payment?

It may sound like an inconvenience, as a card machine is one more thing to buy and maintain. But this regulation shouldn’t be feared, because offering customers card and cashless payment options is a great way to expand your business. Here are just a few of the potential benefits.

Convenience

Card and contactless payments are easier, no matter if you’re a consumer or a business. Instead of dealing with bills and finding exact change – or waiting to get your change back – you can just tap or insert your card into the reader. The amount paid and the amount charged are always the same. 

As a taxi driver, accepting cashless payment is more convenient because there’s less to keep track of. You don’t have to count your bills and change or organise your money – it’s all sent to your account automatically. 

Security

Accepting payment primarily in cash means you need to store it somewhere. This incurs a certain risk of loss or theft, with no simple way to be reimbursed. 

On the other hand, modern card readers are highly secure. Double-encrypted transactions and security protocols like PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) make sure payment information is safe. And your card data is never stored during a transaction, so thieves can’t steal your information if they do manage to intercept a payment Security standards are also continually changing and improving to keep pace with new fraud tactics. More advanced encryption and biometric data protection are just two of the innovations keeping your money safe. 

Speed

Cashless payments aren’t just more convenient than the alternative, they’re often faster. Not relying on physical cash is quicker for consumers since they don’t need to visit an ATM to top up and can pay at most readers in seconds. 

Owning a card reader also makes things faster for merchants. If you accept cash only, you need to visit a bank branch every time you want to transfer that money into your account. If you accept card and other electronic payments, your money automatically goes to your account. There are no extra steps. 

Versatility

When you accept cashless payment, it opens up a wide range of options. Not only can customers use major credit and debit cards, but depending on the reader, you can offer your customers payment via Apple Pay, Google Pay, and contactless payment. .

Offering as many payment options as possible is key to opening your services to more customers. Letting people pay the way they want is also important for improving customer satisfaction. 

Easier accounting

Cashless payments make keeping track of your money easier. You won’t have to spend your time counting out all your bills and change, or finding every receipt. All your sales data and records are logged automatically whenever you process transactions, and your finances are updated in real time. 

Clearly, cashless payments have many benefits and can transform your business. Now the question is, how can you start accepting cashless payments? 

Finding a card reader

The most effective way to start moving away from cash is to get a card reader. Today’s card machines are lightweight and designed to be taken with you wherever you need to go. To that end, they’ll be small enough to hold in your hand and able to reach the internet, meaning you can get paid even if, like a taxi driver, your business is on the move. 

Want to get started today? Then check out the range of SumUp card readers available to you. In addition to being fully mobile, all our readers are affordable, with no hidden fees or binding contracts to sign. There’s a card reader available for businesses of all budgets and sizes, and you’ll only ever pay a small fixed fee per transaction to use it. 

All our card readers can accept payments from credit and debit cards, contactless payments, and mobile wallet apps like Apple Pay and Google Pay. 

SumUp Air

First on the list is the Air card reader, our most affordable model. Available alone or with the Cradle charging station, it processes payments by connecting to the free SumUp app on your smartphone via Bluetooth. 

All your customers have to do is insert or tap their card on the reader, and the transaction completes in seconds. You can tack all your sales on our app, and you’ll get your money the next day if you’re using our Business Account. 

SumUp Solo

The newest addition to our roster, Solo represents the next generation of card readers. Designed based on years of merchant feedback and constantly receiving automatic software updates, Solo comes equipped with a built-in 3G SIM card and Wi-Fi connectivity, so you can use it without any other devices. 

The simple yet versatile touchscreen interface gives you a lot of options. It’s easy for customers to enter their PIN or use a contactless card to pay, but they can also tip you right from the device, and you can view sales information on the screen as well. 

SumUp 3G and printer

With the 3G card reader and printer, you can offer paper receipts to your customers on the spot. You always have the option to email customers receipts no matter which reader you’re using, but sometimes, people prefer a physical record of their purchase. 

That’s where the 3G and printer duo offers something no other SumUp reader can. And, like Solo, the 3G comes with a SIM card and can connect to Wi-Fi, so you can use it without a smartphone or other device. 

The printer also works as a charging station, so wherever you are and however long you’re selling, you don’t have to worry about your card reader running out of battery.  

Getting started accepting card and cashless payments is as easy as clicking a button. Once you’ve signed up to SumUp and selected your reader, we’ll ship it to you for free.

Whether it’s the Air, Solo, or 3G and printer, it doesn’t take more than a few minutes to set up your card reader and start selling. 

Summary

There are many benefits to accepting cashless payments – speed, convenience, customer satisfaction – and it’s very easy to start. Especially for a taxi driver, whose business requires mobility at all times, a card reader is an essential tool that makes sure you can comply with these new regulations and benefit from accommodating multiple payment options. 

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