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Are London taxis cashless?

Taxi drivers are also required to display stickers showing they do, in fact, accept contactless and card payments in their vehicles. Therefore, if you're wondering do London taxis take credit cards and do black cabs take cards, the short and quick answer is “yes”.



Yes, as of 2026, all official London "Black Cabs" are legally required to accept cashless payments. This regulation was implemented by Transport for London (TfL) to ensure that passengers have a consistent and modern payment experience. Every licensed taxi must be equipped with a functional, card-industry-approved merchant terminal that accepts all major credit and debit cards, including Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. These terminals also support contactless payments via mobile devices, such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. The payment terminal is typically located in the passenger compartment, allowing for a secure and private transaction. While drivers are required to accept cards, they still accept cash if the passenger prefers it. If a driver’s card machine is broken, they are technically not supposed to be working or must inform the passenger before the journey begins. For travelers, this means you can land at Heathrow or walk out of a Soho restaurant without needing to find an ATM, as the iconic London cab has fully embraced the digital economy while maintaining its traditional charm.

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All taxi drivers must accept card and contactless payments via the approved TfL fixed card payment device located in the passenger compartment and provide printed receipts for those payments upon request. Handheld payment devices do not meet the licensing requirements and are regarded as unapproved devices.

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All taxi drivers must accept card and contactless payments via the approved TfL fixed card payment device located in the passenger compartment and provide printed receipts for those payments upon request. Handheld payment devices do not meet the licensing requirements and are regarded as unapproved devices.

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All taxi drivers must accept card and contactless payments via the approved TfL fixed card payment device located in the passenger compartment and provide printed receipts for those payments upon request. Handheld payment devices do not meet the licensing requirements and are regarded as unapproved devices.

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Is a driver allowed to refuse to let a passenger use his/her credit/debit card? No. Drivers are required to accept American Express, MasterCard, VISA and Discover (and some will accept the JCB Card) for all fares. The driver must accept credit/debit cards for any fare amount.

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Why do taxi drivers only take cash? Immediate payment: Cash payments provide immediate payment to the driver without any delay or potential chargebacks, unlike card payments which may be subject to processing times and potential chargebacks.

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Tipping taxi drivers It is polite to tip 10 to 15% of the taxi fare for black cabs and licensed minicabs in London. However, most people simply round up the fare to the nearest £1 and tell the driver to keep the change.

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In London it is a condition of a taxi driver's licence that payment must be accepted by debit or credit card, using a device approved by TfL, located in the passenger compartment of the cab. Any driver who claims he cannot accept cards is driving an unfit cab.

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For each trip you take in a cab with your taxicard, you will have to pay the first £1.50. The council will then pay up to £10.30. If the trip costs more than the total of these amounts - £11.80 - you will have to pay the extra. In other words, you will have to pay anything over £11.80, plus another £1.50.

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London Black Taxis +44 (0)20 3984 4515.

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Do I need to bring cash to the UK? It's a good idea to have small amounts of cash to hand. You may need coins or notes when parking, or require some for tipping. When paying for small items it can also be simpler to hand over a few coins than a card or a banknote.

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A taxi driver is obliged to accept passengers which fall within the taxi authorized area and are within 6 miles of the origination of the fare. A taxi driver can refuse a fare if the passenger looks drunk, sick or aggressive.

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A hackney or hackney carriage (also called a cab, black cab, hack or London taxi) is a carriage or car for hire. A hackney of a more expensive or high class was called a remise.

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Taxi drivers can ask passengers to pay their fare at any point during a journey – even before the ride has begun. The biggest reason for this is to stop passengers leaving without paying or refusing to pay the full fare for a journey which, to be clear, is theft.

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Tipping is appreciated but not always appropriate in London. There are some situations where it is customary, for example in restaurants.

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Unlike some countries you do not have to tip in the UK. However, there are some unsaid social rules about leaving a tip. For example, if you take a taxi it is normal practice to round up the fare to the nearest pound.

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Most drivers pay for the privilege of driving an agency cab. Your tips are all they make in salary. 15-20%. And if you're thinking of not tipping that much, please don't take a cab.

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If you're taking one of the famous black cabs, it's customary to tip. If you're traveling by minicab or Uber, things are slightly different. So, how much would I add to the fare in a London taxi? The general consensus is that you add about 10% to the fare when using London's famous Hackney cabs.

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Restrictions and Requirements
  • complete a driving skills assessment.
  • have a full UK or EU driving licence, held for at least 12 months, or 3 years if working in London.
  • pass background checks.
  • pass a medical check.
  • be over 18 but over 21 in some areas, including London.


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