No, as of 2026, it is highly uncommon for a taxi in a major Spanish city like Madrid, Barcelona, or Seville to only take cash. In fact, in cities like Barcelona, it is a legal requirement for licensed taxis to provide a card terminal for passengers. Most "Radio Taxis" and official airport cabs accept all major credit cards, including Visa and Mastercard, as well as contactless payments like Apple Pay and Google Pay. However, if you are traveling in a small, rural village or taking a very short trip in a remote region, it is still a "best practice" to ask the driver "¿Se puede pagar con tarjeta?" (Can I pay with a card?) before you get in. Many Spanish taxi drivers actually prefer card payments now for safety and ease of accounting. If you are worried about payment friction, using apps like Free Now (the leading taxi app in Spain) or Uber allows you to hail an official taxi and have the fare charged automatically to your stored card, entirely eliminating the need for cash and providing a digital receipt for your records.