How many times have you walked into a store only to find they don’t take card payments. You don’t have any cash on you so you simply take your custom elsewhere.

This situation is heightened when it comes to taxis and private hire companies.

In a competitive market – and with the use of physical cash consistently falling – would-be customers will simply brush off this inconvenience and hop into a taxi that does allow them to pay by card.

Repeat this scenario multiple times a day/week/month/year and the cost to the business suddenly starts to appear eye-watering.

However, giving customers the option of paying by card isn’t just a necessity in order to ensure business isn’t lost.

On the flipside, it’s an incredibly important and powerful way of boosting sales.

Here are four reasons why utilising card readers will help your taxi and/or private hire business increase its bottom line and enhance profitability.

 

More jobs

How often do your drivers find themselves losing valuable time and missing out on jobs through no fault of their own due to a painful payment process?

Customers searching for that £5 note they’re sure they have somewhere; looking for the change they’ve dropped on the back seat; drivers having to sift through for change in the dark…

All of this time adds up and inevitably result in missed opportunities. Contactless payment is instant and can have your drivers back on the road fulfilling jobs at the tap of a debit card.

 

Repeat business

Customers want to get to their destination stress-free and as quickly and efficiently as possible.

When a customer has a positive experience and has confidence that they will be able to complete payment hassle-free on card, they’ll come back to you time and again.

Why go through the motions of scoping out a taxi firm for a job or scanning the options on a taxi rank when they know what they’re getting from your business – a quick, reliable and efficient service where payment is an easy process.

 

Bigger jobs

We’ve all been there. We’re in a taxi home and have a certain amount of money on our person. We watch the meter like a hawk and when it gets to the amount we have on us we utter those familiar words ‘anywhere here is fine’.

Card readers remove these limitations. We know we have the cash on our card and can get taken exactly where we need to go.

Again, these additional £2/3/4 pounds quickly mount up over time and can make a big difference in terms of maximising money made on any given job.

 

Reputation

There’s an old saying along the lines of ‘there’s no better marketing than word of mouth’ – and it’s true.

The simple facts are that contactless payments are no longer a quirky or innovative luxury – they’re essential and expected modes of payment for customers.

Offering this service shows that you’re forward-thinking and a modern, 21^st century business which builds confidence and reputation – a business people are happy to recommend to their friends.

Conversely, people will talk about you if you’re not offering this service, and this can harm your credibility and image.

 

At iCabbi, we will supply your card readers for free (terms and conditions apply) and provide tools to ensure you are marketing the fact you offer contactless payment effectively.

Our expert support team will work with you to get your contactless strategy up and running quickly and, with the system synced to our best-in-class integrations, you can be sure that you’re powered by the very best software, backed by knowledgeable experts.

Get in touch today and let us help you boost your sales without delay.