Best card machine for Gatwick taxi UK 2026
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For taxi and private-hire drivers running Gatwick Airport transfers from the North and South Terminal ranks, plus PCO drivers booked via hotel concierge, Airport Cars Gatwick, or corporate-account operators. Mix of leisure travellers (lower fare value, more debit-card) and business travellers (higher fare value, AMEX). Strong international tourist card use, especially on Saturdays and Sundays.
Based on MerchantHQ terminal reviews and our ranking methodology. Last reviewed 2026-05-12.
The ranking
1. Square Terminal
4.1 / 5Best Gatwick taxi terminal
All-in-one countertop terminal with receipt printer · 1.75% per transaction (UK) · No contract
Square Terminal at £149 with 1.75% rate and built-in thermal printer. Gatwick business travellers and corporate accounts expense their cab and need on-the-spot receipts. AMEX accepted at 2.5%.
2. SumUp Solo
4.2 / 5Best Gatwick rank dedicated reader
Portable terminal with built-in receipt printer (Solo Lite is no-printer) · 1.69% per transaction · No contract
SumUp Solo at £99 with 1.69%. Standalone 4G works at North and South Terminal ranks and on M23 / A23 corridors to Brighton, Crawley and South London.
3. Revolut Card Reader
3.7 / 5Best for tourist-heavy Gatwick driver
Compact Bluetooth-paired reader · 0.8% to 1.0% per transaction (depending on subscription tier) · Subscription-tier dependent (Revolut Business plan)
Revolut Card Reader at £49 with 0.8% UK / 1.3% non-UK rate. Cheapest UK rate. Strong international card handling for the tourist-heavy Gatwick weekend share.
Quick comparison
Headline rate, hardware cost, contract and form factor at a glance.
| Rank | Terminal | Rate | Hardware | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Square Terminal | 1.75% per transaction (UK) | £149 to £199 | No contract |
| #2 | SumUp Solo | 1.69% per transaction | £99 to £149 hardware | No contract |
| #3 | Revolut Card Reader | 0.8% to 1.0% per transaction (depending on subscription tier) | £49 hardware | Subscription-tier dependent (Revolut Business plan) |
FAQs
Do Gatwick rank cabs have to accept card payment?
Gatwick Airport-licensed taxi operators on the official rank are contractually required to accept card under their rank-access agreement with the airport. PHV booked via hotel concierge or corporate account is not contractually required but commercially essential given the customer mix.
What is the Gatwick taxi airport-departure supplement?
Currently £5.40 in 2026 for Gatwick North and South Terminal departures (set by the airport, separate from the metered fare). Driver collects it as part of the total card payment; same no-surcharge-for-card rule applies.
How do Gatwick taxi drivers handle international tourist card declines?
Most declines are the tourist's home bank flagging international use, not the cab's acquirer rejecting. Suggest the tourist try their backup card, use Apple Pay or Google Pay (different fraud rules apply via tokenisation), or visit a Gatwick ATM if all cards fail.
How we rank
Rankings are built by desk research from each provider's published rates, upfront costs, contract lengths and settlement terms, held in a dated record per terminal (last-reviewed date shown on this page) and re-checked when published pricing changes. We do not hands-on test every device; specs are taken from provider documentation and cited. No provider pays for inclusion or position. MerchantHQ is an introducer: acquirers, including some brands ranked here, pay us commission on completed introductions. Commission never affects a ranking. See our methodology and how we are funded.
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Reviewed by Oliver Mackman, Director, Best Business Loans Ltd. Last reviewed: 2026-05-12.