Best card machine for London black cab UK 2026
Compare the UK shortlist below, then get matched quotes from the acquirers most likely to approve you and beat your current pricing.
For London Hackney carriage (black cab) drivers. TfL's card-payment rules for licensed taxis has mandated card acceptance on every metered black cab since October 2016: Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, contactless, Apple Pay, Google Pay, no surcharging, card-machine visible to the passenger. Applies to Knowledge-holders on green badge (all-London) and yellow badge (suburban sector). This guide covers four common setups for London black cab drivers.
Based on MerchantHQ terminal reviews and our ranking methodology.
The ranking
Ranked on fit for this use case. The score beside each pick is that terminal's overall review score across all uses, so a lower-scored terminal can rank higher here when it suits this job better. The rate, hardware and contract lines come from the same terminal data as the comparison table below.
1. SumUp Solo
Review score 4.2 / 5Best London black cab reader
Portable standalone touchscreen terminal (no built-in printer; Solo Lite is the cheaper phone-paired version) · 1.69% per transaction · No contract
SumUp Solo at £79 + VAT with 1.69% rate is a common dedicated reader choice for London black cab drivers. Its own 4G SIM means it does not rely on tethering to the driver's phone. TfL-compliant: passenger-visible mount, AMEX accepted, no surcharging.
2. Tap to Pay on iPhone (no terminal)
Review score 4.2 / 5Best zero-hardware London black cab setup
Software on an iPhone Xs or later, no separate terminal · Set by the provider you use it with; see that provider's own pricing page · No fixed term for the feature itself; any contract is with your provider
Tap to Pay on iPhone is TfL-compliant via SumUp, Square, Zettle or Stripe and is the cheapest setup with zero hardware to fit. Apple Pay, Google Pay and contactless to £100, chip-and-PIN fallback above. Best for new Knowledge-holders keeping setup costs near zero in year one.
3. Verifone V200c / V400m
Review score 3.5 / 5Best meter-integrated black cab terminal
V200c countertop with built-in printer; V400m portable handheld with printer · Acquirer-dependent; blended or interchange-plus negotiated per merchant · Not published; often 12 to 48 months via the acquirer (our estimate)
Verifone V200c (Cabvision / Taxi+Aid setup) integrates directly with the TX4, TX5 and LEVC TX electric taxi meter. Receipt prints with the metered fare automatically. Higher upfront cost and per-transaction fees but the standard among long-tenured Mount Pleasant and Wandle Knowledge cabs.
4. Square Terminal
Review score 4.1 / 5Best London airport-run black cab
All-in-one countertop terminal with receipt printer · 1.75% per transaction (UK) · No contract
Square Terminal at £149 + VAT with 1.75% rate and built-in thermal printer. Heathrow, City Airport and Gatwick business travellers expense their cab and need a printed receipt on the spot. Printed beats emailed for premium business-traveller experience.
Quick comparison
Headline rate, hardware cost, contract and form factor at a glance.
| Rank | Terminal | Rate | Hardware | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | SumUp Solo | 1.69% per transaction | £79 + VAT list price (SumUp often discounts it) | No contract |
| #2 | Tap to Pay on iPhone (no terminal) | Set by the provider you use it with; see that provider's own pricing page | £0 hardware (you already have the iPhone) | No fixed term for the feature itself; any contract is with your provider |
| #3 | Verifone V200c / V400m | Acquirer-dependent; blended or interchange-plus negotiated per merchant | Usually rented through the acquirer; the price is set by the acquirer (not published) | Not published; often 12 to 48 months via the acquirer (our estimate) |
| #4 | Square Terminal | 1.75% per transaction (UK) | £149 + VAT | No contract |
FAQs
What is the best card machine for a London black cab driver?
SumUp Solo at £79 + VAT with 1.69% rate is a common dedicated reader choice for London black cab drivers. Tap to Pay on iPhone wins on zero hardware. Verifone V200c (Cabvision) wins for meter-integrated receipt printing. Square Terminal wins for airport runs needing on-the-spot printed receipts.
What does TfL require from a London black cab card machine?
TfL's card-payment rules for licensed taxis: card-machine must be visible to the passenger, accept Visa, Mastercard, AMEX and contactless, support chip-and-PIN above the £100 contactless cap, and not surcharge the metered fare. Any modern UK card-machine (SumUp Solo, Square Terminal, Tide, Revolut, Tap to Pay on iPhone, Verifone V200c) meets the spec.
Can a London black cab driver charge a card fee?
No. UK card surcharging on consumer transactions has been illegal since January 2018 and TfL's card-payment rules for licensed taxis prohibit any "extra charge" for card payment on metered fares. Adding a card fee is a licensing offence and risks suspension by TfL Taxi and Private Hire (TPH).
Do green badge and yellow badge London cabs need different card machines?
No. The same TfL card-payment rules apply to both green badge (all-London Knowledge) and yellow badge (suburban sector). Same hardware list, same acquirer rates. Yellow-badge drivers may take fewer airport runs so the case for a printer-equipped Square Terminal is weaker.
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. Quote enquiries go to one card-payments broker, Merchant Advice Service, which pays us a fee for each introduction; acquirers do not pay us commission on quote enquiries. That fee never affects a ranking. See our methodology and how we are funded.
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