Best card machine for London City Airport taxi 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 black cab and PCO-licensed private-hire drivers running London City Airport transfers. London City is the business-traveller airport: BA City Flyer, KLM Cityhopper, Lufthansa CityLine. Customer mix is overwhelmingly suit-and-tie corporate, AMEX-heavy, expense-receipt-driven. Short transfer distances (£30 to £60 typical to Canary Wharf, the City, Shoreditch, West End).
Based on MerchantHQ terminal reviews and our ranking methodology. Last reviewed 2026-05-12.
The ranking
1. Square Terminal
4.1 / 5Best London City Airport 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. London City Airport corporate customers need on-the-spot receipts more than any other London location. AMEX at 2.5%, contactless to £100, chip-and-PIN fallback.
2. Stripe Reader S700
4.0 / 5Best for executive City Airport chauffeur
Touchscreen handheld smart terminal (no built-in printer; external receipt printer via the optional dock or USB) · Custom (Stripe pricing) · Stripe terms
Stripe Reader S700 at £229 with Stripe Checkout. Best for executive chauffeur companies billing corporate clients monthly plus accepting card in-vehicle for upgrades.
3. SumUp Solo
4.2 / 5Best City Airport rank black cab 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% rate for black cabs working the City Airport rank. TfL-compliant for London Hackney carriage. Pair with emailed receipt for the increasingly common emailed-expense workflow.
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 | Stripe Reader S700 | Custom (Stripe pricing) | £229 | Stripe terms |
| #3 | SumUp Solo | 1.69% per transaction | £99 to £149 hardware | No contract |
FAQs
Why is London City Airport different from Heathrow for taxi drivers?
London City is exclusively business-traveller (no leisure routes, no budget airlines). Corporate AMEX use is the highest of any UK airport. Average fare is shorter (£30 to £60 vs £75 to £170 at Heathrow) so per-transaction printed-receipt experience is more important than absolute fare value.
Do London City Airport rank cabs need to accept AMEX?
Yes, all of them. London City Airport rank is overwhelmingly AMEX-using corporate customers and TfL Conditions of Fitness Section 24 mandates AMEX acceptance on every London Hackney carriage anyway. Refusing AMEX is a licensing offence.
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.