Best card machine for London night 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 London black cab and PCO drivers working the night shift: 10pm to 6am pickups from West End theatres, Soho clubs, Shoreditch and Mayfair venues, hotel late-arrival transfers, and overnight airport runs. Higher-value fares (West End tariff 2 and 3 surcharges apply), strong AMEX share from corporate-card holders, more contactless under £100 (lighter wallets after a night out).
Based on MerchantHQ terminal reviews and our ranking methodology. Last reviewed 2026-05-12.
The ranking
1. SumUp Solo
4.2 / 5Best London night-shift taxi 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. Most-deployed reader on the night shift. Standalone 4G works in club-district signal blackspots (Soho basement Wi-Fi, Mayfair concrete-floor venues). Long battery for full 8-hour overnight shifts.
2. Tap to Pay on iPhone (no terminal)
4.2 / 5Best lightweight night setup
iPhone XS or later running iOS 16.4+, no separate terminal · Matches your chosen acquirer (about 1.69% to 1.75%) · No fixed term
Tap to Pay on iPhone is zero hardware so nothing extra to charge between shifts. TfL-compliant. Best for PCO drivers doing the late-Wheely / late-Addison Lee share where most fares settle in-app anyway.
3. Square Terminal
4.1 / 5Best for night airport runs
All-in-one countertop terminal with receipt printer · 1.75% per transaction (UK) · No contract
Square Terminal at £149 with built-in printer for night airport transfers (red-eye Heathrow, late-arrival City Airport). Business travellers booking overnight transfers want on-the-spot receipt at drop-off.
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 | £99 to £149 hardware | No contract |
| #2 | Tap to Pay on iPhone (no terminal) | Matches your chosen acquirer (about 1.69% to 1.75%) | £0 hardware (you already have the iPhone) | No fixed term |
| #3 | Square Terminal | 1.75% per transaction (UK) | £149 to £199 | No contract |
FAQs
Are London taxi fares higher at night?
Yes. TfL tariff 2 applies 10pm to 6am weekdays (£3.20 starting fare and per-yard rates ~10% higher than tariff 1). Tariff 3 applies 10pm Friday to 6am Sunday and on bank holidays (~15% higher than tariff 1). Same no-surcharge-for-card rule applies regardless of tariff.
Do night-shift drivers see more contactless under £100?
Yes, by a wide margin. Q1 2026 TfL data: 71% of metered fares on tariff 1 (daytime) were contactless under £100; 84% on tariff 2 (weekday night) and tariff 3 (weekend night). Drivers in West End / Soho / Shoreditch should optimise for low-friction tap, not chip-and-PIN.
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.