Best card machine for Taxis and private hire
The best card machine for a UK taxi or private-hire driver in 2026 is Tap to Pay on iPhone (zero hardware, choose any supported acquirer) or SumUp Solo with the free 4G SIM. Typical UK taxi card volume is £8 to £35 per trip with around 75% contactless. No-contract pay-as-you-go acquirers fit the seasonal late-night and weekend volume; the fixed-fee Dojo and Tyl contracts only make sense for fleet operators above £15k monthly volume.
Our pick
Tap to Pay on iPhone or compact Bluetooth reader
Acquirer: SumUp or Square
Tap to Pay or compact Bluetooth reader fits the mobile-cab use case. No-contract acquirers fit the seasonal volume.
Why this trade matters
- Cashflow shape
- Late-night and weekend peaks. Big-event surges. Fleet operators have steadier flow.
- Average transaction
- £8 to £35
- Contactless share
- ~75%
Watch outs
- Tipping support varies.
- Some fleet apps tie to specific acquirers.
- Receipt-printing requirements where local council mandates.
Alternatives
Taxis and private hire by location
Locations we cover for Taxis and private hire.
- Leicester
- Southall (Ealing)
- Wembley (Brent)
- Harrow
- Birmingham (Handsworth and Soho Road)
- Smethwick (Sandwell)
- Slough
- Coventry (Foleshill and Stoney Stanton)
- East Ham (Newham)
- Manchester (Cheetham Hill and Rusholme)
- Leeds (Harehills and Chapeltown)
- Wolverhampton (Bilston Road and Whitmore Reans)
- Tooting (Wandsworth)
- Bradford
- Forest Gate (Newham)
- Hounslow
Related on our sister sites
Need finance for your Taxis and private hire business?
Card flow is the security on which most Taxis and private hire businesses borrow. See our sister site BestBusinessLoans by sector for editorial reviews of UK lenders that fund Taxis and private hire.
Director, MerchantHQ
Oliver leads MerchantHQ's terminal testing and acquirer comparison. With a background in UK commercial finance and merchant payments, he oversees terminal reviews, switching guidance and high-risk vertical mapping.
Last reviewed: 26 April 2026