Compare card payment options for taxi drivers and private hire drivers in the UK. We look at fees, reader price, ease of use and how quickly you can get paid.
Looking for other tools for your business? Explore more software and apps for taxi and private hire.
London Black Cab driver? Different rules apply to you. London taxis must use a TfL-approved card payment device fixed inside the passenger area. A normal handheld SumUp, Square or similar portable reader does not meet this requirement. Skip to the London Black Cab section.
London Black Cab driver?
Different rules apply to you.
London Black Cabs must have a TfL-approved card payment device fixed inside the passenger area. It must also be able to provide a printed receipt.
A normal handheld SumUp, Square or similar portable reader does not meet this requirement.
If you drive a London Black Cab, skip to the London Black Cab section below.
Quick answer
Best overall: SumUp
SumUp is our top choice for most private hire and taxi drivers who are allowed to use a portable reader. The fees are simple, the reader is cheap and there is no monthly fee on the standard plan.
Best taxi-specific option: CabCard
CabCard is made for taxi drivers. Its Pocket 4G reader works without a phone and includes its own mobile connection.
Best for flexibility: Square
Square is easy to set up, has a low-cost reader and charges one simple rate for normal card payments.
Important: rules can vary depending on where your taxi or private hire vehicle is licensed. Outside London, your local council is responsible for taxi and PHV licensing.
Best card readers for taxi drivers
We compared card readers for taxi and private hire drivers on fees, reader price, ease of use, customer feedback and UK rules.
| Option | Best for | Score | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| SumUp | Overall | 92/100 | 1.69% |
| CabCard | Taxi use | —* | 1.5% + 10p |
| Square | Flexibility | 86/100 | 1.75% |
CabCard is not scored because we could not find enough independent customer reviews. We still include it because it is made for taxi drivers and has clear UK pricing.
Prices and fees checked on 10 September 2026. Fees shown are the standard rates most relevant to ordinary UK card payments. Some cards and plans can cost more or less.
What will the reader cost?
SumUp Solo Lite
Standard price: £25 excluding VAT.
SumUp was offering it for £19 when we checked, but offers can change. The standard pay-as-you-go fee is 1.69% per in-person payment. There is no monthly fee on this plan.
CabCard Pocket 4G
£99 + VAT.
The usual rate is 1.5% + 10p per transaction for most card types. Some cards cost more. The reader has its own mobile connection and does not need your phone.
Square Reader
£19 + VAT.
The standard fee for an in-person payment is 1.75%. There is no long contract, and normal next-day bank transfers are included.
Which fee is cheaper?
For a normal personal UK or EEA Visa or Mastercard, the difference between SumUp and CabCard is quite simple.
Below about £53 per payment: SumUp is slightly cheaper.
Above about £53 per payment: CabCard’s 1.5% + 10p rate becomes slightly cheaper.
For example:
| Fare | SumUp | CabCard | Square |
|---|---|---|---|
| £10 | 17p | 25p | 18p |
| £20 | 34p | 40p | 35p |
| £50 | 85p | 85p | 88p |
| £60 | £1.01 | £1.00 | £1.05 |
These examples use the standard rates above and are rounded to the nearest penny. CabCard can charge more for some card types.
This is useful for taxi drivers because a lower percentage does not always mean a cheaper payment. CabCard also adds 10p to each transaction.
How we scored card payment options for taxi drivers
30% — Customer reviews
Are customers happy, and are there enough reviews to trust the score?
25% — Fit for taxi work
Is it practical to use in a taxi or private hire vehicle?
20% — UK and licence fit
Does it suit UK drivers and the rules that apply to them?
10% — Easy to use on the road
Can you take a payment quickly without making the passenger wait?
10% — Getting your money
How simple is it to see your payments and get the money into your account?
5% — Price and fees
How much does the reader cost, and how much do you pay on each fare?
Affiliate commissions do not affect our scores or rankings.
For London Black Cabs, TfL approval is essential. A cheap reader is not a suitable choice if it does not meet TfL’s rules.
SumUp — Best overall
Viaqo score: 92/100
SumUp is a simple choice for drivers who want to take card payments without paying a monthly fee.
The Solo Lite reader works with your smartphone.
Why we like it
- Simple fee — 1.69% on standard pay-as-you-go card payments.
- Low reader price — normal Solo Lite price is £25 excluding VAT.
- No monthly fee required — you only pay when you take a payment.
- Works with major cards and phone wallets — including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Apple Pay and Google Pay.
- Large review base — SumUp currently has about 4.2/5 from more than 56,000 Trustpilot reviews.
Things to know
However, you need your phone. Solo Lite connects to the SumUp app on your smartphone.
The cheapest price shown online may be an offer. The normal Solo Lite price is £25 excluding VAT, although SumUp sometimes discounts it.
It is not a replacement for a TfL-approved London Black Cab system.
Who should choose SumUp?
SumUp is a strong choice for a private hire driver or other taxi driver who wants a cheap, simple reader with one easy-to-understand fee.
Who may prefer something else?
CabCard may suit you better if you do not want to use your phone to take payments.
Square is also worth considering if you already use Square or prefer its other business tools.
CabCard — Best taxi-specific option
Viaqo score: Not scored
CabCard is different from SumUp and Square because it is built specifically for taxi drivers and fleets.
Its Pocket 4G reader works on its own. You do not need to connect it to your phone.
Why we like it
- Made for taxi drivers.
- Works without a smartphone.
- Built-in mobile connection — the Pocket 4G includes a SIM.
- Daily or weekly payments — you can choose how often CabCard sends your money.
- UK support 24/7.
- Clear standard pricing — £99 + VAT for the Pocket 4G and 1.5% + 10p for most transactions.
Things to know
However, the 10p fee matters on small fares. A 1.5% rate sounds cheaper than SumUp’s 1.69%, but CabCard adds 10p to each payment.
Some cards cost more. For example, some business cards, non-UK cards and American Express payments can be charged at 2.5%.
Independent reviews are limited. We found too little strong independent customer feedback to give CabCard a fair Viaqo score.
London Black Cab drivers need the separate approved setup. Do not assume the portable Pocket 4G reader on its own meets TfL rules. TfL’s approved list names a specific CabCard fixed card payment system.
Who should choose CabCard?
CabCard is worth considering if you want a card machine made specifically for taxi work and do not want to rely on your smartphone.
Who may prefer something else?
SumUp costs less to get started and is slightly cheaper on many smaller fares.
Square also has cheaper hardware.
Square — Best for flexibility
Viaqo score: 86/100
Square Reader is another simple portable option. It costs £19 + VAT and charges 1.75% for standard in-person payments.
Why we like it
- Low reader price — £19 + VAT.
- Simple 1.75% fee.
- No long contract.
- Next-day bank transfers are normally free.
- Accepts chip and PIN, contactless, Apple Pay and Google Pay.
- Good review base — Square UK currently has about 3.9/5 from more than 3,700 Trustpilot reviews.
Things to know
However, the standard fee is slightly higher than SumUp’s.
On a £20 payment, for example, Square costs about 35p and SumUp about 34p.
The Reader connects to another device, such as your phone.
A normal Square Reader does not meet the fixed-device rule for a London Black Cab.
Who should choose Square?
Square is worth considering if you want a cheap portable reader and simple pricing.
Who may prefer something else?
SumUp has a slightly lower standard payment fee and a much larger Trustpilot review base.
CabCard may be more convenient if you want a standalone taxi card machine that does not need a phone.
London Black Cab drivers
This section is deliberately separate.
Therefore, do not choose a normal portable reader based on the comparison above.
TfL requires every London taxi to have an approved card payment device fixed in the passenger compartment. The system must accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express and contactless payments, and it must be able to provide a printed receipt when requested.
Handheld card readers are specifically described by TfL as unapproved devices for this purpose.
TfL maintains a list of approved systems and installers. The latest list we checked includes systems from providers such as Cabvision, CabCard, Taxiworld, CMT and Viva Wallet.
Before buying or changing your Black Cab payment system, check TfL’s current approved list.
We do not rank London Black Cab payment systems yet because public prices and independent customer reviews are not strong enough across all providers for a fair comparison.
Do taxi drivers have to accept card payments?
It depends on where you work.
London Black Cabs: yes. TfL requires a working approved card and contactless payment system.
Outside London: your local council sets the licence conditions, so check the rules for the area that licensed your vehicle. GOV.UK confirms that taxi and PHV licensing outside London is handled by local councils.
Which card payment options for taxi drivers should you choose?
Choose SumUp if you want the simplest all-round option with low starting costs and no monthly fee.
Alternatively, consider CabCard if you want a taxi-specific reader that works without your phone.
Choose Square if you want a cheap reader and already like Square’s payment tools.
If you drive a London Black Cab, ignore this general ranking and choose only from TfL-approved fixed systems.
For most private hire drivers who simply want to accept cards in the vehicle, SumUp is where we would start.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best card payment options for taxi drivers?
SumUp is our top choice for most private hire and taxi drivers who are allowed to use a portable reader. It is cheap to start with, has no required monthly fee and charges 1.69% per standard payment.
Is SumUp or CabCard cheaper?
It depends on the size of the fare.
For common personal UK and EEA Visa or Mastercard payments, SumUp is slightly cheaper below roughly £53. However, CabCard becomes slightly cheaper above that because its percentage is lower, although it adds 10p to every payment.
Can a private hire driver use SumUp or Square?
Often, yes, but you should check your licence conditions.
Outside London, local councils can set conditions for taxi and private hire vehicles.
Can a London Black Cab driver use SumUp?
Not as a replacement for the required TfL-approved fixed card system.
TfL states that handheld readers do not meet its London taxi licensing requirement.
Do I need a separate card reader?
Not always.
Some services can take contactless payments directly on a suitable smartphone. For example, SumUp offers Tap to Pay, and CabCard offers a phone-based payment option on Android.
For a London Black Cab, however, you still need the approved fixed system required by TfL.
Can I add the card fee to the passenger’s fare?
Normally, no for a consumer debit or credit card.
UK rules generally prohibit businesses from adding an extra charge simply because a customer pays with a consumer debit or credit card.
Sources checked
- SumUp — UK reader prices and card payment fees.
- CabCard — taxi driver pricing, payment fees and payouts.
- Square — UK reader pricing and card payment fees.
- Trustpilot — customer reviews for SumUp and Square UK.
- TfL — London taxi card payment rules and approved systems.
- GOV.UK — taxi and private hire licensing outside London.
Last checked: 10 September 2026
Last updated: 10 September 2026