CabCard

CabCard: An Evidence-Based Overview For Taxi Fleets And Drivers

CabCard provides card acceptance tailored to the UK taxi sector. This overview explains what CabCard offers for individual taxi drivers and fleets, how pricing works, what payout schedules and settlement timelines look like, and what to expect from integrations, support, and compliance.

What CabCard Offers

CabCard focuses on in-vehicle and remote card payments for taxis. The service combines hardware, software, payout infrastructure, and reporting that fit common taxi workflows.

In-Vehicle POS Terminals

• Pocket 4G terminal priced at £99 + VAT for individual drivers.

• Works standalone with no phone required.

• Includes a multi-network roaming SIM for connectivity.

• Accepts contactless, Chip & PIN, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and all major card schemes (Visa, Mastercard, American Express).

SoftPOS For Android (CabCard Go)

• CabCard Go turns an Android phone into a contactless acceptance device with no extra hardware.

• Designed for taking card and mobile wallet payments directly on the phone.

Payment Links For Remote/Advance Payments

• Create a secure payment link and send it by SMS, email, or QR.

• 3-D Secure is used for cardholder authentication.

• Online payments have a published rate grid similar to in-vehicle transactions, with details by card type.

Platform For Fleets

• Fleet operators get a real-time dashboard with analytics and driver-level activity.

• Automated driver payouts reduce back-office workload.

• Integrations with leading taxi dispatch platforms are available, and CabCard provides resources for developers to integrate payments into their own apps.

Pricing And Fees

CabCard publishes clear pricing for drivers and provides separate rate messaging for fleets.

POS Terminal Pricing For Drivers

• Terminal: £99 + VAT for the standalone Pocket 4G device.

• Processing rate for most transactions: 1.5% + 10p per transaction, with the site stating that 9 out of 10 transactions fall under this rate.

• Rate by card type (POS terminals):

  • UK & EEA Personal Visa/Mastercard: 1.5%

  • UK & EEA Business Visa/Mastercard: 1.5% debit / 2.5% credit

  • Non-EEA Visa/Mastercard: 2.5%

  • American Express worldwide: 2.5%

  • Authorisation fee: 10p applies to all transactions

Payment Links / Online Payments

• Processing rate for most online transactions: 1.5% + 10p per transaction, with a separate grid for card type.

• Rate by card type (online):

  • UK & EEA Personal Visa/Mastercard: 1.5%

  • UK & EEA Business Visa/Mastercard: 2.5%

  • Non-EEA Visa/Mastercard: 2.5%

  • Authorisation fee: 10p applies to all transactions

Payouts And Settlement

CabCard documents both funds availability and payout schedules.

When Funds Become Available

• Visa and Mastercard: typically within 3 business days after the transaction date.

• American Express: up to 4 business days after the transaction date.

Payout Schedule Options For Drivers

• Weekly payouts: typically Monday, no payout fee, and a £25 minimum payout amount.

• Daily payouts: Monday–Friday with a £0.50 fee per payout.

• Available funds are batched and paid out according to the chosen schedule.

• CabCard’s marketing pages also state drivers can choose weekly or daily payouts; knowledge-base articles provide the practical details above.

Reporting, Dashboards, And Support

• Driver dashboard: view transactions, available balance, and past or upcoming payouts from any device.

• Fleet dashboard: real-time fleet-wide transaction visibility plus analytics for monitoring and performance analysis.

• Support: CabCard states 24/7 UK-based support via phone, email, and web chat.

Integrations And Developer Options

CabCard provides both off-the-shelf integrations and a developer library.

• Dispatch integrations: CabCard says it works with existing tools and lists iCabbi, Autocab, and Cab9 as supported environments.

• Android developer library: a lightweight Bluetooth LE library that lets your app initiate transactions on CabCard terminals. Terminals communicate with CabCard’s services via their built-in SIM, so your app mainly starts the transaction and can fetch receipts.

• Firmware notes and example app: CabCard shares guidance on supported terminal firmware and offers sample code and an example application to speed up integration.

Compliance And Regulatory Posture

• FCA: CabCard Services (UK) Ltd is authorised by the UK Financial Conduct Authority as a Small Payment Institution, FRN 600388.

• Payment agent: CabCard Services (UK) Ltd acts as a payment agent of Transact Payments Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission as an Electronic Money Institution.

• PCI DSS: CabCard states that CabCard Services Ltd (within the group) is PCI DSS Level 1 Service Provider certified.

• Acquiring relationships: CabCard lists payment facilitator licences with Teya (with a UK services note from 1 January 2024), Finaro, Bambora, and American Express.

• Schemes and wallets: Acceptance of Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Apple Pay, and Google Pay is stated on product pages.

Use Cases And Fit

CabCard’s offering aligns to common configurations in the UK taxi market:

• Independent drivers who want a standalone terminal, clear published pricing, and flexible payout schedules.

• Fleets that need central visibility, automated driver payouts, and integrations with leading dispatch systems, with potential to structure who pays the processing fees and to spread hardware costs over time.

• Remote and advance bookings where payment links and 3-D Secure are appropriate, while still keeping in-vehicle payments available.

• Android-centric operations that prefer SoftPOS or want to integrate payments into a custom or existing Android driver app.

Conclusion

CabCard is a UK-focused card acceptance provider for the taxi industry with three main modalities: standalone POS terminals, Android SoftPOS, and payment links for remote transactions. Published pricing for drivers is transparent and centers on 1.5% + 10p for most domestic personal cards, with clear distinctions for business, non-EEA, and American Express transactions. Fleets get additional options, including low contract-based rates, automation, and dispatch integrations. Payouts can be configured weekly or daily, with detailed timelines and fees documented in CabCard’s knowledge base. Regulatory and PCI information is publicly stated, along with scheme and wallet acceptance.