does taxi accept credit card at New York city?
 

My friends fom Europe will visit NY next year.They need to know if all taxi cabs accept credit card.Can somebody help?

I usually see a CC zapper in cabs nowadays although sometimes they're broken, but I'm not a frequent cab taker. Just ask before you get in.

No, they don't. Bring cash.

I paid with cc 2 weeks ago, so a universal answer "no they don't" isn't correct.

J62 is right, but from everything I hear, it's very "hit and miss".

Most cabs now have the cc machines, but they often don't work, or the driver's don't want to take cc because they forfeit some of their profit. It's mostly hit or miss. As nstevey says, ask before you get in.

The question was, do all cabs accept credit cards. That's why I answered no, they don't because not all do. Better to be prepared than not.

They are required to have one these days, though there are still a few remaining that don't have card swipers yet.

I take cabs fairly often and get a cab without the machine maybe 1/10th of the time, if that. The drivers aren't as cranky about paying with a card as they were at first when they were forced to retrofit their cabs with GPS and the CC swipers. I usually tip extra and say I am doing so when I pay with a card, which is almost always as it is a business expense and easier to track. The driver pays the cc fees, hence tipping extra.

I would assume the cab has a working cc machine, if it does not, the driver will pull over so that you can get cash at an ATM--it's not a big deal. I hail all the time assuming the cab will have have a cc swiper. When I say assume, I mean sometimes I have no cash on hand.

I travel all over this country, and Europe.

It doesn't matter what city I am in...I have learned the hard way to ALWAYS ASK BEFORE you get into the cab if they take credit cards.

For example - Las Vegas -NOPE. absolutely, positively nope. Learned the hard way - waited in line, 100 degrees outsie, 4 pieces of luggage, get to the front...no credit cards.

ATL - you can use a credit card, but taxis don't have a machine - you have to get it approved before you get in the taxi.

Most other places do have taxis that take credit cards, but simply ASK before you get in!

I got it.Ask before get in.Thank You all.I will send message to my friends.

As a life long Ny'er I do not like using credit cards in taxis or ATM's that are not in a bank. I am always afraid of some scam.

Am I the only paranoid fruitcake?

Aduchamp - no idea if you are a fruitcake, but you are certainly not alone in your wariness. For me, however, I will use a credit card anywhere - I monitor my transactions on-line very frequently and if there is fraud, the credit card company eats it, not me. Certainly there would be aggravation involved, but I have twice had to dispute charges and both times the credit card company dealt with it correctly and efficiently. (Disputed charges had nothing to do with taxis or ATMs - one was purchase of a defective item and the other was a double charge in error)

99% of taxis now accept credit cards, in my experience, and from what I've read it's just as safe as any other credit card transaction.

And most of the machines now "work." (They worked before, the drivers just didn't like them.)

It's been a quick progression, in my opinion. From no machines to reluctant use to acceptance/compliance.

I'd use the ATM in Duane Reade, but not in Joe Schmo Pizzeria.

This is coming from someone who coughed up the $4 ATM fee to get more money in a Vegas casino.

Some do - a lot don't. And even some with equipment often are "broken". Unless you're coming in from the airport cabs rides simply aren't that expensive that you need to use a CC. (Many rides are in the $10- $15 range - so less than $20 even with the 20% tip.)

Interesting article in the NY Times today.

"New York’s Cabbies Like Credit Cards? Go Figure"

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/ny...exprod=myyahoo

or

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/ny...ef=todayspaper

Re the article in the Times - initially cabbies objected to the requirement that they accept cc's. But there now is a consensus that they like them and encourage their use and they also note that tips are up when a cc is used - so they like that.
And - Adu - re scams - the article notes that in NY the customer swipes the credit card himself since it is in the back seat. Some other cities have it up front with the driver - not so good, maybe.

Back seat swipes are NOT available in all cabs. If it's a cab from a large fleet that's what it will have, But there are man cabs owns by individuals - and they often have the old-fashioned hand held slider in the front seat - then they have to turn in the receipts.

So - if you want to pay with a CC ask when you get in - don;t assume.

And the cabbies that like then are the ones with the automatic equipment - since when the price pops up it also gives choices for a tip - 15, 20 or 25% are offered as amount. They probably like it since it ups tips from those who are either thrifty or unaware.