JLaw725

Anyone know if the taxi's in NYC are taking credit cards yet? I was last there in Jan and it was supposed to start in March. I always hate taking extra cash just for the airport taxi runs.

ShopAround

Every cab I've been in the past few months has had a credit card machine.

adamak

Ask the cab drivers before you get in. Some of the machines were broken and some cab drivers hate to use it.

dchristiva

Same here.

fredpeckville

Yep every one I have seen has had them. Definitely ask first though. I've had cab drivers "not know how to use them" Perhaps it is for a different reason? Also if you're making multiple stops. IE airport - hotel - times square work it out first. Last time I did that for some reason that made it require cash. ??

nerd

Cabbies will still give you a lot of bullsh!t about why you can't use the machine, since it takes them longer to get paid, and they prefer cash now: "I can't operate it now b/c I'm about to go off-duty," "I've already put the maximum on it today," and the like.

Keep that in mind.

asnovici

They do the same BS excuses in Philly. Can one report them to the authorities?

soitgoes

Of course.
New York City: http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/pas...omplaint.shtml
Philadelphia: http://www.philapark.org/tl2/taxi_limos_regs.html

Indeed, NYC has mandated credit card acceptance as of this year (rolling out equipment by September):
http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/pas...editcard.shtml

JLaw725

Thanks for the tips. If they say they can't use it, I'll just pull out a $10 bill and say then this is what I have for LGA to mid-town.

lerasp

i generally try to pay cash (both in philly and in nyc), but i never ask before I get in. At the end of the trip, if I need to pay with CC and if the driver gives me BS, I just tell him I will not pay for the trip since NYC taxis can't go on duty without operating CC machine. So, if his CC machine really is not working, he shouldn't have gone on duty that day and gotten it fixed. EVERY time I've suggested that, all of a sudden "well, for you i can try to see if it works" and MIRACLE it works!
if it didn't, i wouldn't feel bad walking out. they can't call police on you since they'll get hit for not accepting CC.
but honestly, i really try to use cash and have only had to do this a few times. I do the same when they refuse change from $20 (stated clearly in back of cab that driver has to be able give change from $20)

soitgoes

Not quite true, for two reasons.
1) The entire fleet hasn't been equipped yet. (Though the vast majority has.) It is easy to tell the difference between an equipped and unequipped cab due to the touchscreen in the back of equipped cabs, however.
2) "Drivers are permitted to work with a broken system for up to 48 hours as long as they have reported the problem and are awaiting repair. Almost all (90%) system repairs must be completed within six hours."
http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/pas...editcard.shtml

lerasp

hm. thanks for correction. perhaps i shouldn't be so harsh on them. regarding your first point - i always did mean that the taxis that do accept CCs in the first place. there are still some that don't and it's easy to tell them apart.

MarqFlyer

If they think it's a pain getting paid by CC, they should see what trying to get cash out of me will do to their tip.

$10 fare? Fine, here's your $10....

Ocn Vw 1K

Let's also get some input from our readers and experts on our Travel-New York City forum. Please follow it there. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, TravelBuzz.

Skyman65

Do the NYC cabs charge an extra fee for using the card?

On a recent trip to Vegas, I got in a CC-equipped cab and decided to pay by credit card. When the total came up, there was a $2.50 fee added to the bill. I asked the driver, and he said they charge that for credit card transactions. It was called a "connection fee" or something like that.