Best card machine for London black cab UK 2026

For London Hackney carriage (black cab) drivers. TfL Conditions of Fitness Section 24 has mandated card acceptance on every metered black cab since October 2016: Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, contactless, Apple Pay, Google Pay, no surcharging, card-machine visible to the passenger. Applies to Knowledge-holders on green badge (all-London) and yellow badge (suburban sector). This guide covers the four most-deployed setups on the 2026 London black cab fleet.

The ranking

1. SumUp Solo

4.2 / 5

Best London black cab reader (most deployed)

Portable terminal with built-in receipt printer (Solo Lite is no-printer) · 1.69% per transaction · No contract

SumUp Solo at £99 with 1.69% rate is the single most-deployed dedicated reader on the 2026 London black cab fleet. Standalone 4G works in the Blackwall Tunnel, Rotherhithe Tunnel, the M25 western tunnel and central-London signal blackspots. TfL-compliant: passenger-visible mount, AMEX accepted, no surcharging.

2. Tap to Pay on iPhone (no terminal)

4.2 / 5

Best zero-hardware London black cab setup

iPhone XS or later running iOS 16.4+, no separate terminal · Same as the underlying acquirer · Same as the underlying acquirer

Tap to Pay on iPhone is TfL-compliant via SumUp, Square, Zettle or Stripe and is the cheapest setup with zero hardware to fit. Apple Pay, Google Pay and contactless to £100, chip-and-PIN fallback above. Best for new Knowledge-holders keeping setup costs near zero in year one.

3. Verifone V200c / V400m

3.5 / 5

Best meter-integrated black cab terminal

V200c countertop with built-in printer; V400m portable handheld with printer · Acquirer-dependent; blended or interchange-plus negotiated per merchant · Typically 12 to 48 months via the acquirer

Verifone V200c (Cabvision / Taxi+Aid setup) integrates directly with the TX4, TX5 and LEVC TX electric taxi meter. Receipt prints with the metered fare automatically. Higher upfront cost and per-transaction fees but the standard among long-tenured Mount Pleasant and Wandle Knowledge cabs.

4. Square Terminal

4.1 / 5

Best London airport-run black cab

All-in-one countertop terminal with receipt printer · 1.75% per transaction (UK) · No contract

Square Terminal at £149 with 1.75% rate and built-in thermal printer. Heathrow, City Airport and Gatwick business travellers expense their cab and need a printed receipt on the spot. Printed beats emailed for premium business-traveller experience.

Quick comparison

Headline rate, hardware cost, contract and form factor at a glance.

Rank	Terminal	Rate	Hardware	Contract
#1	SumUp Solo	1.69% per transaction	£99 to £149 hardware	No contract
#2	Tap to Pay on iPhone (no terminal)	Same as the underlying acquirer	£0 hardware (you already have the iPhone)	Same as the underlying acquirer
#3	Verifone V200c / V400m	Acquirer-dependent; blended or interchange-plus negotiated per merchant	Almost always rented via the acquirer; £15 to £25 per terminal per month is typical	Typically 12 to 48 months via the acquirer
#4	Square Terminal	1.75% per transaction (UK)	£149 to £199	No contract

FAQs

What is the best card machine for a London black cab driver?

SumUp Solo at £99 with 1.69% rate is the most-deployed dedicated reader on the 2026 London black cab fleet. Tap to Pay on iPhone wins on zero hardware. Verifone V200c (Cabvision) wins for meter-integrated receipt printing. Square Terminal wins for airport runs needing on-the-spot printed receipts.

What does TfL require from a London black cab card machine?

TfL Conditions of Fitness Section 24: card-machine must be visible to the passenger, accept Visa, Mastercard, AMEX and contactless, support chip-and-PIN above the £100 contactless cap, and not surcharge the metered fare. Any modern UK card-machine (SumUp Solo, Square Terminal, Tide, Revolut, Tap to Pay on iPhone, Verifone V200c) meets the spec.

Can a London black cab driver charge a card fee?

No. UK card surcharging on consumer transactions has been illegal since January 2018 and TfL Conditions of Fitness explicitly prohibit any "extra charge" for card payment on metered fares. Adding a card fee is a licensing offence and risks suspension by TfL Taxi and Private Hire (TPH).

Do green badge and yellow badge London cabs need different card machines?

No. Same TfL Conditions of Fitness apply to both green badge (all-London Knowledge) and yellow badge (suburban sector). Same hardware list, same acquirer rates. Yellow-badge drivers may take fewer airport runs so the case for a printer-equipped Square Terminal is weaker.

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Named UK account team for the life of the agreement. Acquirer pays our commission on completed introductions, so it costs you nothing on top.

24/7 dedicated support
Direct line to a named UK account manager, not a generic acquirer helpline. When your terminal goes down on a Saturday night you call us.
Quarterly rate reviews
As your card volume grows your rate should drop. We renegotiate against the 80+ UK acquirer panel every quarter, so you never overpay because you forgot to ask.
Chargeback and dispute help
UK chargebacks cost £15 to £35 per case and 60-80% are friendly fraud you can win with the right evidence. We draft the response and escalate where the acquirer drags its feet.
Switching support when you outgrow
If a better acquirer fit emerges as you grow we manage the cutover. No exit-fee surprises, no dual-running gap. Same account team across acquirers.

How we work, end to end →

Methodology

Rankings are based on direct hands-on testing, published rates, settlement timing, contract terms, and acquirer reliability. We do not accept payment for ranking position. See our full methodology and editorial policy.

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Reviewed by Oliver Mackman, Director. Last reviewed: 2026-05-12.