Do taxis in Germany take card?
Passengers can pay taxi fares either in cash or by debit and credit card. Please note that taxi drivers are not obligated to accept all types of cards, so it's best to carry some cash. When making a cashless payment, passengers may be asked to provide some form of identification.
You can see that a taxi is free when its sign is lit up. Prices are slightly higher at night and on weekends. Most taxis in Frankfurt accept the payment of the fare by credit card. MyTaxi and Taxi.eu are 2 apps you can use to hail a taxi in Frankfurt.
Yes, today, most taxis are set up to accept card payments – whether via taxi apps or a mobile card machine. Both options mean that passengers can enjoy quick and convenient payment for a fare without having to handle cash. However, not all taxis are set up to accept card payments.
The cost of a taxi in Germany
Tariffs may vary in different countries and cities. The cost of the initial trip is from 2.8 to 4.5 euros. The average price per kilometer in Germany is 2 euros. The most expensive taxi in Düsseldorf and Dortmund.
European cab drivers still prefer cash, but many have started taking credit cards. London, for example, now requires all its official "black cabs" to accept credit cards. For convenience, you can't beat a smartphone app: Uber, Blacklane, MyTaxi, and Hailo all use credit cards exclusively.
Debit cards and major credit cards (American Express, Visa, Mastercard) may often also be used, but smaller shops and cafés might only accept cash payments. Therefore, visitors should always have some euro bills and coins on hand.
Tipping taxi drivers in Germany is considered a generous and courteous thing to do. Feel free to add 5-10%, depending on the level of service. Alternatively, you might choose to round up the cost of your trip to the nearest euro or tell the driver to keep the change.
Immediate payment: Cash payments provide immediate payment to the driver without any delay or potential chargebacks, unlike card payments which may be subject to processing times and potential chargebacks.
Unlike the retail sector, in the taxi industry (and to a lesser degree for private hire) there has been a history of charging the customer a surcharge for accepting payment by credit cards. This surcharge is sometimes called a processing or transaction charge and usually ranges between 5 to 12.5% of the fare.
All taxi drivers must accept card and contactless payments via the approved TfL fixed card payment device located in the passenger compartment and provide printed receipts for those payments upon request.
Do I tip taxi in Germany?
Tipping cab drivers is unusual, but appreciated, especially if they help you with your luggage or provide you with useful info about getting around in that particular place. In Germany just round the fare to the next whole Euro. Feel free to tip up to an additional 5% if they are extra helpful, they will appreciate it.
All taxi drivers should accept payment with cash and by debit- or credit card.
In Germany, to hail a taxi, you can simply stick your hand out like you would in many other countries. It's not necessary to raise your hand in a specific manner. If you're concerned about any potential misunderstanding, you could also look for designated taxi stands or use a taxi-hailing app to avoid any confusion.
- Free Now. One of the best taxi apps in Germany is Free Now. ...
- Taxi.EU. The Taxi.EU app is another great choice for travelers in Germany. ...
- Uber. Uber is one of the best taxi apps in Germany for several reasons.
Most take cards, but not all do - sometimes the machine is "broken", meaning the driver prefers to deal in cash. Most "swipe" cards will work, but there's always a chance they they might not. If you can bring about 100 EU, to be on the safe side, that's what I'd recommend.
Getting a taxi in Germany
You can hail one in the street, from a taxi rank, or call a local taxi company. Nowadays, many also have apps - see below.
Resist the urge to buy foreign currency before your trip.
Some tourists feel like they just have to have euros or British pounds in their pockets when they step off the airplane, but they pay the price in bad stateside exchange rates. Wait until you arrive to withdraw money.
In Germany, American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard, and Visa are commonly accepted, with the latter two cards predominating. Beware of hidden credit-card fees while traveling. Check with your credit or debit card issuer to see what fees, if any, will be charged for overseas transactions.
In Germany, tipping is a voluntary act with which one can express one's satisfaction with a service. It is customary to tip in restaurants, hotels, cabs, at cloakrooms and at the hairdresser. The amount depends on the price of the service and the occasion.
Most people tip in restaurants, but it's okay if you don't. The waiter won't be rude to you if you don't tip. German waiters don't need tips to survive, but it's a big part of their income.
Is it OK not to tip a taxi driver?
In the event of poor service, it may be best to speak to the manager and then skip the tip or leave a low tip. Tipping depends on the quality of the service provided by the driver. Since taxi drivers have low incomes, giving them tips will boost their income, which will make them very grateful to you.
Hotels. At hotels in Germany, tipping is not mandatory, but it is generally expected, especially if you are staying somewhere upscale. If the doorman helps you with your bags or hails you a cab, you can tip €1. Porters and bellhops should receive between €1 and €3 per bag.
With cash payments, there is always the risk of lost or stolen cash, and the added costs of counting, depositing, and reconciling cash. Card payments, on the other hand, are more secure, and the funds are deposited directly into the taxi company's bank account.
Taxi drivers are generally allowed to ask for payment upfront. One of the main reasons for this is to protect them from potential fare evasion and to ensure they are compensated for their services. Fare evasion, where passengers refuse to pay for their journey, is unfortunately a common issue for taxi drivers.
Some contestants are randomly picked as they walk along the sidewalk, while others are selected in advance. Even so, those picked in advance are told that the cab is supposed to take them to the show on which they will appear.
References
- https://www.hamburg.com/getting-around/11874926/taxi-services/
- https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/taxis-and-private-hire/accepting-card-payments
- https://n26.com/en-eu/blog/tipping-in-germany
- https://visitukraine.today/blog/2216/how-to-order-a-taxi-in-germany-numbers-apps-cost-features-and-rules-of-trips
- https://www.frommers.com/destinations/germany/planning-a-trip/money
- https://www.takepayments.com/blog/product-information/how-to-take-card-payments-in-a-taxi/
- https://retailgurus.co.uk/news/card-payments-in-taxis/
- https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/articles/easy-riders-taxis-and-ridesharing-in-europe
- https://clocktowercarsuk.com/tip-cab-drivers-in-uk/
- https://www.iamexpat.de/expat-info/transportation/taxis-germany
- https://www.taxi-point.co.uk/post/trade-question-when-can-taxi-drivers-ask-for-payment-upfront
- https://allaboutberlin.com/guides/tipping
- https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/money/cash-tips
- https://www.quora.com/If-I-want-to-call-for-a-taxi-in-the-streets-of-Germany-should-I-raise-my-hand-I-dont-want-them-to-think-that-I-m-doing-the-Sieg-Heil-salute
- https://www.expatrio.com/blog/2022-05/10-best-travel-apps-germany-2022
- https://www.hotels.com/go/germany/frankfurt-travel-kit
- https://www.berlin.de/en/tourism/travel-information/1758234-2862820-tipping.en.html
- https://www.visitberlin.de/en/money-currency
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cash_Cab_(American_game_show)
- https://www.tripmasters.com/tipping_in_germany/cms?cms=5763
- https://www.tripsavvy.com/tipping-at-restaurants-in-germany-1329085
- https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187147-i14-k8084824-Do_most_taxis_take_credit_cards-Paris_Ile_de_France.html
- https://www.taxi-point.co.uk/post/top-3-reasons-why-do-taxi-drivers-prefer-cash-over-card-payment
- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/importance-card-payments-taxi-industry-tom-rowlandson