Fight back against anti-credit card cab drivers

[radiocolin]

On New Year’s Eve my girlfriend and I were refused service by a taxi driver who claimed he could not take credit cards until Monday. PPA Taxi and Limousine regulations say that a cab driver who cannot take credit cards cannot operate his cab.

First offense is a $100 fine. Second offense is a $250 fine. Third offense is a $500 fine and a 7 to 60 day license suspension.

If a cab driver tries to tell you his credit card machine isn’t working, or refuses to drive you if you aren’t paying cash, report them to the PPA. Get the P number from the sticker in the cab, the rear of the cab, or the medallion on the hood. Then email taxicomplaint@philapark.org or call 215-683-9440.

If enough people start reporting cab drivers who try to refuse credit cards and get them fined, maybe the problem will go away.

[mrpeanut]

I always solved this problem by just not telling them until I was at my destination. Rarely they give you a hard time for that and try to say that their machine is broke, but once you calmly tell them that you have no cash so its the card or nothing they all start to magically work.

[desolate]

On New Year’s Eve my girlfriend and I were refused service by a taxi driver who claimed he could not take credit cards until Monday. PPA Taxi and Limousine regulations say that a cab driver who cannot take credit cards cannot operate his cab.

First offense is a $100 fine. Second offense is a $250 fine. Third offense is a $500 fine and a 7 to 60 day license suspension.

If a cab driver tries to tell you his credit card machine isn’t working, or refuses to drive you if you aren’t paying cash, report them to the PPA. Get the P number from the sticker in the cab, the rear of the cab, or the medallion on the hood. Then email taxicomplaint@philapark.org or call 215-683-9440.

If enough people start reporting cab drivers who try to refuse credit cards and get them fined, maybe the problem will go away.

Now have some pity for the cabbies.


Imagine if yo were paid when Mastercard's processor felt like paying you.

They cabbies aren't against it without reason.


Also, my cash rates are higher to pay for your credit card use.

Just like my pizza and gas are more to pay for your convenience.

[radiocolin]

Now have some pity for the cabbies.

Imagine if yo were paid when Mastercard's processor felt like paying you.

They cabbies aren't against it without reason.

I'd have some pity for the cabbies if they weren't lying jackasses about it.

After I got out of the cab and the next guy got in, he called him on his lie too. Which resulted in the two of them standing outside the cab screaming at each other, 2 seconds from a punch being thrown. Real class act (on both parts).

Don't tell me your credit card machine isn't going to work until tomorrow, because I bet if I'd said I had cash then said I didn't when I got there, the machine would magically work.

It's an issue between them and the PPA/Mastercard, not the riders.

The law says I can use a credit/debit card or you can't take fares. Don't try pulling bull****.

[eldondre]

I always solved this problem by just not telling them until I was at my destination. Rarely they give you a hard time for that and try to say that their machine is broke, but once you calmly tell them that you have no cash so its the card or nothing they all start to magically work.

bingo.

desolate-worse, they are forced to use PPA approved service providers. after reading about how the business is regulated, it's amazing anyone even wants to be in it. it's also a despicable sop to the banks that cash discounts are illegal.

[raider.adam]

bingo.

desolate-worse, they are forced to use PPA approved service providers. after reading about how the business is regulated, it's amazing anyone even wants to be in it. it's also a despicable sop to the banks that cash discounts are illegal.

Are they illegal or just negotiated in the merchant contract?

[climbergirl]

Usually as soon as I say "you're not allowed to do that" or "I don't have cash, so I'll get another cab," their machine starts to work.

I did have an incident a couple of years ago where the cab driver said that he'd only take cash and when I said that he couldn't do that, he started yelling at me and telling me to get out of his cab. I said that I'd get out as soon as I wrote down his information so that I could report him, at which time he got out, threw open my door, and threatened to drag me out of the cab. In hindsight, I should have called the police, but I was so scared at that point that I took a quick camera-phone picture and got out (and then the picture was too blurry to report him).

It was the night that the Phillies won the world series (and no, I was not rowdy or intoxicated), but at that point, cabs were scarce, and buses were nonexistent. I tried for about 30 minutes to find another cab, after which I ended up walking 2 miles home at 1am by myself.

[desolate]

Are they illegal or just negotiated in the merchant contract?

All Credit Card agreements make you asses the card user fee to all parties.

So, when I pay cash i'm subsidizing others credit card use.


Yeah the cabs are lying *******s..


but when you pay with a credit card.


they never know when they will see that money.


So again, imagine if your boss paid you whenever they felt like it.

[desolate]

Usually as soon as I say "you're not allowed to do that" or "I don't have cash, so I'll get another cab," their machine starts to work.

I did have an incident a couple of years ago where the cab driver said that he'd only take cash and when I said that he couldn't do that, he started yelling at me and telling me to get out of his cab. I said that I'd get out as soon as I wrote down his information so that I could report him, at which time he got out, threw open my door, and threatened to drag me out of the cab. In hindsight, I should have called the police, but I was so scared at that point that I took a quick camera-phone picture and got out (and then the picture was too blurry to report him).

It was the night that the Phillies won the world series (and no, I was not rowdy or intoxicated), but at that point, cabs were scarce, and buses were nonexistent. I tried for about 30 minutes to find another cab, after which I ended up walking 2 miles home at 1am by myself.

They freak because you aren't a paying fare.

Since they might not see your fare for months.

You were just a crying person who wouldn't get out of thier cab.

Not a paying fare.

[radiocolin]

Yeah the cabs are lying *******s..
but when you pay with a credit card.
they never know when they will see that money.
So again, imagine if your boss paid you whenever they felt like it.

Then I would take it up with my boss, not with my clients. At 1 am when I just want to get home is not the time to fight an ideological battle against credit cards, or to be a dick about it, or to lie to me, or to break the law to make some kind of statement.

I'm somewhat sympathetic to that plight, and when I can I try to tip in cash (and tell them that ahead of time so they shut up) so they at least have gas money or whatever they may need that night. But I'm not going to deal with them trying to tell me they "can't" take cards when they know damn well they have to.

[climbergirl]

How was I not a paying fare? He says this to me the minute I get in the cab, before we move an inch. I protested for the simple reason that it is illegal to deny credit card users - whether or not I actually have/intend to use cash. Every other time before and since that I've protested, the driver may grumble or complain, but they've never resorted to threats of physical violence.

[desolate]

Then I would take it up with my boss, not with my clients. At 1 am when I just want to get home is not the time to fight an ideological battle against credit cards, or to be a dick about it, or to lie to me, or to break the law to make some kind of statement.

I'm somewhat sympathetic to that plight, and when I can I try to tip in cash (and tell them that ahead of time so they shut up) so they at least have gas money or whatever they may need that night. But I'm not going to deal with them trying to tell me they "can't" take cards when they know damn well they have to.

They tried to take it up with thier boss.

again and again and again.

PHILADELPHIA - March 21, 2007 -- Philadelphia taxi drivers will take their credit card protest to 30th Street Station this morning.

Tuesday, scores of drivers spent the morning at Philadelphia International Airportwith their cabs in park.

They're angry over being forced to accept credit cards for fares and paying a 5% fee for the service of taking credit cards.

The Philadelphia Parking Authority says the credit card policy protects cabbies from robbers; If cabbies aren't getting paid in cash, robbers have no reason to target them.


But if they don't work they don't eat.


and if they do work and get a credit card user.... they are working but may NEVER know when they will eat.


I'm not saying they aren't lying to you. They are. On purpose.


Because from thier standpoint, you're asking for a free ride.

[desolate]

How was I not a paying fare? He says this to me the minute I get in the cab, before we move an inch. I protested for the simple reason that it is illegal to deny credit card users - whether or not I actually have/intend to use cash. Every other time before and since that I've protested, the driver may grumble or complain, but they've never resorted to threats of physical violence.

Becuase he isn't being paid for your ride anytime soon.

It's worth throwing you out of the car at risk to losing his medallion.

You are getting a free ride out of him until Mastercard's processorr for the PPA does the batch report and then send the check to the PPA to redistri..

do you understand how credit cards work... not just like in commericals but in actual paying the vendor?

[ArcticSplash]

So again, imagine if your boss paid you whenever they felt like it.

This is BS. The card payment processors clear on a cycle, and it's a very regular clockwork cycle. I've worked with these companies in the past. They all pay on a regular cycle. Some will do remittance batches daily, others weekly. It means the cabbies have to wait until Friday (usually, unless they use different reimbursement dates at PPA), for their credit card authorizations to batch and redeem. This is no different than a regular paycheck.

If Mr. Cabbie needs to go to the racetrack today and needs the cash---well of course he's gonna be mad because the assh___ can't budget his money.


What cabbies are really upset about are chargebacks. That's the top reason why they hate it---if someone feels they were gouged, one phone call to your credit card company reverses the charge and they scoop it out of the remittance deposit to the cabbie. Then the cabbie has to fight your bank, which is a losing battle.

[radiocolin]

I'm not saying they aren't lying to you. They are. On purpose.

Because from thier standpoint, you're asking for a free ride.

Tough **** for them. The law is the law - you want to drive a cab, you accept credit cards. You don't take cards, you don't take fares.

When they get it changed, fine. Until then, they take my card or I report them to the PPA. Now instead of getting $8 a month from now they lose $100.

[climbergirl]

Yes, I understand how credit cards work.

And I understand that they get paid when the charge is processed, but as Mayfair mentioned, it's not weeks or months; it's a matter of days-a couple of weeks. Everyone else out there gets a paycheck on a weekly or bi-weekly or monthly basis. And if they're not willing to abide by these regulations, then they shouldn't be cab drivers.

[Brian616]

Sometimes, it pays to get out of front of the issue. I have sympathy for the cabbies, so I'm always upfront: "Listen, I can either pay full fare with a credit card, or give you the $10 in cash that I have." If the fare won't be too much more than my cash in hand, the driver usually accepts it.

[ACG]

Is there something different from the way a cab company gets paid when a customer uses a credit card then say a movie theater or clothing store or restaurant when their customer uses a credit card? Places I have worked, there is an end of day settlement, it is sent electronically, and then the money was in our account.

[raider.adam]

Sometimes I wonder if it would be better if the PPA just regulated that taxi cabs had to accept credit cards and leave it to the individual cab companies to work it out and pick their own vendor.

[MisterT]

I bet that most cabbies get better tips on credit transactions too, if they can wait to get their money. The machine defaults to a 20% tip unless you manually change it, and most people I know, including myself, don't tip 20% when paying in cash.