Paper Receipts: Providing Reassurance to Black Cab Users

Recent research conducted by MasterCard within the UK revealed that, on average, consumers carry less than £5 in cash about their person.

This highlights the growing popularity of card transactions within Britain, and the declining use of cash. Furthermore, the UK Cards Association reported that between August 2015 and August 2016, there was a 192.8 per cent increase in the use of contactless payments across the nation.

No doubt boosted by Transport for London’s licensing requirement for all black cabs to be fitted with a fixed card payment device, the taxi industry in our capital has seen an exponential growth in the use of card and contactless transactions to pay for taxi fares within the last few years.

This rise in popularity for contactless payments by card or smart device reflects the consumer’s expectation for flexibility and convenience in all aspects of their journey. Ensuring they have the requisite cash to pay for the trip, or having to find an ATM to take out money, are inconveniences that do not suit the modern, ultra-connected world and new age consumer spending habits. Londoners and visitors to the capital alike have without doubt positively received the universal acceptance of card payments in black cabs.

Whilst the ability to make card payments has been welcomed, a survey by YouGov shows that 81 per cent of respondents are still concerned about the security of transactions on mobile payment systems.

The ability to provide a printed receipt, by way of an on-board printer, can help to allay these security fears when it comes to the black cab industry. Able Systems offer a wide range of compact thermal printers, such as the Ap1310-DC, specifically designed for in-vehicle applications, which can be linked to the taximeter to seamlessly pull through journey information.

The printers are small enough to be mounted in the passenger compartment without compromising on space. They can also operate wirelessly through Bluetooth® or be hard-wired into the vehicle to ensure they are always charged and ready to print. Receipts can help to reassure passengers and reinforce the professionalism of the taxi service.

In addition, printed proofs of transactions are essential to corporate clients who might need to provide a paper trail of their expenses. They cut down the time spent in filling out paper receipts by hand, and remove the issues of handwriting illegibility, human error or even customer fraud through the practice of inflating ‘blank’ receipts.

Whilst going digital is certainly a trend, which is highly unlikely to slow down, there is still a strong place for traditional elements of the payment experience. The provision of a paper receipt can help gain the trust of the customer, especially within an industry such as the black cab sector, where the transience of contact with the service provider may cause customers to be extra cautious. Mobile thermal printers can provide the ideal, ultra-modern solution to let passengers sit back, relax and simply enjoy the ride.