Card payments in taxis: the Federal Association cooperates with S-Payment

The Federal Association of Taxi and Rental Cars expands its circle of partners with S-Payment, the payments competence center of the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe. At the center of the collaboration is the mobile payment solution "S-POS," with which taxi and rental car companies can accept card payments directly via a compatible smartphone. No additional card terminal is required for this. For businesses that have previously only accepted cash, the payment service provider offers twelve months of free use under certain conditions.

Smartphone replaces a separate card terminal

With S-POS, taxi and rental car companies can already use existing smartphones as mobile payment terminals. The application supports contactless payments with girocard, debit and credit cards, as well as compatible digital wallets. The payment processing is carried out via the Internet connection of the respective smartphone. An additional WLAN connection or a separate card reader is not required.

The solution can be used on both compatible Android smartphones and iPhones. Companies that do not want to use a smartphone for payment acceptance can alternatively use the S-POS Cube. The compact payment device features an integrated SIM card.

In addition to paying the fare, the application also enables the digital recording of tips. According to the association, cashless payment processing can also reduce the cash on hand in the vehicles. This reduces the effort required to provide change as well as to count and manage cash.

Twelve months of free use for eligible businesses

For taxi and rental car companies that have not yet offered cashless payment options, the initiative “Deutschland zahlt digital” is particularly relevant. As part of this action, eligible businesses can use S-POS free of charge for twelve months.

The cost coverage includes both the smartphone application or the S-POS Cube as well as the setup and the applicable transaction fees. The latter will be covered in the first year up to a digital payment volume of €50,000.

The offer is aimed, among other things, at member companies of the Federal Association that have existed for at least twelve months and have so far only accepted cash payments. The prerequisite is the fulfillment of the respective participation requirements. The current promotional period runs until December 31, 2026. An account with a Sparkasse is not required to use the payment solution.

Switch Offer for Businesses with Existing Card Payments

Taxi and rental-car companies that already offer card payments through another payment service provider can also take advantage of a separate switch offer.

In doing so, S-Payment will, under certain conditions, cover the transaction fees for girocard payments for twelve months. The cost coverage is limited to a girocard turnover of €50,000. What other conditions apply for participation are not disclosed in the notice.