Payments through Visa cards will be re-introduced in ComfortDelGro taxis from next month, almost three years after Visa started phasing out its service from all cabs in Singapore.
But, as with the use of all other brands of credit cards in taxis, Visa-swiping passengers will have to pay a 10 per cent levy - a surcharge that Visa had wrangled with cab firms to remove in the past. This led to Visa payment services being stopped in ComfortDelGro, Trans-Cab and Prime taxis in July 2013, with Premier and SMRT following suit.
Visa's country manager for Singapore and Brunei, Ms Ooi Huey Tyng, said that following a review, it has decided to re-introduce card payments, including its contactless payWave option, for taxis.
This is because the taxi industry landscape has changed, she said, with the popularity and availability of third-party cab booking apps such as Uber Taxi and GrabTaxi.
Through the apps, passengers can pay with Visa, and without a surcharge. There are close to 700,000 such transactions every month - an eightfold increase from a year ago, the company said.
Ms Ooi said that while many Singaporeans have this surcharge-free option, tourists and business travellers may not be familiar with the apps and have to rely on using credit cards, so Visa hopes to cater to them.
While the 10 per cent levy will prevail, Visa remains firm on its no-surcharge policy for all its transactions. "We are very disappointed that we have not been able to remove or reduce the 10 per cent surcharge after longstanding discussions with Comfort," said Ms Ooi.
"However, it remains an important option we need to provide for our business travellers coming to Singapore. We still believe... it is the best decision for our cardholders."
Before Visa removed its payment service in taxis in 2013, there were about 140,000 transactions each month.
ComfortDelGro group corporate communications officer Tammy Tan said its taxis will start accepting Visa card payments from Jan 1, with the full roll-out across the entire fleet of 17,000 cabs taking about three months.
Asked if Visa payments will be re-introduced in cabs run by the island's four other operators - Premier, Prime, SMRT and Trans-Cab - Ms Ooi said the company is open to working with them.
Cab companies have said previously that the surcharges are needed to cover a fee they have to pay banks for every card transaction - estimated to be between 2 per cent and 3 per cent.
Mr Amer Subhi, 39, an international sales manager from Israel who travels to Singapore about once a month, said the return of Visa payment in taxis is a good move. "But the 10 per cent surcharge is a bit high. About 1 per cent to 2 per cent should be acceptable," he said.
Cabby Henry Tay, 45, who drives a MaxiCab, said: "My fares are higher than for... normal taxis, so customers generally want to pay using credit cards. Having Visa back as one of the options will be welcomed by my passengers."
3 years ago ...
VISA 0 - 1 CDG
after fighting 3 years, the score is
VISA 0 - 2 CDG
Nice that the optional Visa is going to be back again.....
I encountered once in my entire 1 year of driving taxi customers being unable to pay due to us not acceting VISA payment. I ended up having to accept Korean Won as payment.
but cabbies will still always tell passengers, sollie, the machine spoil
Pls Help taxi uncles by paying cash la
Knn $5-$6 also pay by card
So who blinks first loses.Visa can say a lot of bullshit.but in the end they gotta accept making money more important than losing face!
Originally posted by foolsh_2000:So who blinks first loses.Visa can say a lot of bullshit.but in the end they gotta accept making money more important than losing face!
Aiyo, this Ms Ooi is the same girl make the decision 3yrs ago.......
So simple meh, want to come, come, want to go, go?......
Who approach who, nobody know lor.......
As for TD, keep up the good service, end shift, don't need to count money, count paper enough......ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
Originally posted by Keepthechange666:Aiyo, this Ms Ooi is the same girl make the decision 3yrs ago.......
So simple meh, want to come, come, want to go, go?......
Who approach who, nobody know lor.......
As for TD, keep up the good service, end shift, don't need to count money, count paper enough......ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
Haha bro count paper how to pay rental n feed family?
Those day to day driver will suffer leh
I also chut pattern now if tio too many cashless payments I don't put rental liao let them auto deduct after few days
Personally, I don't accept cashless, I took taxi also pay cash, swee swee one, won't give $50 note unless fare is $30 or $40+........
Long time ago, I already got this topic on the 10% surcharge, siao eh, we work, on top collect money, 2 times somemore plus rental, pig also not so big.......
Everytime go servicing, come out, cb workshop will paste the decal, than I take out, go servicing, paste again, than I take out again, like that ding tong many years.......
Tio liao lah. How can we let mastercard or visa earn that 5% of our fare? Cho Bo Lan sit in their office some more. 1% is enough already mah. So greedy for fark?
2nd thing, we on same line.......
casket nail where got so expensive? I be your nail supplier since u willing to pay so much.
I dont want to support mastercard or visa. Greedy companies providing useless service and ask for so much commission is cannot support one. I dont believe in paying a fee for money transfer unless is TT transfer. Local money transfer in singapore should be free, or with minimal costs.
I also dont support cashless society. It means government can trace money flows easily. Already we got many police officers sitting inside aircon office cho bo lan, instead of patrolling the streets. Sit in front of computer screen, bio chio bu, snacking away, drinking coffee and playing chua tai di, instead of doing their patrols.
Originally posted by bowah:Wha, 2 Gay gay backside hair stand up liao…
If people like banks can do it, why? you cannot tarhan ar?? cannot go open bank lah, you all do business mah, then when eat people that time..tiam tiam, smlj 2% comission, smlj one way diposal $100,,,chop people cau cau that time, got think why bank take 2% or not?
This is business mah, you think people no need staff to maintain, software to upgrade, IT security to control..all these are cost, you think free one..where got free thing in this world? Even one more casket nail/screw hammer into the coffin also need extra $5 for normal steel nail, and $8 for stainless steel one.
Remember Bo chok tong said last time, in year 2010, we hope to achieve a cashless society..now it is already long overdue liao..still want cash??? bo cash pay rental, better dun drive lah, drive for fark? hv to worry this and that, hv to keep going to the bank and check..dun drive better, no need so stressed up…lai lai, be a casket driver, no need smlj rental or tio complain or tio summon one.
I referring to Taxi coy not the bank, anyway, I rent the taxi never ask coy to install this, install that, they want to install is their problem, but want to earn out of that than is nonsense.......
Of course, in this world is man eat man world, but want to eat also must do it discreetly, not openly, don't treat TD as a sucker.......
Last time, taxi smlj also don't have, cannot ply the road meh? All this IT thingy is in chinese we say, draw snake to become bamboo.......
Hello, my hirer agreement where got all this? This is only happen recent year when they put in black and white, call must take, cashless must accept.......
Office dare to ask me show agreement, than they waiting to kiam gan only, throw my farking agreement on their face......
Arbo, the day I throw my key, when walk out office, I hear behind open champagne and 3 cheers some more.......
Originally posted by bowah:Whether can use Visa or cannot use Visa, Taxi drivers also got nothing to gain, 10% goes to taxi companies, we still collecting the same fare. So, as a TD, we should not be bother by all this..accept or not accept is none of our problem, our agenda is simple, ferry peoples, collect fare and fark off
E payment still need waste time go online to print out and monitor
I also waiting, the day Cumfark will short pay us cashless.......
Lj la, until the day I throw key, still swee swee.......
Tia gong, your taxi on fire, MDT still working eh, power........
They need to stay competitive coz GrabTaxi & Uber allow customer to pay by credit card through the app. Sometimes customers don't carry so much cash eg imagine they cab from Changi to Tuas and back for work.