Any cab corporation accepting credit cards in Abu Dhabi and Dubai?
I'm located in one of Yas Island's hotels in Abu Dhabi. I took some taxi trips so far, but I was quite surprised that in such modern country (as I understand, UAE is) none of the taxis / taxi corporations accepts credit card payments (none of these, I used so far). Cash only is accepted.
Tomorrow I need to take a taxi ride to Dubai and back, which -- I was told -- will cost me around 600-800 AED both ways. I'd like to pay that much money with my company credit card, not in cash.
Is there any reliable cab corporation in Abu Dhabi which I could call to order taxi and be sure that it will have credit card terminal / reader? Or is Uber the only option in this case?
The same question goes for my return trip, i.e. on finding cab corporation which accpets credit card payments in Dubai.
Best Answer
According to this post, most of the taxis should be equipped with a credit card terminal : http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/transport/8-000-dubai-taxis-are-nol-ready-1.1680090
Then, based on my recent experience, it is pretty random. While most taxis should be equipped, I found that credit card is randomly accepted. I haven't checked why, maybe they fear fraud or maybe they prefer cash...
For a taxi company accepting credit card for sure, just Google "taxi dubai credit card" and you'll find some. Can't really promote any here.
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Can I pay with credit card in Abu Dhabi taxi?
Abu Dhabi Taxis do accept credit cards and debit cards. However, they do not have POS machines. Instead, you need to download Abu Dhabi Taxi mobile app or PayBy mobile app on your mobile. In the app, you can make payment by scanning QR code shown on taxi meter after completing your trip.Can you pay a taxi with a credit card in the UAE?
Passengers taking Dubai taxis can now pay via credit and debit cards. This is according to the Road and Transport Authority (RTA), which stated that so far, 20 vehicles have been equipped with the new technology.Do all taxis in Dubai take credit cards?
Do taxis in Dubai accept credit cards? Yes, all taxis in Dubai have the necessary equipment to accept debit, credit and Nol cards. However, there are times when these machines are 'out of order', so if you need to pay by card, be sure to ask your driver before you get in the taxi.Can I use credit card to pay for a cab?
Pay with cash or card. You can pay in cash or you can use your debit or credit card. However, most cab drivers accept only major credit cards such as Visa, MasterCard, or Discover. If you pay in cash, carry small bills with you so that you can pay your exact fare.More answers regarding any cab corporation accepting credit cards in Abu Dhabi and Dubai?
Answer 2
Abu Dhabi / Yas Island
According to my recent experience, confirmed by information obtained at hotel desk and among few taxi drivers -- there is no way to pay for taxi via credit card in Abu Dhabi. At least not among taxis serving my place, i.e. Yas Island.
The same area wasn't covered by Uber in the moment of writing this (March 2017).
The only way to use credit card in this case is to withdrawn money from ATM machine as taxi drivers accepts cash only.
Dubai / Knowledge Village
According to Laurent's answer such problems should not exist in Dubai, as per article cited by him, at least 8000 taxis should be equipped with credit card terminal in Dubai.
However, I wasn't manage to verify this, as I decided to use Uber on my return trip (coverage of Uber in Dubai is significant).
Summary
When deciding to travel between Dubai and Abu Dhabi via taxi / Uber consider above and:
Uber comes fairly more expensive than taxis! On average route between these two cities expect Uber prices to be even 40% higher than taxi services.
Every Abu Dhabi taxi driver must handle you a printed confirmation receipt, if you travel by taxi-meter. If you decide on fixed price you will receive a hand-written few sentences on a piece of paper ripped-off from some old notebook in most cases. Consider this when planning company-like trips where you need a receipt for getting money back.
Fixed-price tariffs may come better on short hops. On 100-like kilometers travels like between Abu Dhabi and Dubai they usually comes much more expensive (up to 30% more expensive).
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Andrea Piacquadio, Pixabay, Tim Samuel, Tim Samuel