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Glasgow taxi drivers face mandatory card payments from February 2027 after council vote
Glasgow taxi drivers will be required to accept credit, debit and contactless payments after councillors approved new licensing conditions on Wednesday 11 November.
The city’s Licensing and Regulatory Committee agreed to introduce the requirement from 1 February 2027 for drivers receiving a new three-year licence or renewing an existing licence. The decision follows a public consultation that attracted 1,666 responses.
Under the approved conditions, taxi drivers must have a working card payment device and provide a printed or handwritten receipt when requested by a passenger. Drivers will also be required to inform passengers as soon as they become aware of a network outage or another technical problem affecting card payments.
The conditions require drivers to ensure their payment equipment is working before accepting fares. Cash will remain an available payment method for passengers who prefer it.
The phased introduction means the requirement will apply as drivers receive new licences or renew existing ones from February. The council has not announced a single date by which every existing licence holder must comply, irrespective of renewal.
The decision follows consultation between 4 February and 1 June 2026. Of those answering the principal question, 83.16% supported mandatory card acceptance, including 77.95% who strongly agreed and 5.21% who tended to agree.
Opponents raised concerns about purchasing equipment, transaction charges, unreliable connections and the possibility of declined payments at the end of journeys. Some respondents also argued that self-employed taxi drivers should retain discretion over the payment methods accepted by their businesses.
The council’s committee report said the licensing authority would not prescribe a particular card terminal supplier. Drivers without suitable equipment will therefore need to arrange their own payment facilities, creating additional equipment and processing costs for those currently operating on a cash-only basis.
The decision creates a new compliance requirement for Glasgow’s taxi trade and a potential commercial opportunity for payment terminal and merchant services providers. The immediate operational priority for affected drivers will be securing reliable payment equipment ahead of their applicable licence start or renewal date.
