Airport taxi: cash or card?
Checked May 2026
SHORT ANSWER
Default to card where it's legally required (UK, EU, UAE, Singapore). Default to small-bill cash everywhere else. Always carry both. 'Card machine broken' is the #1 scam excuse worldwide — be ready.
The cash-or-card question isn't really about payment — it's about leverage. If the driver has the upper hand, they'll prefer whichever payment lets them rip you off. Make sure you don't.
Key things to know
- UK, EU, UAE, Singapore: card by law — refuse to pay cash if asked
- Latin America, SE Asia, Africa: small-bill cash in local currency
- Always carry both card and cash — backups matter
- Decline 'dynamic currency conversion' every time
- Never let the driver hold the only payment method
Practical checklist
- 1Have ~$30–$50 equivalent in small local notes
- 2Have a no-foreign-fee card (Revolut, Wise, Charles Schwab) as backup
- 3Know the legal payment rules for the country
- 4Confirm meter price BEFORE pulling out a wallet
- 5Decline DCC and pay in local currency
Common mistakes
- Showing a fat wallet of large bills
- Paying USD/EUR when local currency is cheaper
- Accepting DCC on the card terminal (always ~7% worse)
Red flags
- • Card terminal 'broken' suddenly when you reach destination
- • Driver insists on USD when the meter is in local currency
- • Quoted price changes between getting in and getting out
FAQ
- What's DCC?
- Dynamic Currency Conversion — when the terminal asks if you want to pay in your home currency. ALWAYS choose local currency; DCC inflates the rate ~7%.
- Is it rude to insist on the meter?
- Not in any country we know of. It's the standard.