Credit cards are indeed the kryptonite of the cab world, but not without reason. Most cab companies charge employees a processing fee of about five per cent for each credit transaction, which explains why people who hop into a cab without cash are often met with either a look of disgust (as though you offered to pay for the ride with rancid cheese) or a dubious claim that the machine is broken. There’s no city bylaw requiring drivers to accept credit. Instead, policies fall to individual companies. Beck Taxi, Toronto’s largest fleet, requires all drivers to carry a manual credit card processor, in case the famously faulty electronic machines break down. What this means is that if a driver with a broken machine picks you up, lying or not, he should still be able to take your card. If you’re riding Beck (and have the guts to take on a crabby cabbie), you can inform your driver that you are aware of the policy. Dollars to doughnuts, the machine will suddenly start working.
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