Savings Tips

Here we have compiled a number of tips for you to save a maximum on your next taxi ride! Please let us know if you have your own tips (we'll acknowledge your contribution)!

Shop around if you can!

While Hackney carriages are regulated by your local council and therefore have a set tariff, Private Hire companies are not regulated and could give you a better bargain. This works well if you are going for long journeys beyond your city/town but even for short journeys they can be cheaper. For example, if you take a trip that crosses the city boundaries, you could be charged extra for this by a hackney carriage but you could negotiate the trip down with a private taxi. So, don't be afraid to call multiple companies, asking them for a quote for the requested trip. Then go for the cheapest.

In case you can't get a quote for your trip before you book, you are in your right to ask them for their tariff breakdown as they need to tell you how they computed the cost for your trip if they are using a metre!

Use the MoneySavingExpert's Cashback checker!

If you are planning a trip to/from an airport, Martin Lewis's MoneySavingExpert Airport Taxi Cashback Maximiser can help you make a good (up to 5%) savings on your taxi fare!

Eat or drink at your own risk!

Hackney carriage tariffs specify a fixed penalty for soiling. This normally turn around £30 and can go up to £120. So be careful if you decide to carry anything that can spill,...or if you are feeling a bit sick.

Have the Cash Handy

Most cabs allow you to bay by Debit/Credit card if you don't have cash on you. However, they may charge you a transaction fee if you use a card, particularly if the fare is below £5.00. Hence, always make sure you have enough cash to get to your destination..... and use Pricemycab to do check your taxi fare before you board!

Share a cab!

You may be charged extra for being more than one passenger in a taxi, but sharing the cost of a ride will definitely be cheaper than going on your own. Agree to split the fare to the first destination by half (if there's 2 of you) and let the other person pay the rest for the next destination.

Don't make a cab wait!

You will get charged roughly 20p per minute of waiting time by a cab. Hence, try to get everything ready before you board the taxi rather than having to stop by an ATM to get cash or by a supermarket to get some food. Ask the cab driver if he can pause his counter (some are nice enough to do this for you!). Note that waiting charges also apply when you have to sit in traffic... so plan ahead to avoid going at peak times.

Walk it!

You will be charged roughly £2.40 for the first 200 metres. Walk it and save!

For more hard-core savers out there, you could even walk the last 200 metres! A taxi's counter will tick over every time it does about 90 to 200 metres (depending on the time/date). If you avoid using the cab for the last 200 metres you would save at least 20p and at most 40p! Do 10 trips a month, and save yourself £4.00!