Go to: Main Content Go to: Navigation

Transport for London

Receipt printers

You must have a receipt printer in your taxi. You don't need to give a receipt for each journey, just when your customer asks for one. Here are some answers to commonly asked questions about this new requirement.

When must I have a receipt printer and why?

If you are licensing your taxi on or after 1 January 2005 you must get an approved printer fitted.

Every day we receive one or two allegations of taxi drivers refusing or being unable to issue receipts. In fact this is one of the commonest complaints we receive.

There can be few services these days where the customer is not automatically given a receipt, even for very small value transactions, and taxi fares are rarely less than £5. In order to resolve this problem and improve the service to taxi customers we decided all taxis should be fitted with a receipt printer.

What other solutions to this problem were considered?

An alternative would have been to change the regulations so that every driver would have to issue a receipt when requested to do so. We preferred a solution that encouraged drivers to issue receipts by making the issue as easy as possible. A change to the regulations would also have made the failure to issue a receipt an offence. The likely penalty for this would have been the possible suspension or revocation of the driver's licence. Requiring all taxis to have a receipt printer was considered the most practical approach, especially as many taxis already have a printer.

Must I always issue a receipt?

No. The printer is not required to have a facility for automatic receipts, but the printer must be able to produce a receipt at the end of any journey, if requested.

What information must be on the receipt?

The receipt must include the following information:

Is any additional information allowed?

Additional information may be permitted by application to the Licensing Authority and could include:

Does this mean I can no longer receive tips?

Of course not! You may continue to accept tips exactly as before, and remember that by providing printed receipts there is the possibility that tips may increase in recognition of the enhanced service. The better the service the greater the likelihood of a tip.

There must be no facility for any tips to be printed on the receipt through the meter or any facility on the printer. However if a passenger wishes to have tips recorded on the receipt a specific line may be provided on the receipt for gratuities to be handwritten, or drivers may write the amount anywhere where there is space but the amount must not be printed as a result of driver input to the meter. The exclusion of tips from the printed receipt is to ensure that the amount is the fare charged according to the fare tariff.

How will this effect journeys involving multiple drops or cab sharing?

The availability of printed receipts does not preclude you from issuing a written receipt on any occasion when a printed receipt is not appropriate, such as when multiple receipts are required.

Does the printer have to print receipts in duplicate or does it have to retain a memory of the receipts issued for audit purposes?

No. The requirement for taxi meters to issue printed receipts is set out above.

How much will they cost and who has to pay?

Taxi owners will initially have to pay for buying or renting the equipment. One company is expected to rent a printer for approximately £75 pa, and another to sell at approximately £150 including VAT and fitting. However the cost is reflected in the fare tariff so it is really passed on to the passengers. We will publish the additional cost so as this can be recovered through the taxi.

Journey Planner Advanced
options
You are here:
Business & partnersTaxis and private hireTaxis