How to pay for a taxi in Singapore (5 different ways)
Taxis are a convenient way to move around Singapore, particularly to or from areas that are a bit out of town (such as Changi airport, or the wildlife parks). While not as affordable as its neighbours, taxis are still generally cheap in Singapore, particularly if shared amongst a few people. I put this guide together as part of my series on how taxis work in Singapore, this one covering how to pay for a taxi in Singapore (and where the discreet additional fees can be hiding).
Cash and credit or debit card are the most popular ways to pay for a taxi in Singapore. When paying with cash, it is a good idea to round up to the nearest dollar to reduce the number of coins received as change. If paying by credit or debit card, a 10% surcharge is added to the fare; Visa, Mastercard, and American Express are accepted for payment and contactless is often available as well.
Taxi fares typically range from S$10 to S$35 depending on the distance travelled and time spent waiting in traffic. For more details about the fares themselves, check out my guide here.
Receipts are provided by all taxis in Singapore. Often these will show you the surcharges associated with your payment method (but not always). The receipt may also be hand-written.
In this guide I’ve included:
- Popular payment methods for taxis (cash and credit cards)
- Alternative ways to pay (apps and EZ Link / SimplyGo)
- Additional fees you may have to pay based on payment method
Booking a taxi using an app is the most popular way to get a taxi in Singapore - I feel it’s difficult to find a taxi these days without using an app. Popular apps that visitors can use include CDG Zig, Grab, and Gojek. The app will take care of payment using your credit card, or you can choose to pay by cash
Cash
Cash is the easiest way for visitors to pay for a taxi in Singapore. Every taxi in the city accepts Singapore dollar cash, and reasonable change will be given.
I recommend carrying some S$10 notes if planning to take a taxi though. Not all taxi drivers have change for S$50 or S$100 notes. If you’re only carrying the large notes, I recommend checking with the taxi driver before starting the ride if he has enough change to give you.
Rounding up your fare to the nearest dollar is also something I recommend. This helps reduce the number of coins that you get as change.
Tipping taxi drivers is not requried in Singapore. Simply round up the fare to the nearest dollar (or two - as you can pay with S$2 notes). This round-up is also not technically required but I usually recommend it to reduce the number of coins you receive as chnage.
If using ride-sharing apps (e.g. Grab), it is possible to pay by cash, but credit card and debit card is the preferred method. Many ride-sharing drivers will not consistently carry change to give you (and since you have to use the app to book anyway, may as well type in your credit card details).
Credit and Debit Cards
Most taxis in Singapore accept credit or debit cards.
| Taxi Company | Accepts card? |
|---|---|
| Comfort | Yes |
| CityCab (operated by Comfort) | Yes |
| TransCab | Mostly (confirm with driver) |
| Strides Taxi | Mostly (confirm with driver) |
| Prime Taxi | Some (confirm with driver) |
Given that Comfort and CityCab (blue and yellow respectively) represent the largest fleet of taxis in Singapore, credit card is mostly accepted.
The other taxi companies are supposed to take credit card, but it’s been hit or miss in my experience; they should make it clear when card is not accepted, but this is not always the case - best to confirm with the driver when getting in.
A 10% service charge is added when paying for a taxi by credit or debit card in Singapore - all companies have this service charge. This fee is then subject to GST (the local sales tax, currently 9%), which makes it slightly higher when charged to your card.
Credit and Debit cards accepted by Singapore taxis include:
- Mastercard
- Visa
- American Express
- Diners Club
- JCB
- Union Pay
Notably, Discover is not accepted by taxis in Singapore.
Contactless is usually accepted and used when paying by credit card. I always advise to pay in SGD if given the option as it’s usually cheaper than selecting your home currency on the terminal (only some banks/cards ask this).
If booking by app, you can type your credit card details into the app and payment will automatically be deducted at the end of the ride. The credit card service charge is technically charged when using a booking app, but it is included in the total price displayed on the app.
Payment apps
Google Pay and Apple Pay can be used to pay for taxis in Singapore as most taxis that accept credit or debit card payments have a contactless terminal that can be used.
Youtrip, Revolut, and any other app that uses your phone to pay can similarly be used.
The 10% surcharge is added if using these apps as they are connected to a credit/debit card.
Alipay and WeChat Pay are accepted by some taxis. A 30 cent (plus GST) charge is added to the fare when paying using Alipay or WeChat Pay (note that this is instead of the 10% charge).
EZ Link and SimplyGo
The prepaid EZ Link and SimplyGo cards can be used for payment in most taxis in Singapore.
EZ Link and SimplyGo are prepaid contactless payment cards that can be used to pay for transport and small transactions in Singapore. They are sold at the airport and can be topped up at MRT stations and convenience stores.
The Singapore Tourist Pass is technically an EZ Link card (though it doesn’t have any cash balance when you first purchase it).
Taxis that accept EZ Link and SimplyGo only charge a fee of 30 cents (plus GST) when using these cards as the payment method. Any taxi that accepts credit card will also accept EZ Link and SimplyGo (see my table above).
It’s hard for me to recommend EZ Link or SimplyGo to short-term visitors now, especially given the convenience of Visa and Mastercard, or prepaid apps such as Youtrip.
References:
Complete list of additional fees for each taxi company:
