Hailo, the mobile app which has changed the way we order taxis, has introduced a new service which enables consumers to pay for cabs they hail on the street with their credit cards.
The ’Pay with Hailo’ service, which uses Apple’s iBeacon technology, automatically recognises when a passenger is in a Hailo-registered driver’s vehicle and invites them to pay for their ride via the Hailo app.
Where iBeacon is not available, customers can select their driver from a list on the app and connect and pay that way. The new service does not depend on Near-Field Communication (NFC) or any special hardware, requiring only a smartphone equipped with the Hailo app.
The company said that for an initial promotional period, there will be no charge to either the passenger or the driver for using Pay with Hailo.
Hailo recently celebrated its second anniversary in Ireland with the launch of a number of new services targeting high-end and business users.
The company, which uses GPS-enabled smartphones to match drivers and passengers, was set up in 2010 by three London taxi drivers, who linked up with three entrepreneurs to bring the service to market. The service first launched in 2011 in London, with Dublin following in 2012. It has now expanded further afield, and last year made it into New York. Ireland was the first country to get Hailo nationwide, when it announced it would expand to 20 towns and cities around the State.
Commenting on the new service, Tim Arnold, general manager for Hailo Ireland said it would benefit both customers and drivers.
“Pay with Hailo allows passengers who hire a taxi off the street can now just check in and pay with Hailo as though they had ordered the cab through the app.
“Some of our users find themselves in taxis using Hailo but they wouldn’t have ordered it through the app so this is a way in which they can now record those journeys and pay for them with their credit cards if they wish. This means they also gain from the benefits associated with our app, such as rating drivers and paying with cards,” he said.
“Drivers using Pay with Hailo don’t pay any commission on fares so they also gain from the service,” he added.
Hailo says it now has more than 400,000 registered users in Ireland.
“Our job is to help passengers move around Ireland more easily and we’re really happy with the way we’ve progressed so far and are excited by the incredible growth we’re seeing here,” said Mr Arnold.
