Pay With Your Credit Card When You Take A Taxicab; U.S. Wireless Data and Centrodyne Introduce Credit Card-Accepting Taximeter
BUSINESS WIRE - July 30, 2002 12:32
NEW YORK, Jul 30, 2002 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Worried about having enough cab fare to get where you need to go?
You can put your mind at ease and use your credit card, because the new Centrodyne CardMeter taximeter makes it easy for taxi passengers to charge a ride.
The new meter, introduced by Centrodyne and U.S. Wireless Data (OTC: USWE), is a traditional Centrodyne Silent 620(TM) taximeter fitted with U.S. Wireless Data's Synapse Enabler(TM), which comprises special hardware and software to enable real-time authorization of credit cards.
Here's how the taximeter works: at the end of the ride, the driver prints a receipt and gives it to the passenger who adds the tip and provides his or her signature. The driver then swipes the credit card for the full amount, and the transaction is routed over U.S. Wireless Data's Synapse network to the bankcard processor for approval. The transaction is authorized (or declined, in the case of a bad card) in three seconds or less and a final receipt is printed for the passenger.
"Taxicabs have been one of the final bastions of cash-only transactions," said Dean M. Leavitt, President and CEO of U.S. Wireless Data. "But through wireless technology, consumers can have the convenience of paying with credit cards."
"Card-acceptance not only makes passengers happy, it also improves taxicab driver safety because there is less cash in the car, and less incentive for criminals to target taxis," said Byron Corcoran of Centrodyne Corporation of America. "The CardMeter is a `win-win' for passengers and drivers alike."
The Centrodyne CardMeter taximeters are available for all U.S. metropolitan areas and are currently in use in Dallas, Texas. U.S. Wireless Data is an established source of wireless transaction processing for the U.S. taximeter market. The new Centrodyne CardMeter aligns U.S. Wireless Data's taxi initiative with Centrodyne's leadership position in the U.S. taximeter market. |
