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19 Sep, 2015

Taxis hit back: Philadelphians Get Ready to Hail Cabs with Way2ride

PHILADELPHIA–(BUSINESS WIRE)–September 17, 2015 — Taxi passengers in Philadelphia will be able to electronically hail cabs beginning in October, using the Way2ride app from Verifone (NYSE: PAY) on their mobile devices.

Through this expansion, Philadelphia joins New York City, where passengers are already using Way2ride’s payment and new e-hailing feature to hail cabs and securely pay for taxi rides with a tap of their smartphones.

More than 1,400 of the 1,600 licensed taxis in Philadelphia are already equipped with Verifone payment systems for credit card acceptance and are ready for Way2ride.

Way2ride™ is available today for both iPhones® and Android® phones and can be downloaded right now from the Apple® App Store® and Google® Play®.

The Way2ride app has been downloaded more than 45,000 times in Philadelphia since it became available in the city a year ago.

Using Way2ride to hail a cab is as simple as pressing the “hail” button and confirming your pickup location. There’s never any surge pricing; you only pay what’s on the meter, plus a nominal flat fee for hailing with the app. When the ride is over, payment is automatic.

And whether you’ve hailed with Way2ride, or simply used the app for payment, the tip is up to you, and 100 percent of it goes to your driver.

“Verifone’s payment solutions are already used in the majority of cabs throughout Philadelphia, so Way2ride provides passengers and licensed taxis in the city an enhanced app for taxi payment and hailing that’s backed by a familiar and trusted brand,” said Amos Tamam, Senior Vice President, Global Taxi Systems for Verifone.

“The ability to pay for rides and hail cabs via smartphone is an incredibly easy process that provides additional security and convenience for passengers and drivers alike.” Way2ride is backed by Verifone, a supplier of global payment security and commerce solutions.

Verifone claims to have been the first to introduce credit card terminals linked to the taxi meter – ensuring what a passenger paid was the actual metered fare; the first to introduce digital entertainment and advertising inside the cab; the first to offer digital, geo-targeted advertising outside the cab; and the first to deliver a taxi payment application with the launch of Way2ride™ two years ago.

Verifone was also the first to enable the option for consumers to pay with their American Express Membership Rewards points in New York City taxis, as well as provide the option to pay with Apple Pay® or Google Wallet®.

And, earlier this year, Verifone added support for PayPal® using Way2ride™.

Verifone powers over 85,000 cabs in more than 100 cities across the globe with secure payments, cloud-based dispatch systems and fleet management tools, mobile apps, digital media and much more.

The introduction of Way2ride in Philadelphia follows its formal introduction in New York City earlier this month.

Next, Verifone will also roll out the app in Boston, Miami, Washington, DC, and Las Vegas, and will launch in all U.S.

Verifone markets in 2016.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

@Way2rideapp | Facebook.com/Way2rideapp

Way2ride e-hail video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/OnF7GMc2kRg

Download Way2ride for iOS: http://apple.co/1KarWon

Download Way2ride for Android: http://bit.ly/1KarYNc