Hailo Integrates with VeriFone for E-Hail Taxi Payments

The Hailo taxi e-hail app has integrated VeriFone's application programming interface to enable passengers to electronically hail and pay for taxi trips with their smartphones, a combined service that’s expected to be available the week of Sept. 9.

“Soon, passengers will start to live the full Hailo experience — e hail coupled with automatic payment for any Hailo trip,” said Tom Barr, president and COO of Hailo USA, in a Sept. 5 press release. “Thanks to our integration with VeriFone’s secure mobile commerce network, passengers will no longer need to fumble for their wallets and instead pay automatically and receive an emailed receipt.”

The VeriFone platform is currently powering VeriFone’s Way2ride mobile payments app and is integrated into its in-cab payments system in more than 7,000 New York yellow taxis and is being rolled into for-hire livery cabs that are being licensed to serve upper Manhattan and the outer boroughs.

“Hailo’s work with VeriFone demonstrates that innovation and standardization can go hand-in-hand to revolutionize the taxi experience for both passengers and drivers,” said Amos Tamam, senior vice president of Taxi Systems for VeriFone, in the press release.

The Hailo/VeriFone integration is part of a broader effort to build electronic commerce for cabs that is supported by the New York’s Taxi and Limousine Commission.

"Opening the door to e-hail apps gave riders a new way to enjoy taxi travel," said TLC Commissioner David Yassky in a press release. "And this innovation adds yet another layer of convenience for passengers."

Payments technology for New York cabs is being developed by VeriFone — which hopes to expand the technology to other cities — and Creative Mobile Technologies, which uses technology from VeriFone rival Ingenico.