Who needs cash anyway?

Last year, both Apple and Samsung launched their respective payment platforms – Apple Pay and Samsung Pay – in the UAE, allowing owners of their devices the ability to pay for goods and services using only their smartphones. Everything from your groceries at Carrefour and a latte at Starbucks to a late-night McDonald’s run can now be purchased simply by tapping your phone at the cash till.

The RTA announced today via a statement that both Apple Pay and Samsung Pay will now be officially supported by Dubai’s taxi fleet as part of the ‘Smart City’ initiative of the Dubai Government.

“The Service is aimed to offer taxi riders smooth payment options that raise their satisfaction and happiness.” noted Ahmed Hashim Bahrozyan, CEO of RTA’s Public Transport Agency. He goes on to say that there are currently “as many as 8,000 taxicabs” currently outfitted with a POS (point of sale) terminal to allow this kind of cash-free transaction, with plans to roll out the functionality to cover even more cabs in the future.

You can, of course, still continue to use your credit/debit card and boring old cash to pay for the fare as usual. But where’s the fun in that?

ALSO READ
*Apple Pay is now available in the UAE*
*You can now catch a Tesla taxi in Dubai*

If you have an iPhone or a Galaxy smartphone and want to set it up to use with their payment platforms, check out these handy guides for Apple and Samsung to get started.

– For more about Dubai straight to your newsfeed, follow us on Facebook.

Image: RTA