Payments and commerce solutions provider Verifone has expanded its taxi and car-for-hire electronic hailing, payment and media business with the acquisition of Curb.
This acquisition further improves Verifone’s e-hail and payment app business with additional technology and a bigger network of drivers and vehicles across the US.
Formerly Taxi Magic, Curb connects people in about 60 cities in the US to safe rides from professional taxi drivers.
The Virginia-based company has teamed up with over 90 cab companies and offers e-hail access to 35,000 cars from a smartphone application equipped with hailing and payment functionalities.
Curb’s media-enabled payment terminals are installed in about 15,000 cars. This adds to about 40,000 taxis in the US that already come with Verifone payment terminals.
Passengers take over 100,000 rides a month with Curb’s e-hail app. This smartphone app features web- and SMS text-based booking tools that allow Verifone Taxi Systems to enhance and scale its e-hail offering.
The app also comes with a complete suite of taxi technology solutions that empower taxi clients to effectively compete with transportation network businesses.
Amos Tamam, Senior Vice President, Global Taxi Systems for Verifone, commented, “We are combining Curb’s booking technology set and geographic footprint with Verifone Taxi Systems’ global presence and expertise in secure payment, and cloud-based dispatch and fleet management tools. This will allow us to continue our push into the growing market for apps that provide riders with the convenience of connecting to professional vehicles and drivers through their mobile phone.”
Launched in 2007, Curb became the first mobile app dedicated for booking a ride. Verifone, meanwhile, launched Way2ride in 2013, becoming the first to offer a taxi payment app, and then unveiled integrated e-hailing functionality this year.