Mobile Payments Make a ComfortDelGro Ride Easier to Pay For

July 26, 2017         By: Steven Anderson

The process of hailing a cab and taking a trip across town or even potentially across several towns is a familiar one to many, yet sometimes, paying for that trip can be cumbersome. Mobile payments have stepped in in recent months to smooth out the process, and now, Singapore-based ComfortDelGro has joined the ranks of companies that accept mobile payments for rides.

This includes all rides, even those that start by the customer physically flagging down the taxi in question. Built around the Masterpass system, the service will start up in full in August, and represents the first taxi company to globally offer mobile payments for flag-down rides.

Better yet, those using flag-down operations will enjoy savings over other methods, reports note, as the flag-down riders won’t be charged either Goods and Services Tax or administration fees. There are even some occasions in which the use of Masterpass can save money on a cab ride, as the recent promo code MCPASS meant $3 Singaporean off a booking made through the app.

Using the system will also be easy, as users need only download the ComfortDelGro app, select “pay for street hail”, and then scan a quick response (QR) code on the taxi’s included cashless payment terminal and the transaction is complete.

Deborah Heng, Singapore country manager for Mastercard, commented “With the extension of Masterpass for Street Hail, the first for Mastercard globally, consumers will enjoy the same seamless experience where passengers and taxi drivers will no longer have to wait and settle payment by cash or card at their destination.”

When the mobile payment system involved both delivers cost savings and added ease of use, it’s a safe bet that that system will be used pretty extensively. Chances are Singaporeans will get a lot of added value out of this system, and will likely take to it rapidly.

Improving a customer experience is vital to distinguish a business from its competitors, keep the current customer base in the fold, and draw users away from other businesses. It looks like ComfortDelGro here has the right tools to do the job, though we’ll have a while to wait to see just how well it works.