South Korean visitors can now pay for taxi rides using Hana Cards issued in their country, Taiwan Taxi Co said yesterday.
As Taiwan is on track to host more than 1 million South Korean tourists this year, the taxi firm said has partnered with Taishin International Bank to accept Hana Cards, which are issued by Seoul-based Hana Financial Group.
Taishin is to handle transactions with the Hana Financial Group, it added.
Photo: CNA / TaiwanTaxi Co
Tourism Bureau statistics showed that about 560,000 South Koreans visited Taiwan during the first half of this year, a 10 percent increase compared to the same time last year, and the bureau estimated that the number of this year could exceed 1 million, Taiwan Taxi said.
If that goal is reached, the nation would have 1 million South Korean tourists a year for three consecutive years, Taiwan Taxi said.
South Korean visitors can now have taxi drivers scan their Hana Card’s bar code, without having to change currency and then dispose of their change before they return home, it said.
The service would be particularly beneficial to South Korean travelers, as a large percentage of them travel independently, and taxis have become the preferred mode of transportation for single travelers as it is easier and faster to go from one attraction to another this way, it said.
“We have allowed our customers to pay their cab fares with credit cards, electronic payment and EasyCards in view of the changes in the way customers pay for daily expenses. Currently, about 30 percent of our transactions are completed through non-cash payment,” Taiwan Taxi chairman Gary Lin (林村田) said.
The company offers 20 methods of payment for passengers, he said.
New payment methods would be added to facilitate the travel experience of international and domestic tourists, he added.
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