Verifone is making changes to its taxi payment services that include discontinuing its Way2ride app in favor of its Curb hailing and payment services.
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According to an alert sent to Way2ride users, Verifone will no longer allow consumers to add payment methods to the Way2ride app, which will be shut down entirely after Feb. 15.
Before Way2ride is "retired," users' account details and default tip percentage will migrate to Curb. Ride histories and payment methods will not migrate, though the customer note provides instructions on registering with Curb.
Fleet of yellow taxi cabs make their way down the street of Broadway in New York City in view from above
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Verifone did not return a request for comment by deadline, though in an earlier interview with The Verge, Verifone detailed its plans to fold Way2ride into Curb. Verifone acquired Curb, which was originally known as Taxi Magic, in 2015, and relaunched the site to include services such as pre-booking to match flights in an attempt to make traditional cabs competitive with ride sharing apps like Uber and Lyft. Verifone quickly made Curb available in New York, Chicago and other cities after the acquisition.
Through Way2ride, Verifone has earned a large share of the New York yellow and green taxi payments market, and Way2ride played a role in many of Verifone's early forays into mobile payments, including tests of alternative technology such as using sound waves to enable contactless payments. Taxis in other cities such as Philadelphia also use Way2ride.
John Adams is executive editor of payments for American Banker. John interviews top executives in the payments, cryptocurrency and fintech... Read full bio
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