Does an online taxi business need a licence?
Yes. The booking channel does not change the rules: in England and Wales you can be prosecuted for taking bookings for payment without an operator licence, and New South Wales treats any business whose purpose is to take and manage bookings to transport passengers for a fee as a booking service provider that must be authorised.[1][2]
What does an online taxi business need?
A way to book with the price shown first (website form and passenger app), card payments, dispatch that sends each booking to a licensed driver, notifications that tell the passenger where the car is, and records of every booking.
TaxiDex covers these with the web booker, your own branded passenger app on Google Play, automatic dispatch and booking records.
What does going online cost?
The fixed fees are small: $99 a year for an Apple Developer account and $25 once for Google Play if you publish your own app, and card fees per payment (Stripe charges 1.5% + 20p for a standard UK card). The large costs are the software and the drivers and cars behind the bookings.[3][4][5]
Build versus white-label is compared in taxi app development cost.
How do online taxi bookings start coming in?
From people already looking for a taxi near you: a complete Google Business Profile, a website that answers airport and local searches, and repeat riders who keep your app. Accounts with local businesses add steady weekday work.
See taxi marketing ideas and Google Business Profile for taxi companies.
Frequently asked questions
Can I run an online taxi business without owning cars?
Yes, as a booking operator working with licensed self-employed drivers and their cars, provided you hold the booking licence your area requires.
Do I need my own app to start online?
No: a booking form on your website is enough to start; add a passenger app when you have regular riders.
Sources
Fees and rules change. Each source is the official page we read, with the date we read it; check it before you apply or pay.
- [1] GOV.UK: Operator licences for private hire vehicles (read 3 Nov 2026)
- [2] NSW Point to Point Transport Commission: Do you need to be authorised? (fact sheet) (read 3 Nov 2026)
- [3] Apple Developer Program: membership fee (read 3 Nov 2026)
- [4] Google Play Console Help: registration fee (read 3 Nov 2026)
- [5] Stripe: UK pricing (read 3 Nov 2026)