If you make your way around New York, you know how vital taxis can be when you need to get somewhere without having to suffer through taking subways, buses, or even walking to your destination. For years, New York City cabs have had the ability to pay by credit card when you’re strapped for cash, but if you’ve ever wanted to pya by using ultrasound, now you can thanks to VeriFone.
VeriFone’s Way2Ride application now has the ability to allow cab patrons to pay for their ride wirelessly through the use of ultrasound. Once you enter the cab, Way2Ride users can tap a button within their application to generate an ultrasonic signal, which can be used to pay for the ride. When your cab ride comes to an end, the payment will automatically be deducted from the user’s pre-selected payment method, so make sure all of that is in the app prior to getting into the cab or you could be stuck fumbling with your phone through your entire ride.
The Way2Ride app also includes a number of cool features such as cab hailing, reporting lost items after you leave the cab and an estimate of your fare. As of now, Way2Ride will only support New York City cabs, but VeriFone plans to expand to over 70,000 taxis worldwide in the near future. You can pick up Way2Ride on either iOS and Android.
Filed in . Read more about New York City.