Taxi dispatch software: 12 things to check before you buy

Why the checklist matters

Dispatch software is the heart of a taxi business. If it matches rides badly, drivers drive empty, riders wait and both leave. Most systems look good in a demo. The differences show up on a busy Friday night, at the airport, or when a customer calls instead of using the app.

Use these 12 points to compare vendors on the things that matter in daily work. For each one, ask the vendor to show it, not just say it.

1. Automatic dispatch that fits your city

The system should send each ride to the best driver automatically, based on distance and arrival time, not just a straight line on the map. Ask how it handles drivers who reject jobs, pre-booked rides and busy areas like the airport or the train station.

Ask to see: what happens when the nearest driver doesn't answer.

2. Phone bookings in the same system

Many riders still call, especially older customers and businesses. Your operators should be able to create a booking in the same panel, so every ride, from the app or the phone, is on one map and in one report.

Ask to see: an operator creating a phone booking and assigning it by hand.

3. A live map of your fleet

Your team needs to see every car, every ride and every waiting rider in real time, and step in when something goes wrong.

Ask to see: the map during a busy hour in a real market, if the vendor has one.

4. Tariffs and zones you control

Your prices are your business. You should be able to set a pickup fee, price per kilometer and per minute, minimum fares, in-town and out-of-town zones, fixed routes and different ride classes, and change them yourself.

For example, HOPIN runs a different tariff in each of its 8 Slovak cities and a fixed €75 price from Bratislava to Vienna airport, all set up in its admin panel.

Ask to see: setting up a fixed airport price and a second city.

5. A driver app drivers actually like

If drivers don't like the app, they won't stay online. Look for one-tap job acceptance, built-in navigation, chat with the rider, clear earnings and simple registration.

Ask to see: the driver app on a real phone, and ask drivers who use it what they think.

6. A passenger app under your brand

Dispatch alone doesn't bring you riders. A passenger app with your name, logo and colors lets riders book you directly. Check whether the vendor's app is generic, carries their brand, or is fully yours, and what a fully branded app costs. See the HOPIN passenger app.

Ask: will the app be published in my own App Store and Google Play accounts?

7. Payments and invoicing

Riders expect card, cash and in-app payment. Companies expect one invoice a month. Check which payment providers work in your country, how refunds and driver payouts work, and whether business accounts with spending limits are included. See HOPIN business accounts.

8. Reports you can use

You need rides, revenue, cancellations and driver performance, by day, by driver and by area, with exports for your accountant. Good software also shows how riders behave over time: how often they ride and whether they come back.

Ask to see: last month's report for a real fleet.

9. Reliability

A dispatch system that goes down loses you rides and trust. Ask for the uptime the vendor commits to in the contract, not only on the website. Vendors publish different figures: TaxiCaller states 99.999% uptime, Onde 99.98% and Atom Mobility 99.9%.

Ask: what uptime is in the contract, and what happens if you miss it?

10. Support when you need it

Taxis run at night and on holidays. Check whether support is available 24/7, by which channels, and how fast they answer. Ask whether support comes from people who understand taxi operations, not only software.

11. Integrations and API

You may need to connect the system to your phone line, your accounting software or a partner's booking system. Some vendors offer VoIP and caller-ID integration and an open API. Ask what's included and what costs extra.

12. The pricing model and the exit

Dispatch software is priced per vehicle, per ride, as a revenue share, or as a monthly fee. Work out what you'd pay in year one and year three, as your fleet and rides grow. Then check how long the contract runs and how you get your data out if you leave. Our pricing guide compares the models.

Beyond dispatch: will it help you grow?

Dispatch software helps you run rides. It doesn't always help you get more of them. If growing your rider base matters to you, also ask:

• Can I send welcome messages, reminders and win-back offers from the system?
• Are referral codes and vouchers included?
• Can I see ride frequency and 30-day retention?
• Does the vendor help me after launch?

This is the gap the HOPIN Growth System was built for. See how vendors compare on this in our comparison of white-label taxi platforms.

The checklist on one page

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