How much does it cost for a taxi to reach a customer and when does it have to be paid?
The taxi arrives at the address you indicated, and the meter already shows more than the initial fare. Where did this amount come from if you haven't even started yet?
The reason for this is often the paid transportation to pick up the passenger. In my opinion, it's best to agree on the price of the entire trip, and certainly any additional fees, upfront—before the contract is signed and the order is confirmed.
Is there an additional fee for a taxi to reach the customer?
You book a car to take you home in the city or to a guesthouse in a neighboring village. For you, the journey begins at your door.
However, the driver must first get there, sometimes covering more kilometers than you do. This is the distance that gets you to the customer.
There's no single nationwide rate for driveway access. Some companies charge no extra fee, others charge a fee outside a specific area, and still others include the cost in the minimum order price.
For example, Radomsko.Taxi offers free transportation within the city, but also applies minimum fares. "Free transportation" doesn't mean that any short trip will cost just a few zlotys.
Pickup should not be confused with the initial taxi fare . These are separate concepts, even if the carrier includes the cost of picking up the passenger in the overall price of the service.
How is the travel fee calculated?
When ordering a car, you may encounter several payment methods:
Payment method | What does it mean for the passenger? |
Access at no extra charge | You don't pay for it separately as long as your address is within the area covered by such an offer. |
Agreed amount | Before ordering, you will learn about the specific surcharge for providing a car. |
Fee per kilometer of travel | The price depends on the agreed section and rate; you need to know where the distance is calculated from. |
Leveling to the minimum | With a short rate, you pay extra up to a certain minimum order value. |
Price of the entire service | The company provides one amount that also includes travel, if agreed. |
The mechanism for matching the minimum fare is described, for example, in the iTaxi terms and conditions . Therefore, simply asking about the price per kilometer may not be enough to compare offers.
The settlement from the city border is described by GP RadioTaxi Wrocław : in the case of a journey taking place entirely outside Wrocław, the journey from the city border to the first address is calculated according to the first tariff.
This is a declared model of a specific company, not a nationwide rule or confirmation of the correctness of each such settlement.
Why do I have doubts about turning on the meter without a passenger?
In small towns, this method of payment is common: the driver turns on the taximeter after leaving their town, driving to a neighboring village to pick up a customer. The passenger then boards the vehicle, which already has a portion of the fare on its odometer.
The economic reason is easy to understand: the driver takes time, uses fuel, and travels without a passenger.
If the pickup location is remote and the subsequent trip is short, the customer's journey alone may not cover the entire cost of the job. This explains the need for a travel quote, but it doesn't address how it can be charged.
In my opinion, turning on a taximeter to calculate a ride when the passenger isn't yet in the car is questionable, to say the least. How is a customer supposed to know exactly where the device was activated?
Did the driver take the shortest route possible? Were there no stops along the way, and was the correct fare applied at all times?
A passenger who only sees the final amount usually has no way to check it himself.
I don't accuse every driver of overcharging. However, I believe this method of charging puts the customer at a disadvantage and raises moral concerns. Depending on local regulations, it may also violate transportation billing rules.
I believe it's appropriate to clearly state the specific surcharge before accepting the order. Simply stating that "delivery will be by meter" doesn't provide sufficient transparency, in my opinion.
The customer should make an informed decision, and not just accept the cost of something that has already been done when the car is delivered.
Price known in advance - the simplest rule for booking a ride
In my opinion, the best practice is to agree on a fixed price for the entire, clearly defined journey —a lump sum. After all, the passenger is primarily interested in how much they will ultimately pay to get from the pickup location to their destination.
The sequence should be simple: first an offer with the price and scope of the service, then its acceptance by the client, and then confirmation of acceptance of the order on the agreed terms.
All known costs should be presented before entering into the contract. Subsequent confirmation should not result in new additional charges not previously agreed upon.
If the entire course cannot be priced in advance, I consider it a minimum of fair service to provide specific prices for agreed additional services, including travel.
In the case of costs that depend on subsequent decisions of the passenger, e.g. additional stops, the calculation rules must be clarified in advance.
The flat-rate price should clearly specify what is included: travel, route, planned stops, and in the case of a multi-day trip, also the agreed costs of the driver's accommodation.
This eliminates most disputes over which kilometers were traveled with or without a passenger. A fixed price, however, does not eliminate the need for legally required billing.
How do we settle travel costs at Rabbit-Trans Poland?
At Rabbit-Trans Poland, we prioritize flat-rate pricing, provided it's appropriate for the order. Our base is located in the Tricity area, so we also factor in the vehicle's departure point for the passenger when pricing.
For example, when a customer orders a ride from Elbląg to Warsaw , we price the order as a Gdańsk–Elbląg–Warsaw car route , using the Gdańsk–Warsaw flat rate.
The driver still has to travel from our base to the pickup location. For the customer, this means a single price for the agreed-upon service, including travel.
We use half the kilometer rate for travel primarily for unusual orders for which we do not have a ready-made flat rate.
It can be a nationwide distribution or a journey on the Kołobrzeg–Poznań–Wrocław route, with overnight stays for the driver and additional stages.
In this case, we separately account for the journey from our base to Kołobrzeg, where the passenger's journey begins. This section, without the customer, is priced at half the kilometer rate for the given order.
To illustrate, at a rate of €1 per kilometer, the journey would cost €0.50 per kilometer . This is only a calculation example, not a current price offer. We price such assignments individually, taking into account the route and organization of the entire journey.
The method of calculating the cost is the responsibility of the carrier. The customer should receive a clear offer: a specific price, scope of service, and agreed-upon terms for any changes. They shouldn't have to guess which sections of the route they'll pay for.
Is it legal to charge for taxi fares?
A travel fee may be legal, but a price list or customer consent alone isn't sufficient if the billing method violates regulations. Three things need to be checked.
First, the surcharge shouldn't appear only at checkout. Article 10 of the Consumer Rights Act requires express consent for additional payments beyond the agreed-upon remuneration for the main service.
Consent must be obtained no later than when concluding the contract. This provision also applies to passenger transport. A different situation occurs when the initial cost of transport is included in the agreed price of the entire order. Consumer Rights Act, Articles 3 and 10 .
Secondly, local regulations are important. If the municipal council has established maximum prices and rates for taxi rides, arrangements with the passenger do not allow for circumvention of these limits. The mere name "travel surcharge" does not necessarily mean that a given amount may be added. Road Transport Act, Articles 11b–11c .
Thirdly, it is necessary to distinguish between the payment for the driveway and the moment the device is activated.
Gdańsk's public order regulations , § 8, paragraph 1 , link the activation of the taximeter to the passenger taking their seat and accepting their order. In Lębork, Annex 2, § 4, paragraph 2 , also provides for its activation after taking their seat in the vehicle.
Gdańsk regulations separately regulate the notification of surcharges: § 14 requires advance notice of the intended use and amount of surcharges, even when accepting orders remotely. However, this does not mean automatic approval of every possible surcharge. Gdańsk Public Order Regulations, § 14 .
In the reviewed regulations, I did not find a general prohibition on separately agreed additional fees for travel.
However, I do not consider this to be confirmation that any additional payment, in any amount, is permitted. Other settlement rules also apply. Industry custom and passenger consent do not replace the law.
License area and out-of-town tariff – what does the law actually say?
A taxi license covers the municipality, neighboring municipalities bound by an agreement, or Warsaw. It does not grant the freedom to operate anywhere.
However, the Act allows for travel outside this area, as well as exceptions for return journeys and customer requests from another area. Therefore, the statement that every trip must begin or end in the licensing municipality is too categorical. Road Transport Act, Article 6, paragraphs 4-5 .
The tariff is a separate issue. From an economic perspective, a higher extra-urban tariff may include the cost of empty kilometers. However, the license area itself does not mandate the inclusion of a specific "return tariff."
Appropriate zones and billing rules must be considered. For example, Gdańsk regulations require passengers to be informed of the zone division, and when starting and ending a journey in the same zone, they impose a single fare despite passing through another zone. Gdańsk Public Order Regulations, § 10 .
In my opinion, the combination of licensing regulations, local tariffs and company surcharges creates an unnecessarily confusing system.
It's especially important not to base your billing solely on the unwritten rule that "everyone does it." Eligibility for the course and the accuracy of the fee charged must be assessed separately.
Does a license for domestic passenger transport facilitate the organization of such routes?
For planned journeys between cities and routes with multiple stages, I consider a proper license for domestic passenger transport to be a better organizational solution than a taxi license.
It does not tie the transport to the municipal taxi license area. However, this is a separate activity: a license for transporting a passenger car or a vehicle for 8-9 people, including the driver, does not entitle the holder to operate a taxi. Road Transport Act, Article 5b, 11-12 .
Simply ordering remotely and paying by bank transfer does not resolve all formalities. For occasional transport by a vehicle with a capacity of up to 7 people, including the driver, Article 18, paragraph 4b provides, among other things , specific requirements regarding the form and place of conclusion of the contract, prior determination of the lump sum fee, and payment. Road Transport Act, Article 18, paragraphs 4a–4b .
The electronic form indicated there requires a qualified electronic signature; ordinary e-mail is not its equivalent.
Therefore, the convenience of online ordering must be combined with proper transport organization, appropriate licensing, and compliance with the requirements for the given vehicle. Civil Code, Article 78¹ .
Getting there, waiting, and returning empty – what are you actually paying for?
When picking up from an address, it's easy to confuse several different charges.
Waiting time refers to the time after you arrive at the pickup location. It's not another part of your journey. For example, Uber describes separate waiting times based on location and service type. Don't assume the same number of free minutes applies everywhere.
Cancellations after the car has been dispatched or no-shows may result in a fee even if the ride is not provided. These situations are covered by iTaxi's terms and conditions . It's worth checking the cancellation policy before confirming your order.
An empty return journey can be included in the individual quote. For example, City Taxi Szczecin, for routes over 50 km, describes the mileage as including the taxi's arrival and return to the city center. This doesn't mean that every driver can only add the cost of the return journey at the end of the journey.
What should you consider when ordering a taxi to avoid surprises?
Provide your exact pickup address and destination, then ask:
Is there an additional fee for travel to this address?
If so, what is the amount or from what point and at what rate will it be calculated?
Does the price include transportation and return of the vehicle? Is there a minimum fare?
Since when do I pay for waiting and what are the conditions for canceling an order?
It's best to keep the offer and confirmation of the agreed-upon terms. If you're surprised by the bill, ask for an explanation of its components and keep the receipt or e-receipt. These documents make it easier to file a claim with the carrier or the platform.
The full calculation of the travel price is described in the guide on how to calculate the cost of a taxi .
From the driver's perspective, I would add one more thing: the absence of a conflict with a passenger is not proof of correct settlement.
Don't count on a customer not asking about additional kilometers or a change in tariff. If a dispute arises, the argument "that's how we drive" may not be enough.
For a clearly defined journey, in my opinion, nothing is simpler than a fixed, lump-sum price. Agreed upon before the contract, including travel and all planned extras, it eliminates most of the need for later discussions.
The passenger knows what he or she is agreeing to, and the carrier knows the remuneration for which the service is provided.
FAQ - the most important questions about taxi arrival
Is taxi service always free?
No. It may be free in a specific area, charged separately, or included in the total order price. Please check the terms for your specific address.
When should I find out the amount of the travel surcharge?
Before entering into a contract, it's best to receive a specific amount in the offer, accept it, and only then confirm your order. The additional payment shouldn't be a surprise upon boarding.
Can the driver turn on the taximeter before I get in?
Mere consent to paid travel does not grant such an entitlement. Local regulations are important; for example, in Gdańsk and Lębork, they link the activation of the taximeter to the passenger taking a seat.
Does the flat rate price include transportation to pick up the passenger?
This should be clearly stated in the offer. A flat fee for the entire service may include travel, passenger travel, and any planned extras. It's worth checking the scope before accepting.
Does Rabbit-Trans always charge half the travel fee?
No. We initially use a flat rate. We primarily use half the mileage rate for unaccompanied journeys for individual pricing of non-standard assignments without a fixed flat rate.
Does the travel fee also include the driver's waiting and overnight stay?
This shouldn't be assumed. These are different components of the service. For longer or multi-day assignments, the offer should clarify which of these are included in the price.
What should I do if the additional payment only appears at the end of the course?
Ask for the basis and a breakdown of the invoice. Keep the offer, order confirmation, and receipt. If the fee does not match the agreed-upon amount, file a complaint with the carrier or the platform's customer service.
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