Frequently Asked Questions

Find out more about Cabubble, the online booking system for taxis and private hire services throughout the UK.

FAQs for Passengers

FAQs for Hackney Carriage (Taxi) and Private Hire Operators

FAQs for Passengers

General

What is Cabubble?

Cabubble is an online taxi booking system, specialising in UK airport transfers. Our fast and simple web platform lets you find the best fare and service and book a taxi in real time.

What type of vehicles do you have?

We provide an online booking system for taxi and private hire service providers – Cabubble does not operate its own vehicles. Your choice of vehicle depends on which operator you choose in our booking system – anything from a standard saloon car to an MPV or chauffeured limousine.

I use a wheelchair. Can I book a wheelchair-accessible vehicle with Cabubble?

There are many vehicle types offered in Cabubble. If a member cab firm offers wheelchair-accessible vehicles, you can book one.

What does it cost?

Signing up is free, and there is no charge for booking your taxi online through us, whether it's for a transfer to the airport or you're just heading into town.

There are lots of online taxi booking websites. Why should I use Cabubble?

Cabubble allows you to choose from a range of fully licensed taxi and private hire firms to give you the best possible choice. Our unique real-time system avoids the potential delays and errors of telephone bookings, and provides electronic confirmation for all transfers booked. Cabubble should not be confused with e-mail based taxi booking systems or online fare calculators which may give quotes you cannot actually book.

I live in North London but the system has offered me a taxi company in South London. Can I still book it?

Yes. You can choose any quote offered on Cabubble. It is your choice if you prefer to select a local taxi firm.

Can I book bus tickets and train tickets through Cabubble?

No, Cabubble is only for booking cabs online. We do not currently offer other transport services.

What are the benefits of using Cabubble to book my airport taxi?

Booking in advance means you'll know how much your airport transfer will cost, with the peace of mind of knowing your travel is all arranged and someone will be there to collect you. If you haven't booked in advance and have to catch a cab from the rank outside the airport it could be much more expensive. If you're travelling to the airport, booking a cab can be much cheaper than taking your own car, considering the expense and inconvenience of airport parking. If several people travel together, sharing a cab is often faster, easier and cheaper than public transport.

Does Cabubble offer car rental?

No. Cabubble does not provide any kind of vehicle rental services. Cabubble only offers online cab booking services.

Safety

Are my personal details safe?

Your personal details are stored securely in our database and are only used for providing you the Cabubble online taxi booking service. Please review our Privacy Policy for full details.

Is the website secure?

Cabubble uses the industry-standard HTTPS protocol to keep communication of private information secure between your browser and our servers, all of which are housed in a secure UK data centre. Look for the closed padlock icon somewhere in the browser frame on pages that contain your personal information: this shows the connection is secure. HTTPS is used by all reputable online businesses.

How do I know the cab firms are safe?

Only fully-licensed taxi and private hire operators are allowed to join Cabubble.

Who is responsible for my travel?

The taxi provider you choose will be solely responsible for your travel. Cabubble is an online booking platform, not a transport provider.

Fares

Does Cabubble guarantee cheap taxi fares?

Cabubble does not claim or guarantee to give you cheap taxi fares. We offer a wide selection of fares and services from different taxi operators to help you make an informed choice.

Who sets the fares?

Fares are set by individual firms.

I've seen a better online quote on a competitor site. Can Cabubble match it?

Cabubble does not set any fares on the site – you see the best fares currently available from our member firms. If you see a cheaper quote for your airport taxi elsewhere, you've got to ask yourself one question: do I really know what I am booking? Beware of sites that offer to 'choose the best taxi firm' for you, or do not make it clear up front who will provide your transport. What are they trying to hide? With Cabubble, you are always firmly in control. You're always booking direct with a named fully-licensed taxi or private hire operator.

Booking

The screen says my booking was successful but I haven't received the confirmation e-mail. What should I do?

Check that the message has not been blocked by any anti-spam tools, and that messages from the domain 'cabubble.co.uk' are allowed through. You can always resend the confirmation email from your online Cabubble account.

What if I have booked my taxi with the wrong details?

Simply cancel the booking in your Cabubble account and make a new one with the correct details of your intended transfer.

Can I book my Cabubble taxi by telephone?

No, all taxi and private hire cab bookings must be made using our secure online web system.

Can I use Cabubble to book taxis on my iPhone, Android or Blackberry mobile device?

Yes, you can use Cabubble to book taxis using the web browser of your mobile phone. Dedicated iPhone, Android and Blackberry apps are in development.

Payment

When do I pay for my cab ride?

Normally you can pay the driver on the day, though sometimes the cab firm will insist on pre-payment by card. This will be indicated on-screen when confirming your booking.

Can I pay in advance via the website?

No, Cabubble does not accept payments on your behalf. Contact your chosen cab firm direct to arrange payment in advance.

I'm travelling for business purposes. How do I get a receipt?

You should request a receipt from the cab driver or contact the relevant taxi firm directly. As we don't handle your payment, Cabubble can only provide you with the travel itinerary.

Travel

I'm booking a taxi to collect me from the airport. How do I find my car when my flight arrives?

This will depend on the services offered by your chosen airport taxi provider. The services they offer (such as a 'meet and greet' service) are shown on screen when you make your booking. In all cases you and the airport transfer provider will have each other's contact details, so you can call them if there is a problem.

My inbound flight is delayed. How long will my cab driver wait?

Your driver will wait for you according to the cab firm's own policy. If possible, you should contact your chosen airport transfer firm direct to tell them you will be delayed (contact details will be provided in your booking confirmation). Alternatively, if you anticipate being late at the time you book, you may prefer to choose a slightly later pick-up time.

What if my booked taxi never arrives?

Once your booking is confirmed through Cabubble, you should communicate directly with the relevant taxi company, whose details you will find in the online itinerary in your Cabubble account as well as in the booking confirmation email.

International

I live outside the UK and I'd like to use Cabubble to book an airport pick-up for my next visit to London. Can I still sign up?

Of course you can. Our efficient cab booking system will save you the time and expense of international phone calls to UK taxi companies or travel agents. You can book minicabs in London or anywhere else you're travelling in the UK.

The Company

Who runs Cabubble?

Cabubble is operated by Cabubble Limited.

What does Cabubble aim to achieve?

We aim to provide a secure and reliable online platform for people to book cabs online easily, while offering taxi and private hire service providers a simple and cost-effective opportunity to accept web-based enquiries.

FAQs for Hackney Carriage (Taxi) and Private Hire Operators

General

What is Cabubble?

So far, so good. Where's the catch?

We've seen these online bidding systems before. Why should we try Cabubble?

Is Cabubble a reverse auction taxi booking system?

Does Cabubble offer a taxi and private hire directory?

How much extra work does Cabubble guarantee?

How can I be sure Cabubble will pass jobs to me?

Who is responsible for the passenger's transfer?

Do you run background checks on the passengers first?

What if I'm running late?

What if I am unable to fulfil a confirmed transfer?

Can we use it for all taxi jobs?

Can Cabubble help me to fill airport transfer dead legs?

We've already got everything computerised in our office. Why should we replace it with Cabubble?

What kind of computer do I need to run Cabubble?

Technology

I'd like my passengers to use the Cabubble self-service online booking tool but don't have a website to integrate it with. Can you build a website for me?

Is there a Cabubble API?

What will using the Cabubble API cost?

Money

What does Cabubble cost?

What does it cost to offer an online quote through Cabubble?

Who controls the fares?

How do I get paid?

What if my passenger doesn't show up or doesn't pay?

Signing Up

I run a chauffeured limousine company / executive car service, not a minicab or taxi service – can I also join?

How can I arrange a demo?

Our licence is stuck in the post, can we join up in advance?

Operating Hours

What times of day can we use Cabubble?

General

What is Cabubble?

Cabubble is a fast and easy way to take bookings over the Internet. There are no sign-up costs or account management fees – it is a purely pay-as-you-go system, with a simple low fee per booking.

So far, so good. Where's the catch?

There is no catch. There are genuinely no up-front costs, and you are free to use Cabubble as much or as little as you please. We won't tell you how to run your business. Read our Terms of Use for full details.

We've seen these online bidding systems before. Why should we try Cabubble?

There is no convoluted bidding process with Cabubble – you are always in control. When a transfer request is made through Cabubble, it goes straight to one cab firm only – the firm chosen by the passenger. This all happens in real time with no need to respond to e-mails or pick up the phone.

Is Cabubble a reverse auction taxi booking system?

No. Cabubble is not a reverse auction system. The online cab booking is made direct with one taxi firm only, and the choice of firm is made by the passenger.

Does Cabubble offer a taxi and private hire directory?

No. Cabubble is a real-time booking engine for fully licensed taxi and private hire service providers.

How much extra work does Cabubble guarantee?

Cabubble does not guarantee any extra business – any extra work you get is down to what you choose tochoose to offer through our system.

How can I be sure Cabubble will pass jobs to me?

Cabubble does not guarantee to give you any jobs. When a customer makes a booking in Cabubble, it goes straight through to their chosen transport provider in real time, with no manual intervention.

Who is responsible for the passenger's transfer?

You, as the transport provider, are solely responsible for the transfer. Cabubble is an online system to generate extra jobs for you. We do not operate any vehicles of our own and accept no responsibility for the journey itself. It's your job to offer passengers safe and timely transfers.

Do you run background checks on the passengers first?

No, you accept bookings entirely at your discretion. Cabubble will provide passenger contact details so if you have any concerns you can contact them before the date of travel.

What if I'm running late?

You'll have the passenger contact details, so if you're behind schedule or need to contact them for whatever reason, you can.

What if I am unable to fulfil a confirmed transfer?

If you are unable to fulfil a transfer, you can cancel it in advance through our system and you will not be charged our fee. We recommend you also contact the passenger direct as a courtesy.

Can we use it for all taxi jobs?

Yes, you can. While our focus is getting people to and from the airport, you can use Cabubble for whatever trips you like.

Can Cabubble help me to fill airport transfer dead legs?

Cabubble is not designed for this, however you could receive a booking for the dead leg of an airport transfer.

We've already got everything computerised in our office. Why should we replace it with Cabubble?

Cabubble is not designed to replace any of your existing systems. It works alongside them and your phone lines as an additional means of generating jobs.

What kind of computer do I need to run Cabubble?

Cabubble runs entirely as a web-based application. This means there is no need to buy any special software, you just need a computer running any popular browser such as Firefox 3, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer 8 or similar.

Technology

I'd like my passengers to use the Cabubble self-service online booking tool but don't have a website to integrate it with. Can you build a website for me?

Although Cabubble builds online booking tools, we do not build websites for partner taxi and private hire service providers. Running your own website need not cost hundreds of pounds a month – it can be done for as little as £5 to £20 a year.

Is there a Cabubble API?

The Cabubble API is currently in development. This will make it possible to achieve straight-through-processing of transfer booking requests into your existing vehicle dispatch and tracking systems. If you'd like to know more, use the 'Contact Us' link at the bottom of the screen.

What will using the Cabubble API cost?

We have no plans to charge extra for the Cabubble API. The fee for a cab booking made through the API will be the same as for a standard booking.

Money

What does Cabubble cost?

There is no joining fee, there are no contracts to sign and no subscriptions to pay. If we don't generate any business for you, it won't cost you anything. We simply charge a small fee of up to £1.75 for each trip taken which was been booked via our system, and you will be invoiced monthly.

What does it cost to offer an online quote through Cabubble?

It costs absolutely nothing to offer a quote online. You only pay for successfully booked transfers.

Who controls the fares?

You set your own fares. Our system is designed with flexibility in mind, so you have the freedom to set your fares and many other variables.

How do I get paid?

You get paid in the same way you always have – the passenger will pay you direct. Cabubble will not transfer any payments from the passenger to you.

What if my passenger doesn't show up or doesn't pay?

As with a telephone booking you'll have the passenger's contact details, so you can resolve this matter according to your normal operating procedures.

Signing Up

I run a chauffeured limousine company / executive car service, not a minicab or taxi service – can I also join?

Yes. Cabubble allows you to offer a wide range of vehicles, and this includes chauffeured limousines and executive cars.

How can I arrange a demo?

Please contact us via the website – follow the 'Contact Us' link at the bottom of the screen.

Our licence is stuck in the post, can we join up in advance?

No. Cabubble operates a strict policy of only accepting applications from fully licensed taxi and private hire operators. This is both to protect passengers and uphold the reputation of all our member operators.

Operating Hours

What times of day can we use Cabubble?

As it's an online system, Cabubble operates 24 hours a day, all year round.