There is no problem , this won’t or shouldn’t effect any decent driver that already accepts credit card payment.
It effects all drivers who work for Free Now or other dispatch firms. Free Now's freight has increased by 50% since our last fare increase. If NTA don't increase the booking fee for drivers in line with the directly attributable increased cost firms like Free Now will surely be inclined to take the money for themselves through something like a Technology Fee.
Card payments will only materially effect drivers when they can't get paid due to technology issues or as they suffer chargebacks on foot of being paid with stolen cards and/or on foot of client dissatisfaction with the service provided. Obviously, in more general terms drivers will be faced with additional costs as clients opt to use contactless rather than entering card details over dispatchers' websites. I doubt any dispatchers will lower their freight to offset savings on card processing, chargebacks, fraudulent transactions, etc...
I guess concentrating on the booking fee would be an uncharacteristically clever move by the unions as adjusting the same would not impact on meter programming and they are obviously already armed with information from at least one dispatcher (Free Now) suggesting an increase in line with the increase to freight imposed by that firm since our last fare increase wouldn't adversely impact demand.
Try reading that out loud to drunk/drugged punters in your car, trust me they'll pay with cash or even jewellery rather than let you ruin their buzz.
