Wondering if I need cash for taxis in Australia or if I can just pay with card or app like in other countries?
I was in Perth earlier this year and used the 13cabs app for all my rides, especially going between Fremantle and the city. The app let me save my Amex and Visa cards and I never needed to touch cash. Even when I flagged a regular cab near Kings Park, the driver had a wireless terminal and didn’t mind card payment at all. He said nearly all passengers use card or app now. If you're used to paying with a card like in Europe or the US, Australia works exactly the same, just make sure your card is set for international use and has tap-to-pay enabled.
During my trip to Brisbane, I took taxis from both the airport and from South Bank after a concert. Both times the drivers preferred card payments and had contactless machines right next to the meter. I used my French BNP Visa debit card and it worked fine. I also used Uber and DiDi, which are widely used in Queensland and let you pay entirely through the app. No one asked for cash the entire week. Taxis in Australia are very card-friendly, but I still carried 50 AUD in cash just in case, didn’t end up using it.
I was traveling solo through Melbourne last month and used taxis a few times when the trams weren’t running late at night. Every single cab I got into had a Square or EFTPOS terminal mounted in the front, and all of them accepted Visa, Mastercard, and Amex. I used my Canadian TD Bank card and also Apple Pay on one trip. No driver asked for cash. Most locals seem to use apps like Ola or 13cabs, and both support full card payment. You can still pay with cash if you want to, but it's totally not necessary.
I was in Sydney in June and used a mix of Uber and regular taxis. With Uber, I paid everything through the app using my UK Revolut Visa, no problem at all. For regular street taxis, I used the 13cabs app, which lets you pre-book and pay in-app too. One night I flagged a cab outside the Opera House and they had a tap-and-go reader for card payments, so I paid with my Monzo Mastercard. No cash was needed the entire time. Even short trips around Newtown and Bondi were card-friendly. Honestly, Australia is very cashless now when it comes to taxis.