Can I pay taxis in United States in cash?

I was traveling solo in New Orleans last month and used both taxis and rideshare apps like Uber. Every taxi I used from the official queue at Louis Armstrong Airport had a working card reader. I paid with my French BNP Visa debit card and also used Apple Pay on my phone. Around Bourbon Street and the Garden District the drivers even encouraged card payments. They give printed receipts and you can tip using the terminal. However one night I flagged a cab late on Canal Street and the driver asked for cash saying his reader was offline so I gave him ten dollars. I recommend having a Visa or Mastercard and maybe twenty dollars in cash just in case.

I am from South Africa and visited Orlando Florida in May while doing the theme park circuit. I only took taxis a few times and each time I asked before getting in if they took cards. Most drivers had Square readers or built-in systems and I used my Capitec Visa card with no problem. At Disney Springs and Universal Studios I mostly used Uber but the taxi at the outlet mall accepted both cash and card. One driver told me that outside the tourist zones some taxis still ask for cash especially in smaller towns or late at night when their machines are down. So I always had twenty or thirty dollars in local cash as backup but never actually needed it.

I was in Chicago in June and honestly did not carry any cash at all. I used a Revolut Mastercard from Germany and paid for taxis both through Curb app and in person with no issues. The Curb app works like Uber you link your card and just pay through the phone. When I took a taxi from O Hare Airport to my hostel in Lincoln Park the driver had a screen mounted that accepted contactless cards and printed the receipt instantly. Even late at night the cab from Wrigley Field took my card without hesitation. Amex was also accepted but sometimes slower to process. Overall very card friendly city.

Just got back from a trip to San Francisco and I used my card for every taxi ride I took. Most of the yellow cabs there have a card reader right in the back seat where you can tap or insert your Visa Mastercard or even Amex. I used my UK Monzo card with no issues. I also used Uber and Lyft throughout my trip and both those apps let you pay with any card on file including Apple Pay. Only once did I get into a really old taxi near Chinatown where the driver said his machine was broken and asked for cash but I think he just preferred it. I would say carry a little cash just in case but expect that most taxis in big cities take cards.