How we score every firm — in the open
No secret formula. No pay-to-win. Here is the exact checklist a human reviewer works through before any company gets a TaxiRater Score, and exactly how those checks turn into a number out of 10.
Anyone can slap five gold stars on a taxi firm. What’s harder — and what actually helps you — is a rating you can interrogate. So we publish our method in full. If you disagree with a score, you can see precisely which checks earned it.
The six pillars (17 checks)
Every firm is assessed against the same 17 checkpoints, grouped into six pillars. Each pillar contributes to the final score, with safety and pricing weighted most heavily.
1. Licensing & safety Weighted ×2
- Valid operator licence with the local council
- Hire-and-reward insurance in force
- DBS-checked, licensed drivers & plated vehicles
2. Pricing transparency Weighted ×2
- Up-front quotes that match the final fare
- Clear airport, waiting & night surcharges
- No hidden card, luggage or “admin” fees
3. Booking & communication
- Booking is quick by phone, web or app
- Confirmations & driver details arrive promptly
- Real humans answer when plans change
4. Fleet & accessibility
- Well-kept vehicles suited to luggage & groups
- Genuine wheelchair-accessible options
- Child seats available on request
5. Airport competence
- Flight tracking for delayed arrivals
- Knows terminal drop-off & pick-up rules
- Clear meet-and-greet process
6. Reputation & complaints
- Consistent track record across sources
- Sensible, fair complaint handling
Turning checks into a score
Each checkpoint is scored, the safety and pricing pillars are double-weighted, and the total is normalised to a clean 0–10 TaxiRater Score. Here’s what each band means:
| Score | Band | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| 9.0–10 | Exceptional | Book with confidence. Licensed, transparent and consistently excellent. |
| 8.0–8.9 | Excellent | A strong, reliable choice with only minor niggles. |
| 7.0–7.9 | Very good | Dependable; check one or two points (often pricing clarity) before booking. |
| 6.0–6.9 | Fair | Fine for a straightforward trip, but shop around for airport runs. |
| Below 6 | Not listed | Doesn’t meet our bar — so it won’t appear in the rankings at all. |
What we don’t do
Our promise is as much about what we refuse to do as what we check:
- We don’t sell ranking positions. A firm cannot pay to move up. Getting listed and the score it earns are two separate things.
- We don’t publish AI-written reviews. Every verdict is written by a person. If it reads like a robot wrote it, it doesn’t go up.
- We don’t invent testimonials. We won’t put fake customer quotes under a firm to pad it out.
- We don’t hide the reasoning. The checklist above is the formula.
Keeping scores honest
Firms are re-checked periodically and whenever something material changes — a licence lapse, a fee that creeps in, a run of genuine complaints. A verified badge can be removed as quickly as it’s given. If you’ve had an experience that doesn’t match a score, tell us — real feedback is exactly what keeps this useful.
Think your firm scores well? Let’s check.
Apply to be assessed against these 17 criteria. If you clear the bar, you’re listed — with a direct link to your own site.