Most buyers compare dispatch software on the demo and the headline price, then discover the real terms after they sign. The twelve questions below flush those terms out early. Ask each one in writing, and treat a vague answer as a "no".
The 12 questions at a glance
| Topic | Ask this | A good answer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | What is the total over 3 years for my fleet? | An itemised written quote |
| Commission | Do you take a cut of each trip? | A clear yes or no, with the rate |
| Seats | Is there a per-driver or per-vehicle fee? | Fixed tiers or unlimited, in writing |
| Apps | Whose developer accounts publish the apps? | Yours |
| Data | Who owns customer and booking data? | You, with export on request |
| Go-live | What is the dated launch plan? | Milestones with dates |
1. What is the total price, including everything?
Ask for one itemised quote that includes setup, monthly fees, SMS and email, app-store fees and payment-processing fees. A headline monthly price is not a total. Compare vendors on the three-year total for your actual fleet size; our software cost calculator shows how to build that comparison.
2. Do you take commission on each trip?
Commission scales with your success. Ask for the rate in writing and model it at double your current volume. Taxi Web Design charges no per-trip commission; payment-provider transaction fees are separate. See zero-commission dispatch software for the maths.
3. Is there a per-driver or per-vehicle fee?
If the price rises every time you add a driver, growth gets more expensive. Ask whether pricing is tiered, capped or unlimited, and what happens the day you add your 26th driver.
4. Who owns the passenger and driver apps?
Apps published under the vendor's developer accounts leave you stranded if you switch. Ask for apps published under your own Apple and Google accounts so reviews, installs and brand stay with you.
5. Who owns my customer and booking data?
You should. Ask where the data is stored and who can access it, and whether you can export customers, bookings and rate cards at any time.
6. How long until we are live?
Get a dated plan. As a reference, a standard booking website can be prepared within about 24 hours once content and configuration are supplied, and branded mobile apps typically take 2 to 4 weeks including app-store review.
7. What support is included, and when?
Ask about hours, channels and response times, and whether onboarding and migration help are included or billed separately.
8. How do dispatch and driver assignment actually work?
Ask to see manual and automatic dispatch on a live demo, including what happens when a driver declines or does not respond. Judge it on your real booking types: airport transfers, hourly hire, corporate accounts.
9. Which payment gateways and integrations are supported?
List the tools you already use, such as payment provider, accounting software, flight tracking and messaging, and ask which are supported today versus planned.
10. How is my booking website found online?
Ask whether the booking website is included, who owns the domain, and whether pages are crawlable by search engines and AI assistants. A site that cannot be found does not generate bookings.
11. How do I leave?
Ask for exit terms in writing: notice period, data export format and what happens to the apps and domain. If a vendor resists, treat that as the answer.
12. Can I talk to a customer like me?
Ask for references with a similar fleet size and market, and read independent reviews as well as the vendor's own testimonials.
See every answer on a live demo
Bring this checklist to a demo and we will answer all twelve questions in writing, for your fleet size.
How to score the answers
- Green: a specific, written answer you can verify.
- Amber: a general answer ("it depends") with no figure. Ask again with your numbers.
- Red: a refusal to put terms in writing, especially on commission, data ownership and exit.
Read next: how to choose taxi dispatch software, taxi dispatch software for small taxi operators and Taxi Web Design pricing.
