Amos Tamam = Cabs and Credit Cards

When is the last time you rode in a cab? Since Americans started making the gradual move from carrying cash to credit cards to carrying debit cards, certain services were stubborn to accept plastic payment. Amos Tamam thought of a way for one of those services to come into it’s own in the 20th century: accepting credit/debit cards for a taxi fare. Granted, it took some real time and effort to finally implement this feature, but if you are a frequent cab customer, this is very convenient.

The way Amos Tamam was able to ensure that this invention was his idea, he had to apply for a patent. That means filing detailed paperwork with the patent office in Washington, D.C., drawing of how to engineer the invention and either selling the patent to a company, or use it on a product you manufacture yourself. Amos Tamam obviously built this invention and placed it in his fleet of cabs. The rest is history.

Amos Tamam - The Cab King

If you're a traveler, the preferred mode of transportation usually entails a cab ride. Whether in New York City or abroad, the cab has enjoyed popularity as an easy, convenient method of travel.

What exactly makes them so convenient and easy? They are usually on every street corner for one! And, they accept most methods of payment. Back in the day, cabbies only accepted cash. So, who was it that changed this concept? A man you may have never heard of, Amos Tamam.

So, who is this man? It's a typical "American Spirit" story. Amos Tamam is originally from Tel Aviv and came to New York City nearly 30 years ago to start fresh. He serviced cabs and eventually worked his way up in the cab fleet industry to be CEO of his company. It was at this time that he showed the technical expertise to implement the ability to pay for fares via credit cards as well as cash. Not to mention that he also improved travel time measurement resulting in capturing lost income from each cab ride.

No doubt about it, Amos Tamam made the most of his "fresh start."

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