Paying for a pre-booked intercity taxi in Israel comes down to three options: cash, Bit or PayBox to the driver; a credit card only through a payment link, with a 10% surcharge; or a bank transfer, only in advance — and the price is fixed before the car moves. A taxi from Jerusalem to Ben Gurion Airport costs from ₪290 by day under the official 2026 meter tariff, ₪5.78 booking surcharge included, and traffic on Highway 1 does not change that figure. Below: each method in detail, plus deposits, invoices, cancellations and paying for a ride you are not sitting in.
The three ways to pay — and when a deposit comes in
Almaxpress is a Jerusalem-based intercity taxi service, running 24 hours a day from Sunday to Friday (24/6) with no rides on Shabbat or the Jewish holidays. Every ride is pre-booked and pre-priced, so payment is never a negotiation at the kerb.
1. Cash, Bit or PayBox to the driver
Pay the driver the agreed amount at the end of the ride: cash in shekels (₪, ILS), Bit or PayBox. If you land without local currency, there are ATMs in the Terminal 3 arrivals hall.
2. Credit card — payment link only, 10% surcharge
Drivers do not take cards, so a card payment never happens in the car: once your booking is confirmed we send a payment link, and card payments carry a 10% surcharge on the agreed price.
3. Bank transfer — in advance only
A bank transfer is accepted only in advance, before the ride. Ask when you book, and we confirm the details in writing together with the price.
When a deposit may be requested
For large vehicles (6-seat large taxi, 10-seat van, 19-seat minibus) and long trips such as Eilat or Haifa, a deposit may be requested at booking. The balance is settled by any method above, and the amount appears in the written confirmation.
"Fixed price agreed in advance" — what it actually means
Israeli taxis run on a government-regulated meter, and a pre-booked intercity ride is priced by the same official tariff: ₪12.46 flag drop, then ₪1.95 per km for the first 10 km and ₪3.79 per km beyond, plus ₪1.95 per minute (Tariff A, daytime); distance and time are metered together. Tariff B (night) raises the per-minute and first-10-km rates by 20% and the over-10-km rate by about 10%, so an intercity trip costs roughly 14% more; Tariff C (late on Thursday night, or after Shabbat or a holiday ends) raises them by 40% and about 21%, roughly 28% more. The price we quote is that tariff calculated for your date, time and route, and the confirmation names the tariff that applies.
Once agreed, a traffic jam on Highway 1 or a detour does not change the price: the amount in your written confirmation is the amount you pay. The full arithmetic is in our 2026 taxi meter tariff guide.
What the price includes — and what you never pay
Every quote covers the whole metered ride for a regular taxi (up to 4 passengers, up to 3 large suitcases). A daytime Jerusalem → Ben Gurion ride (54 km, about 48 minutes) shows where each shekel goes: ₪12.46 + 10 × ₪1.95 + 44 × ₪3.79 + 48 × ₪1.95 + ₪5.78 booking surcharge = ₪298.10, rounded down to "from ₪290". The only items that can be added:
| Item | Amount (2026) | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-booking surcharge (phone / website) | ₪5.78 | Every pre-booked ride — already inside our "from" prices |
| Departure-from-Ben-Gurion surcharge | ₪5 | Only when the ride starts at the airport |
| Highway 6 toll | About ₪20, at cost | Only if the route uses it (Jerusalem to Haifa, for instance); Carmel Tunnels likewise at cost |
| Luggage or extra-passenger surcharge | ₪0 | Abolished in 2020 — never charged |
| Baby seat or booster (any age) | ₪50 per seat | On request when you book, subject to availability |
| Credit card payment (payment link) | 10% | Only when paying by card — drivers do not take cards |
| Waiting time | Per minute at the meter's time rate: ₪1.95 (Tariff A), ₪2.34 (Tariff B), ₪2.73 (Tariff C) | After 10 free minutes at an address pickup, or 45 free minutes from landing at Ben Gurion; also short stops or waits during the ride |
If anyone quotes you a "luggage fee" or a "per-person fee" for a taxi in Israel, that is not the official tariff. Our complete 2026 list by route is on the price list page.
Example prices 2026: what you will actually pay
Regular taxi, official meter tariff in force since 1 April 2026, booking surcharge included, rounded down to the nearest ₪10; final price confirmed at booking. Rides starting at Ben Gurion include the ₪5 airport surcharge.
| Route | Distance | Drive time | Tariff A (day) | Tariff B (night) | Late night / after Shabbat or a holiday (Tariff C) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jerusalem → Ben Gurion Airport | 54 km | ~48 min | from ₪290 | ₪330 | ₪370 |
| Ben Gurion Airport → Jerusalem | 54 km | ~50 min | from ₪300 | ₪340 | ₪380 |
| Jerusalem → Tel Aviv | 67 km | ~64 min | from ₪370 | ₪420 | ₪470 |
| Tel Aviv → Ben Gurion | 26 km | ~29 min | from ₪150 | ₪170 | ₪190 |
| Jerusalem → Haifa | 151 km | ~105 min | from ₪770 | ₪870 | ₪970 |
| Jerusalem → Eilat | 346 km | ~244 min | from ₪1,780 | ₪2,010 | ₪2,240 |
Any other destination is priced by the same official meter tariff — get an instant price in the calculator. Large vehicles carry no public price: book a 6-seat large taxi, 10-seat van or 19-seat minibus on the large taxi page and we confirm the price within minutes.
Know the price before you get in
Enter pickup, destination, date and time — the calculator shows the 2026 tariff price; you choose how to pay.
Tax invoice by email — for every payment, whatever the method
A full tax invoice is issued for every payment and sent by email, whether you paid cash, by Bit or PayBox, by card or by bank transfer. Business customers can receive one monthly invoice — see our business travel guide. Give the right email address at booking — often finance, not the traveller.
Paying for someone else: parents, guests, colleagues
Because a card is paid through a payment link and a bank transfer is made in advance, payer and passenger need not be the same. You book, we confirm the price in writing and send you the payment link (10% card surcharge) or take your bank transfer in advance; the passengers are met in the Terminal 3 arrivals hall by a driver holding a sign with their name and ride to the door without touching a wallet. Tell us who is travelling, their phone number, and where the invoice goes. More in our Ben Gurion pickup guide; a taxi from Ben Gurion to Jerusalem is from ₪300 by day, the ₪5 airport surcharge included.
Cancellation policy: the 24-hour and 6-hour lines
Cancellations follow one written rule, published on our terms page:
- More than 24 hours before pickup: free.
- Between 24 and 6 hours before pickup: up to 50% of the agreed price.
- Under 6 hours before pickup, or no-show: 100% of the agreed price. A no-show means no contact within 30 minutes of the booked time, or within 90 minutes of landing at Ben Gurion.
- Always in writing — WhatsApp or email.
If your plans are fluid, book anyway and cancel in writing as soon as you know — nothing is charged up to the 24-hour line. Need a different time instead? Tell us in writing: the tariff follows the date and time, so the price is re-confirmed for the new slot.
Flight delays versus cancellations
A flight delay is not a cancellation. The driver tracks your flight, so a delay costs nothing: if it lands late or early the driver adjusts and waits in the arrivals hall with your name sign, and up to 45 minutes from actual landing are free. After that, waiting is charged per minute at the official meter's time rate. If the airline cancels outright, tell us in writing as soon as you know — the earlier the notice, the lower the tier.
Tipping a taxi driver in Israel
Tipping is not obligatory in Israel, and there is no expected percentage. Rounding up the fare is a common courtesy — that is all it is. If you paid by card and still want to leave something, hand the driver a small amount in cash.
Shabbat, holidays and paying for a Saturday-night ride
Almaxpress does not drive on Shabbat or on the Jewish holidays — from candle-lighting on the eve until Shabbat or the holiday ends. Rides after Shabbat or a holiday ends are pre-booked and depart once it is out, roughly an hour after sunset; the exact time shifts weekly with the season, so check that week's Havdalah time before fixing a pickup slot, and book (and settle any card payment) before Shabbat comes in on Friday.
The Shabbat and holiday tariff day runs until 05:59 on Sunday, so a ride starting after Shabbat ends is charged Tariff B until 19:00 and Tariff C from 19:01: in winter, when Shabbat ends before 19:00, a departure at 18:30 is Tariff B; in summer the same ride is Tariff C. Jerusalem → Ben Gurion on a Saturday night is therefore ₪330 under Tariff B or ₪370 under Tariff C, and your written quote says which.
Friday runs the other way: Tariff A until 16:00 and Tariff B from 16:01 until Shabbat begins, and Friday rides are planned to finish before candle-lighting. There is no service on the holidays either, just as on Shabbat, and service resumes when the holiday ends, by advance booking: Rosh Hashanah (12–13 September 2026), Yom Kippur (21 September 2026), Sukkot (26 September 2026), Simchat Torah (3 October 2026), Pesach (22 and 28 April 2027) and Shavuot (11 June 2027). Holiday eves follow the Friday pattern. More in our Saturday-night and holidays guide.
Questions about a specific case? Call or WhatsApp +972-50-912-2133, or use the contact page. New to Israel? Our taxi in Israel for tourists guide covers the basics. Note that the service is intercity rides only — no rides within a city.
Bottom line
- Cash in shekels, Bit or PayBox to the driver; credit card only through a payment link, with a 10% surcharge; bank transfer only in advance, before the ride; a deposit may be requested for large vehicles and long trips.
- Fixed price = the official 2026 meter tariff for your date and time; traffic does not change it. Jerusalem → Ben Gurion from ₪290 by day, ₪5.78 booking surcharge included.
- Only extras: ₪5 when the ride starts at Ben Gurion, Highway 6 (about ₪20) at cost if used, 10% when paying by card, and waiting beyond the free minutes, per minute on the meter. No luggage or passenger surcharges; a baby seat or booster is ₪50 per seat, on request and subject to availability.
- Tax invoice by email for every payment; business customers can receive one monthly invoice. Tipping optional.
- Cancel in writing: free over 24 h, up to 50% at 24–6 h, 100% under 6 h or no-show. A flight delay costs nothing, and up to 45 minutes from landing are free.
Frequently asked questions
Can I pay for a taxi in Israel with a credit card?
Yes, but only through a payment link, with a 10% surcharge — drivers do not take cards, so nothing needs to happen in the car.
Do I pay more if there is traffic?
No. The price agreed at booking is the official meter tariff for that date and time, and it stays fixed regardless of traffic or detours.
Is there an extra charge for luggage?
No — luggage and per-passenger surcharges were abolished in 2020. A regular taxi takes up to 4 passengers and up to 3 large suitcases.
How much does it cost to cancel a taxi booking?
Nothing more than 24 hours before pickup; up to 50% between 24 and 6 hours; 100% under 6 hours or for a no-show. Cancel in writing, by WhatsApp or email.
Can I pay for a taxi for my parents or guests?
Yes. Book and pay by bank transfer in advance or by card through a payment link (10% surcharge); the passengers are met by a driver with a name sign in the Terminal 3 arrivals hall, and the invoice can go to you or to them.
Do I need to tip the driver?
No — tipping is not obligatory in Israel. Rounding up the fare is a common courtesy, nothing more.
Will I get a receipt or an invoice?
Yes. A full tax invoice is issued for every payment and sent by email, whichever way you paid; business customers can receive one monthly invoice.
One fixed price, paid your way
Get the 2026 tariff price for your route in seconds, then pay in cash, Bit or PayBox to the driver, by card through a payment link (10% surcharge) or by bank transfer in advance.
