A CMT Chicago charge on your credit or debit card statement is a Chicago taxicab fare processed through Creative Mobile Technologies, the company whose card readers and touchscreens are installed in licensed Chicago cabs. If you see it, the near-certain explanation is that you, or someone authorized to use your card, paid for a cab ride in Chicago.
Why the Charge Says “CMT” Instead of a Cab Company
Creative Mobile Technologies, known as CMT, supplies the rear-seat card readers and point-of-sale equipment used in Chicago taxis and is an approved credit card processing vendor for the city’s licensed cabs.1City of Chicago. Approved Credit Card Processing Equipment for Taxis When you swipe, tap, or insert a card in the back of a Chicago cab, the payment runs through CMT’s system, so the merchant name on your statement is CMT rather than the taxi company or the driver.
What the Descriptor Looks Like
Billing descriptors are short — usually around 20 to 25 characters — and may combine a merchant name, city, state, and a reference code.2Stripe. Billing Descriptors A CMT taxi charge typically appears as some version of “CMT CHICAGO IL” followed by a string of numbers. That numeric string is CMT’s internal reference for the ride, not a separate charge. Different banks truncate the text differently, so the exact wording varies from statement to statement.
Does the Amount Match a Cab Ride?
Chicago taxi fares are metered. The flag pull is $3.25, with $2.25 per mile and $0.20 for every 36 seconds of elapsed time.3City of Chicago. Chicago Taxi Placard Paying by card adds a $0.50 convenience fee, and rides leaving O’Hare or Midway add a $4.00 Illinois airport departure tax.4Flash Cab. Rates A ride between Midway and downtown generally runs about $35 to $40 before tip.5City of Chicago. Midway Taxi Information Whatever tip you added on the touchscreen is included in the single charge you see.
Compare the amount and date to your calendar or travel history. A trip you forgot about, a ride someone else on your account took, or a late-night cab you don’t remember booking are all common sources of a charge that at first looks unfamiliar.
Getting a Receipt or Reaching CMT
Receipts are not emailed automatically after a ride. To get one, use the online request form run by CMT’s consumer brand, Curb. You’ll need your name, email, phone number, the approximate drop-off date and time, the amount, and the first five and last four digits of the card.6Curb. Customer Receipt Request CMT also runs a 24-hour help desk at (877) 268-2947 for questions about a specific charge.7NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission. Authorized Technology Service Providers
Disputing a Charge You Didn’t Authorize
If you’re confident the ride wasn’t yours, dispute the charge with your card issuer. The Fair Credit Billing Act gives you 60 days from the statement date on which the charge appeared to notify the issuer in writing. The issuer must acknowledge the dispute within 30 days and finish its investigation within two billing cycles, and you aren’t required to pay the disputed amount while that plays out.8Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. How Do I Dispute a Charge on My Credit Card Bill
A different situation: you took the ride, but the driver overcharged you — for instance, by demanding a flat rate instead of running the meter. That’s a complaint for the city’s Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection. You can file by calling 3-1-1 or through Chicago’s online cab feedback portal.9City of Chicago. Cab Feedback Drivers found guilty of charging illegal flat fares face a minimum $300 fine and must refund the entire fare to the passenger.10NBC Chicago. Undercover Investigation Reveals Chicago Cab Drivers Overcharging Riders
One boundary worth naming: CMT processes payments for traditional licensed taxis, not for rideshare services like Uber or Lyft. If what you actually took was a rideshare, the charge on your statement will come from that company, not from CMT.