Leave the cash at home. Minneapolis cabs are now taking plastic.

As of last Friday, all cabs in Minneapolis are required to accept credit cards and install electronic credit card readers. That's the result of a Council action this January, sponsored by Council Member Gary Schiff.

The move encountered resistance from the city's cab drivers, who said they would be saddled with additional processing fees. The head of the Minneapolis Taxicab Drivers and Owners Association, Yemane Mebrahtu, said last week that they hope to alleviate that problem by talking with credit card companies.

Grant Wilson, the city's head of business licensing, said last week that all large cab companies in the city are in compliance. The penalty for non-compliance is a $200 citation.

The ordinance explicitly states that drivers cannot turn anyone away for paying with a credit card. Here's the specific language, which may come in handy if a driver turns you away:

"No request for taxi service may be refused to any person desiring to use a credit or debit card on any grounds, including that a trip will not exceed a minimum length or generate a minimum fare"

In other taxi-related news, we recently reported that the streets are flooded with new cabs. It's a great thing for consumers, but cabbies are also struggling to make money.