E-taxi company Hailo has launched a new service that lets any taxi driver in London accept credit card payments with just their badge number.

First introduced in Ireland last week, the new service isn't aimed at Hailo customers specifically -- any traveler can use it to pay a Hailo-registered taxi driver. So rather than fumbling around for cash, you visit HailoPay through a browser, enter your credit card details and the driver's badge number, and that's it. You will also see the driver's name and photo on your screen so you can be sure you're paying the right person.

Interestingly, Hailo also says it will charge nothing for the service. So why this major show of altruism? Well, there are a couple of reasons. Hailo has been pushing hard to regain the love of taxi drivers in the U.K. capital after the company moved beyond traditional black taxis and began offering private cabs too. Hailo's office was attacked by angry taxi drivers who had long protested Uber's unlicensed operations in the space.

But with Uber slowly conquering major conurbations around the world, including London, Hailo has been backtracking to focus specifically on drivers of London's iconic hackney carriage. Indeed, Hailo handed its private license back last month, and promised to fight tooth-and-nail to protect the traditional London taxi industry.

Hailo was one of the frontrunners in the emerging e-taxi space back in 2011 when it launched in London. Backed by some big-name investors, Hailo began a major global rollout covering Europe, Asia, and North America -- however, after saying that Uber spends money like drunken sailors, the company pulled out of the U.S. last October.

Besides trying to shoehorn its way back in taxi drivers' good books, the move also gives Hailo the opportunity to cross-sell the main app that lets anyone beckon a taxi with the tap of a few buttons. Indeed, on the "Send Receipt" page following the transaction, the company woos would-be customers with a promo code to receive a discount on their first trip.

It's a simple but smart offering from Hailo, one that lets friends split fares or pay part cash and part card. But whether it's enough to combat the growing presence of Uber in the capital, which generally offers cheaper fares in private vehicles, remains to be seen.