“This study examined the relationship between contactless technology and customer perception of driverless taxis in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study investigated the relationship between two dimensions of contactless technology; payment systems and data transfer and two measures of customer perception; perceived quality and perceived value of driverless taxi services. Anchored on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the study employed a descriptive survey design. Data were collected from a sample of transport users and professionals in Port Harcourt through a structured questionnaire, and the data were analyzed using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) technique at a 0.05 level of significance. The results revealed that both payment systems and data transfer have a significant positive relationship with customers’ perceived quality and perceived value of driverless taxis. The study concluded that contactless technology plays a critical role in shaping user perception and acceptance of driverless taxis, particularly in developing markets where technological trust remains fragile.  This study recommended that transport service providers and financial institutions should collaborate to develop secure and user-friendly contactless payment systems and they should adopt robust encryption methods, redundant data backup systems, and real-time communication protocols to ensure accuracy, privacy, and integrity in data transfer between driverless vehicles, service platforms, and users.”

Keywords: Contactless technology, payment systems, data transfer, perceived quality, perceived value, driverless taxis.