Use this article when a driver presents with GPS or fare issues. Correct setup, system errors and in-trip symptoms are covered below.
Correct startup sequence
The order in which the antenna and terminal are powered on directly affects GPS performance. Walk the driver/operator through this if they haven't already done it.
Switch the antenna on first and wait for the red LED to blink
Power the terminal on after the antenna is active
In the a2bpay app, open the navigation menu, open System and confirm all indicators are green and the location looks current
At the end of the shift, power the terminal off completely
Important: If the terminal is powered on before the antenna, GPS may not be acquired correctly. This is the most common cause of GPS issues on site.
System error indicators
If any indicator in the app is red, the driver should not start a trip until it is resolved. Tapping a red indicator shows specific instructions. The three error types are:
Error | Cause | Resolution |
Bluetooth is off | App cannot connect to the antenna | Tap Enable Bluetooth in the app |
Device not detected | Antenna is off, out of range, or not pairing | See troubleshooting steps below |
GPS not available | Antenna has not yet acquired a satellite signal | See troubleshooting steps below + move to open sky |
Troubleshooting: device not detected / GPS not available
Work through these steps in order:
Confirm the antenna is switched on and the red LED is blinking
Check the antenna's MAC address starts with
84:C2:E4— if it does not, the unit needs to be replaced and cannot be resolved in the fieldMove the terminal within 4 metres of the antenna to test signal strength. If GPS works at close range, the Bluetooth signal is too weak in its normal position — contact support
Move the vehicle to an open area with clear sky and wait a few minutes for a satellite fix
If GPS is still unavailable after 20 minutes, restart the terminal
Last resort: Power off both the antenna (wait for the red LED to stop blinking) and the terminal. Switch the antenna back on first, then power on the terminal
Replace the antenna if the MAC address does not start with 84:C2:E4. This cannot be resolved through configuration.
No errors showing — but fare is running slow
GPS can drop mid-trip without triggering a visible system indicator. Suspect a GPS issue if the driver reports either of the following:
Fare incrementing very slowly — running at time rate rather than distance rate
Receipt showing a clearly wrong suburb for pickup or dropoff (note: adjacent suburbs such as Beaconsfield/Alexandria are normal)
If outside a tunnel or known poor-signal area, run through the troubleshooting steps above. Distance compensation will apply automatically once GPS signal is restored.
Pop-ups when starting a trip
These appear when the driver taps Start Trip before GPS is ready:
Antenna disconnected — resolve the antenna connection before starting the trip
GPS location is old — tapping Start Now gives the app 90 seconds to resolve the pickup location while the trip is underway. Resolving GPS before starting is always the preferred approach
Note: The GPS location pop-up is available on a2bpay app version 3.4.0 and above.
Need help?
If GPS issues persist or a trip has been affected, collect the following before contacting support:
A photo of the GPS info screen showing the Terminal ID and date/time
The trip receipt if a fare was affected
A photo of the fare breakdown screen if available
If any issue cannot be resolved on site, please contact Cabcharge EFTPOS support:
📞 1800 652 229