[article] Commuter anger as shop slaps 25c levy on Leap cards

[Mark Gleeson]

Irish Independent March 20 2012

Commuter anger as shop slaps 25c levy on Leap cards
By Aideen Sheehan Consumer Correspondent

A SHOP is imposing charges on commuters who are trying to save cash by using the Leap travel card -- but there is nothing the transport authorities can do to stop them.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/commuter-anger-as-shop-slaps-25c-levy-on-leap-cards-3054770.html

[Colm Moore]

It seems that NTA insists that cash payments for Leap are not surcharged, but they have less control on credit card payments being surcharged.

[karlr42]

I could say some things about that particular Centra from past experience, but they'd be libel.

Anyway, I don't blame the shops for this- I blame the powers that be launching Leap without the ability to top up at Irish Rail stations. There should be no need for rail passengers to be walking down Westland Row away from the rail station itself to pay for rail journeys and creating this issue. Madness.

[James Howard]

If it is only for card transactions, I can't really see the problem. The margins on leap cards are so low that a credit card fee on top of it would wipe it out entirely and the shop would effectively lose money on the transaction.

It also cost extra money to make the sale. A card transaction can take up to a minute which costs about 15 cent at minimum wage while a cash transaction takes a fraction of the time. You can double that to cover overheads. Meanwhile you could have somebody trying to buy a cup of coffee at 1000% gross margin walk out due to the size of the queue. The margin on all of these transactions is so low that the only reason the shops sell the stuff at all is in the hope that you might buy a cup of coffee.

If it is just for card transactions, you do have a choice to nip to the cashpoint outside Pearse station and get the cash out.

You can blame Irish Rail for not selling the tickets and the banks for the cost and time that credit card transactions take but it is a bit unfair to single out the shop.

[Thomas Ralph]

Meanwhile Veolia is happy to eat the 4% Amex charges!

[Destructix]

As it is a payzone machine that shop is earning a commission for every voucher/transaction it sells/completes.

[Thomas Ralph]

As it is a payzone machine that shop is earning a commission for every voucher/transaction it sells/completes.

But probably not very much. The shop has clearly determined that the market will bear the extra charge.

[Mark Gleeson]

If it is just for card transactions, you do have a choice to nip to the cashpoint outside Pearse station and get the cash out..
There is an ATM in the shop

Now try paying for a monthly ticket in cash, just not practical

[plant43]

As it is a payzone machine that shop is earning a commission for every voucher/transaction it sells/completes.

I think the merchant has to pay Payzone a fee as well.

[ThomasJ]

My mother has a leap card has topped up five or six times in shop within the blanchardstown area. Not once has she been charged extra and she has topped up in three or four different shops within the area.

[Thomas J Stamp]

shops charging for the use of debit cards/laser cards/top ups is a real bug bear for me. If one is to accept the justification for it, then every shop would impose the same charge over the same limit of transaction. The fact that it is so arbitarily applied says it all.

Go to the shop/method that doesnt change, its as simple as that.