The Leap Card Thread

[Mark Gleeson]

Please use this thread for all leap card issues/experiences

[Mark Gleeson]

Despite IBM and HP developing the system they have made a first year computer science error, they can't handle floating point numbers correctly



The system is having trouble as it is rounding numbers when it shouldn't

[James Howard]

So, if I understand this correctly, those of us on point-to-point tickets have to wait until sometime in 2012 to be able to add credit to our cards for use on the Luas or bus.

Going by the timescales of this project, that will probably be very late in 2012.

[karlr42]

Didn't realise this before, but the card I got delivered in the post this morning is not activated. Attempts to top up online fail and result in the following email:

In order to activate your new Leap Card, for your first transaction you will need to Top Up at a Luas Ticket Machine or a Leap Card agent; see www.payzone.ie to find your nearest agent. Once you have Topped Up for the first time you will then be able to use your card as normal, including purchasing online Top Ups.

Which kind of sucks. I'm not going to a Luas stop just for this when I live and work nowhere near a Luas line, and I'm not going out of my way to a shop just for this(as again, the only agents near me are not places I usually shop at).

Just going to shelve the card until it works with IE ticket machines and stick with my IE smartcard for now.

This roll-out is a bit of a joke. Why aren't IE's ticket machines ready?

[Colm Moore]

There is some fuzziness with the list on payzone.ie.

Can people tell us their experiences with buying and topping up, especially at Payzone agents?

[quartz]

The issue of credit expiry on the Leap card is not covered in the official FAQ on the website.

In response to a direct query, Leapcard Customer Care told me: "The credit will last 24 months on your leapcard after the last usage."

[Mark Gleeson]

Our understanding that if a card is not used in a 24 month period it will be cancelled and refunds at that point are at the discretion of leap card/NTA

If you put 10 euro on today and wait 23 month make on journey in month 25 your remaining credit will still be there

[peter t]

Why can't you buy these cards at train stations? A complete farce of a "roll out". The brother went looking for one at Connolly Station on Thursday but was told to go to the nearest agent. Sure what would one of the biggest and busiest transport hubs in the city be doing selling integrated tickets...

[Mark Gleeson]

Leap cards will be available from all Irish Rail ticket machines in the Dublin Short Hop Zone by Feb 2012. Some genius authorized the public launch without this in place.

It could be some time before Luas machines can issue cards as they never issued smart cards before now, but there are technically capable of doing so.

At no stage was it planned to sell/support smart cards through booking office windows. It would require total replacement of booking office equipment and there is no budget for that. The view was the ticketing vending machines could do everything as a self service operation. That has worked very well for Irish Rail's smart card until now.

Anyone holding an Irish Rail smart card can apply online for a free replacement leap card. Dublin Bus head office is the busiest leap card issuer.


Edit
Despite being published in the Irish Independent, RPA records say 75,000 Luas smart cards were issued.

For the record there should be as of today 10,000 leap cards in circulation (as in issued to the public) which is broadly equal to the total number of luas smartcards issued in its entire history.

[Mark Gleeson]

Dublin Bus seems to be charging 2.40 for flat fare Leap tag on's which seems to be in breach of the fare increase authorization.

Anyone who has discovered they have been charged 2.40 and not 2.20 should seek a refund

[Thomas Ralph]

Can you top up a Leap card by American Express?

[Colm Moore]

On-line: Laser, Visa, Mastercard

Payzone agent: Whatever cards are accepted - some agents may not accept credit cards for such transactions due to the low margins.

Dublin Bus head office: not sure

Irish Rail / Luas TVM: I don't think so.

[Mark Gleeson]

Irish Rail do not accept american express (despite what graphics you might see on the TVM's) Luas I think does

I'm going to DB HQ later so I'll check with them

[Thomas Ralph]

It transpires you can top up by Amex at Luas TVMs.

[peter t]

Just registered my card and added my first top-up on-line...or at least I thought I did until, it seems, that topping up on-line is way too logical a process for the leap card, so I have to go to a "load location" to "collect" my top-up. Selected IR, but what do I do to collect the credit that I bought on-line when I get there, seeing as you can't yet use the machines to top-up??? Bizzarre!

[markpb]

Originally Posted by peter t

Selected IR, but what do I do to collect the credit that I bought on-line when I get there, seeing as you can't yet use the machines to top-up??? Bizzarre!

The next time you tag on at a Dart stop, you card will automatically collect the credit. There's nothing you actively need to do - it will just happen.

[peter t]

Originally Posted by markpb

The next time you tag on at a Dart stop, you card will automatically collect the credit. There's nothing you actively need to do - it will just happen.

Thank you.

[24Green]

Any idea when ticket products and capping are to be implemented on the card? Thanks.

[Mark Gleeson]

Capping will be implemented on one operator in a few weeks from now (not hard to guess which). Not sure when all operators will issue caps and when multi modal caps will arrive

[24Green]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

Capping will be implemented on one operator in a few weeks from now (not hard to guess which). Not sure when all operators will issue caps and when multi modal caps will arrive

Quicker than I expected. That certainly is some good news!