Irish Rail web site

[markpb]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

There are have been wide spread issues with visa debit cards with many retailers in recent months, its not unique to Irish Rail. The entire point a visa debit card is that the retailer sees it as a standard visa card and is processed the same way

I've had debit cards (Halifax and then UB) for about three years and apart from some issues at the start, I've had no problems at all. Perhaps the problem are with the clearing process so I wouldn't notice them but certainly no retailer has turned away my debit card in over two years.

[ThomasJ]

Originally Posted by markpb

I've had debit cards (Halifax and then UB) for about three years and apart from some issues at the start, I've had no problems at all. Perhaps the problem are with the clearing process so I wouldn't notice them but certainly no retailer has turned away my debit card in over two years.

Yep, same here have had debit card from both halifax and lso ulster bank for over three years, have used it constantly at home and abroad, never had a single problem!

Given that PTSB are next to replace laser with visa, debit cards are going to be more widely used!

[Thomas Ralph]

Retailers can process Visa debit cards as normal Visa cards without any problem, in which case they'll be charged 3% or so of the transaction total. If their merchant service provider supports it, Visa debit and Visa Electron cards can be processed as a separate card type, and generally those will be charged a flat fee of about 40c per transaction for Visa debit and 10c for Visa Electron.

Problems arise where a retailer is dealing with the latter type of merchant service provider and hasn't ticked the box on their application form to accept Visa debit cards (probably because they haven't a clue what a Visa debit card is, or hadn't when they signed the merchant agreement five years ago), in which case their terminal will reject the card.

I have had very occasional issues with my Halifax Visa debit card but the problems were far outweighed by benefits attached to using it abroad and online. When I did use it to book IÉ tickets online, I was charged the €3 fee.

I am impatiently awaiting my PTSB Visa debit card.

[markpb]

Originally Posted by Jferb

So it states that no fee is charged for debit cards but provides no means of making a Visa Debit booking. Which is of huge concern to all us Ulster Bank and PTSB customers currently being converted from Laser to Visa Debit.

I just booked a ticket using my UB Visa Debit card. I selected Laser, entered my 4319 card number and it correctly did not add the credit card surcharge. It's not as intuitive as it should be but at least it worked.

[Mark Gleeson]

That appears to have been a recent change in the past entering a visa number in the laser box resulted in the charge appearing

It does not recognize the PTSB 6 digit 4319-35xx-xxxx-xxxx, then again they aren't in circulation yet

[bearded]

There is now a €2 transaction fee online, this applies to both Laser & Credit Cards. Though credit cards also incur an additional €1 charge.

Any idea when the €2 transaction fee was introduced?

[Mark Gleeson]

Wednesday. Its 2 euro per booking made which allows for up to 6 return tickets.

http://www.railusers.ie/forum/showpo...82&postcount=3

We don't like charges like this but equally we have been told of what is coming next and it has the potential to offer some interesting discounts beyond current.

Advice is book as early as possible as fares now vary by demand, so a seat at 10 euro will increase in price as the number of available seats reduces. But equally there will be more trains with 10 euro seats. Check out Dublin Galway its hard to find a train which isn't 10 euro if you look a few days ahead.

Our hands are tied on what we can say until the public launch of the new discounts, but fares are only going one way and thats down, how low will they go, well watch this space.

O2 customers can get 20% off under the O2 treats promotion and that will be available for a while yet