Leap Card quirks

plodder · 30-04-2015 4:15pm #1

I'm an occasional Leapcard user and have found it pretty good over all, but there are a few quirks in the online topup system that are quite frustrating, and I wonder is there a plan to do anything about it.

1) Selecting a network to receive the credit. That's pretty strange as you might not know in advance whether you're going to use the DART or the bus etc.

2) Topups not taking effect until the following day. This is particularly annoying for casual users and also hard to understand why it's needed. If you check your balance online, and decide to topup, then why can't it least be sent immediately to the relevant network?

I know there's also an option of automatic topups, but I have a problem in principle with just giving an automatic 10 euro float to the system that I never see again. If that were 2 or 3 euro's (the cost of one journey) then maybe I would use it.

Dravokivich · 30-04-2015 4:20pm

The card needs to be updated by a validator. Each operator is responsible for the valaidators within their own networks.

It's why you have to select one. it's why there's a delay in it being available.

Just for your awareness. Your balance is on your card. Not your account. The account is a historical view of upto the previous day.

Everything with transactions on leap, through the website is at least a day behind. When ordering topup/tickets for your card, or viewing card usage.

plodder · 30-04-2015 4:31pm

Yeah, I figured balance being stored on the card is at centre of it all right.

That doesn't explain the overnight delay getting the topup transaction to the relevant network though, which is definitely the most frustrating aspect. Why can't that happen immediately?

Also, really the operator networks should be more transparent to the users. Long term, it's not an ideal solution (for the users)

Dravokivich · 30-04-2015 4:46pm

Its easier to bulk batch transactions, then to burst individual ones. It's why a lot of finance stuff generally runs overnight. Also if something is sent to all operators, I don't think they can really control when something is collected in one, then the other. Reducing it to within an operator, means they can control when it's collected from a device.

If it was "one leap network" how you want it would be fine. but it isn't. It's each operators network passing updates back and forward with leap.

coylemj · 30-04-2015 4:52pm

plodder wrote: »

1) Selecting a network to receive the credit. That's pretty strange as you might not know in advance whether you're going to use the DART or the bus etc.

If you're accidently overcharged on your Oyster card in London and they notify you that you're due a refund, you have to nominate a specific tube or mainline (London) station where you'll pick it up so not much different really.

plodder · 30-04-2015 4:57pm

Dravokivich wrote: »

Its easier to bulk batch transactions, then to burst individual ones. It's why a lot of finance stuff generally runs overnight.

Batch processing is a bit 1970's though

Would be a bit like emails being collected and sent over night ...

Also if something is sent to all operators, I don't think they can really control when something is collected in one, then the other. Reducing it to within an operator, means they can control when it's collected from a device.

If it was "one leap network" how you want it would be fine. but it isn't. It's each operators network passing updates back and forward with leap.

Sure, I see that aspect all right. But, you should be able to send an individual transaction to the specific target network immediately though. Whatever about the validator equipment, the back-end systems must surely be online and able to communicate with each other.

On comparing with London's Oyster, it's curious that it has exactly the same limitations, but it's a much older system.

coylemj · 30-04-2015 10:42pm

plodder wrote: »

On comparing with London's Oyster, it's curious that it has exactly the same limitations, but it's a much older system.

Oyster may be an 'older system' but when Leap was launched, it didn't have a single feature that Oyster was lacking.

I had an Oyster card which was registered online, I lost it in London city centre one night so on the way back to my hotel, I purchased a new card for a fiver or so at a tube station machine and when I got back to my hotel, rang the Transport for London helpline. They cancelled the old card and by 8 a.m. the next morning the credit on the old (lost) card was transferred to my new card.

Try doing that with Leap!

Captain Chaos · 30-04-2015 10:46pm

coylemj wrote: »

I had an Oyster card which was registered online, I lost it in London city centre one night so on the way back to my hotel, I purchased a new card for a fiver or so at a tube station machine and when I got back to my hotel, rang the Transport for London helpline. They cancelled the old card and by 8 a.m. the next morning the credit on the old (lost) card was transferred to my new card.

Try doing that with Leap!

I did that but it took a week to get the funds back onto the new card as they had to "review" the case.

The lost card was cancelled straight away, just funds was slow.

plodder · 18-06-2015 5:35pm

Just thought I'd mention another little quirk that ought to be easy to fix.

When you stick the card into one of the Irish Rail topup/ticket machines the display states that the card is "STATUS: TAGGED ON"

Your first reaction when seeing that is "Crap, the card didn't tag off on the last journey". Apparently, all it really means is that the card is connected to the system (by virtue of being on the machine). At best this information is just confusing and superfluous. They really should just get rid of it.

coylemj · 18-06-2015 9:33pm

plodder wrote: »

Just thought I'd mention another little quirk that ought to be easy to fix.

When you stick the card into one of the Irish Rail topup/ticket machines the display states that the card is "STATUS: TAGGED ON"

I only ever top up my Leap card in Dart stations and I've never seen (or at least noticed) that status. When I put the card into the reader slot it straight away shows me the balance and then I just go through the process of adding credit.

I'll keep my eyes peeled next time but I've never notice any 'Tagged On' status message on the screen.

Dravokivich · 18-06-2015 11:05pm

The status will usually display in the bottom right corner I think. Your attention is never really drawn to it. So I think that's why it might be odd for some people to see it.

Fred Swanson · 19-06-2015 12:29am

This post has been deleted.

plodder · 23-06-2015 10:27am

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Ah I see how that happens now. It's because you don't tag off on a bus. I guess the software could tell that you last tagged on, on a bus and omit the information. It makes sense to people familiar with the system, but a source of annoyance and confusion otherwise - a good example imho, of implementation detail bubbling up to where it shouldn't. <edit> just noticed the other leapcard thread. I'll use that in future.

Leap Card quirks

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