Leap Card Credit

Ciara 5

Hi
Just wondering is there any way to too up your leap card online without having to pick it up from a pay zone?

Victor

You can select to pick it up at a tram stop or train station - at the ticket machine or validator.

Ciara 5

Victor wrote: »

You can select to pick it up at a tram stop or train station - at the ticket machine or validator.

Okay thanks, so there's no way for the credit to just go straight on to the card?

Hilly Bill

https://www.leapcard.ie/NavigationPages/LoginSelection.aspx

markpb

Nope, the credit is stored on the card so it needs some way to communicate with the back-end system to get the credit.

Hilly Bill

According to their site, you can top up online once you have registered it.

Our man in Havana

Hilly Bill wrote: »

According to their site, you can top up online once you have registered it.

You can but you still need to update the actual card.

Dravokivich

Hilly Bill wrote: »

According to their site, you can top up online once you have registered it.

The top up isn't instant though and that's what the op is asking about.

To be honest, online top up is pretty irrelevant as its handier to purchase top up where ever you go to get it loaded onto the card.

bk

Dravokivich wrote: »

To be honest, online top up is pretty irrelevant as its handier to purchase top up where ever you go to get it loaded onto the card.

Exactly the "online" top-up is totally pointless and just causes unnecessary confusion.

It should never have been implemented in it's current form *. Instead they should have focused on getting auto-topups working.

* Once Dublin Bus can handle online top-ups then it could and should be implemented. Note that wile the current DB ticket machines can't handle it, eventually those machines will be replaced and I would expect any new ticket machine would be able to handle it. Note that online top-up works on buses in Atlanta since 2006!! The new ticket machines being used by new operators here in Ireland can also handle it.

But until then, it should not be used. Here is an example of less is more.

Dravokivich

I think nta are actually providing those machines, or at the least stating they are a requirement if those operators want to be included under the scheme.

AlekSmart

Dravokivich wrote: »

I think nta are actually providing those machines, or at the least stating they are a requirement if those operators want to be included under the scheme.

The NTA provided,free of charge,their approved Ticket Machine to operators who signed-up for Leapcard at the outset.

However,I'm only aware of one operator,Matthews Coaches,who has been on board since day 1,and AFAIK,they continue to use Wayfarer 350's.

There can be little doubt but the current Wayfafer TGX in use on BAC is now lagging well behind what is required to allow LeapCard to achieve full functionality.

However,this shortcoming would have been known from the outset,which raises serious questions as to the competency of the ITIG members who insisted on LeapCard being rolled-out in such a disfunctional manner.

Once again the main issue is the lack of comprehension as to what is required to allow Public Transport to function at optimum levels.....we,(NTA and Operators) still have not fully agreed on the revenue split.....God grant me patience :eek:

Hilly Bill

Dravokivich wrote: »

The top up isn't instant though and that's what the op is asking about.

To be honest, online top up is pretty irrelevant as its handier to purchase top up where ever you go to get it loaded onto the card.

The OP asked if it was possible to top up online and it is. The pros and cons of the leap card is a different matter.

dearg lady

Hilly Bill wrote: »

The OP asked if it was possible to top up online and it is. The pros and cons of the leap card is a different matter.

no, OP asked it is possible to top up online without having to pick it up from a payzone

As has been said, it's pointless being able to top up online if you then have to got to a shop to validate it anyway.

goingnowhere

But you do not have to visit a shop to collect if you travel by Luas or Irish Rail as the card with automatically collect when tagged on or off or in the case of Irish Rail if placed in the ticket machine reader

So THERE is a way to top up online without having to visit a shop

Hilly Bill

dearg lady wrote: »

no, OP asked it is possible to top up online without having to pick it up from a payzone

As has been said, it's pointless being able to top up online if you then have to got to a shop to validate it anyway.

Once you top up your card online you can then use it though it does take a while for the credit to go on your card. Its instant if you top up at a TVM .

Nulty

What if....

You could top up your Leap Card from an application on your phone and using the NFC technology in smartphones you could use the network connection from your phone to update the balance on your card. You wouldn't need to go to a shop then to buy credit or update the card.

Keith186

That sounds like a great idea.
I've been frustrated by not being able to top up online and hop on the bus.

dearg lady

Hilly Bill wrote: »

Once you top up your card online you can then use it though it does take a while for the credit to go on your card. Its instant if you top up at a TVM .

According to the FAQ's on the leap website
Leap Cards can also be Topped-Up online:

1. Go to www.leapcard.ie
2. Click 'Top-Up'.
3. Enter your card number.
4. Select Top-Up amount and load location.
5. Make your payment by credit/debit card.
6. Collect your Top-Up at your nominated Load Location.

so you need to go to a 'load location'. This is what OP is asking about avoiding

Hilly Bill

dearg lady wrote: »

According to the FAQ's on the leap website
Leap Cards can also be Topped-Up online:

1. Go to www.leapcard.ie
2. Click 'Top-Up'.
3. Enter your card number.
4. Select Top-Up amount and load location.
5. Make your payment by credit/debit card.
6. Collect your Top-Up at your nominated Load Location.

so you need to go to a 'load location'. This is what OP is asking about avoiding

Thanks, but it says that you can collect at the validators which only scans your card. Would this mean that once you scan at the validators the online credit updates to your card?

dearg lady

Hilly Bill wrote: »

Thanks, but it says that you can collect at the validators which only scans your card. Would this mean that once you scan at the validators the online credit updates to your card?

I think it says Luas and Irish rail validators. I suppose that's grand if ya use them , but a pain if you only use the bus!

Hilly Bill

Its the same system isnt it?

Dravokivich

Hilly Bill wrote: »

Thanks, but it says that you can collect at the validators which only scans your card. Would this mean that once you scan at the validators the online credit updates to your card?

Not exactly, there can be a difference of upto 48 hours between ordering and the load location having the topup available. Been quite a few problems with Irish Rail on this lately as well.

Even with the topup not being on the card instantly, it's not instantly available where you want to get it either.

Much handier to just purchase at the TVM / Payzone store.

from_atozinc

Dunno much about leap cards

But is it worth buying one if you only use public transport once a month or so

example, I got the Luas the other day and missed one cause I was fumbling around trying to get the bloody change in the machine and missed the LUas which in turn almost caused me to miss the train I was getting after that and if I had the leap, would have been no hassle

So just wondering is it worth if for somebody that rarely uses public transport ?

Our man in Havana

The credit doesn't expire so there would be no loss from infrequent use.

AlekSmart

Dravokivich wrote: »

Not exactly, there can be a difference of upto 48 hours between ordering and the load location having the topup available. Been quite a few problems with Irish Rail on this lately as well.

Even with the topup not being on the card instantly, it's not instantly available where you want to get it either.

Much handier to just purchase at the TVM / Payzone store.

They really would be better off quietly dropping this on-line top-up thing as it's only causing grief.

Worse still is the reality that for a Bus User to collect their credit at a Luas/IR/Dart validator,they must tag-on for a journey they do not want to make....who wrote this stuff..???

Dravokivich

Our man in Havana wrote: »

The credit doesn't expire so there would be no loss from infrequent use.

It does expire. It's avail for 21 days.

from T&Cs:

The products will be available at the nominated location for 21 days. Uncollected purchases will be automatically refunded back to the credit/debit card used for the purchase.


Miss read as ordering top up, didn't notice the comment you were replying to in full.

The cards do expire, but that's only if not used for 2 years:

7.11 It is not possible to use a Leap Card that has been inactive for a period of more than 24 months and the Authority reserves the right to cancel such dormant Leap Cards. The Authority will only provide refunds outside of this period at its discretion.

AlekSmart wrote: »

They really would be better off quietly dropping this on-line top-up thing as it's only causing grief.

Worse still is the reality that for a Bus User to collect their credit at a Luas/IR/Dart validator,they must tag-on for a journey they do not want to make....who wrote this stuff..???

For IR you can collect at a TVM without having to touch for a journey through a validator. But even then, going to a tvm you'd still at least know when you purchase at a tvm yourself, you are getting it there and then as opposed to wondering whether or not, or even whenever there's delays, when it'll be available.

Ciara 5

Yeah I just wanted to put the credit straight on it but it doesn't work like that? Had to get the train this morn when I wanted to get the bus...was a bit of a pain but a least I have it topped up now & it didn't take 48hours for it to come through

Dravokivich

Ciara 5 wrote: »

Yeah I just wanted to put the credit straight on it but it doesn't work like that? Had to get the train this morn when I wanted to get the bus...was a bit of a pain but a least I have it topped up now & it didn't take 48hours for it to come through

Not at all. Never will as the card needs to receive it from a device. It has no other form of connectivity. The 48hrs thing, refers to that's up to how much time it can take for the top up to be available.