NCT going cashless

freshpopcorn

NCT's are going cashless in the coming months. Now sometimes they go back on these decisions. However they'll accept postal orders.

Explosive_Cornflake

I never knew or expected that they would take cash.

kirk.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121008161#Comment_121008161

They did in the past

Isn't it all paid upfront now by card when booking so how could they take cash ?

freshpopcorn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121008251#Comment_121008251

I think if you book over the phone. You get to pay on the day.

JP Liz V1

I've paid in cash at the centre previously, bad decision this cashless malarkey imho

Allinall

They need to get rid of cheques.

I had to get a refund off them for €22 and they posted out a cheque to me!

Between their banking and postage charges, and my time and fuel costs going to the bank to lodge it, I'd say there wasn't much left out of the €22.

freshpopcorn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121008264#Comment_121008264

Well I suppose you can get a postal order and pay for it with cash in the Post Office.

kirk.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121008271#Comment_121008271

You should stop taking cheques 😁

Heighway61

"for your safety and convenience".

Right.

hoodie6029

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121008271#Comment_121008271

Bleeding cheques, in this day and age! I got a refund recently too, almost more hassle than it’s worth.

Will the NCT start taking bitcoin or dogecoin?

There are still a lot of people out there in Ireland who are unbanked for various reasons, mostly due to poverty and literacy unfortunately. It’s hard for decision makers in offices to comprehend, someone who struggles with reading and writing would be very daunted by going into the post office to get a money order. Or asking someone for help with doing something online.

Not having cash on-site will reduce the insurance for NCT and free up some admin time and fees but every time we do things like this a few more people are left behind.

nachouser

It could also be a security measure for staff. "No cash held on the premises."

whisky_galore

If I was looking for a place with heaps of cash to rob, the nct centre would be top of my list...not.

kirk.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121008628#Comment_121008628

Handy getaway though in a punters car

freshpopcorn

Will the inspector still accept the extra €50 on the dash in cash or will this service be cashless also.

elperello

I wonder does their contract say anything about the method of payment.

Del2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121008461#Comment_121008461

If a person can run a car they can't really claim poverty and can easily get a card for payments if they want, almost all gift cards from shopping canters are pre paid master cards which can be topped up. There's very few people who don't have a relative or friend to make a booking for them or if they don't then they can go to the post office for a postal order.

The cost of handling the small amount of money from people who paid cash would probably be more than they take in cash.

zg3409

They say it's for customer safety, a total lie. It will be less safe to give out your card number over the phone to nct if booking by phone. It's then easy for staff to copy card details.

SEPT 23 1989

Maybe this will put a stop to the countless armed robberies at NCT centres

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121008271#Comment_121008271

they were able to refund my card last year after i'd paid for a test (bizarrely, the one time the immobiliser decided to kick in in the 11 year history of the car was when the mechanic tried to take it in for the test). he cancelled the test and got them to refund me.

whisky_galore

Call it what it is, its cost cutting on their part. 'Safety' my foot.

artanevilla

I wonder when a standard currency first came out did people still insist on paying with cows etc.

kirk.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121010358#Comment_121010358

I didn't know this

How would u top them up

bladespin

Not really bothered with the cash vs cashless thing but believe when a fundamental or essential service is involved they always need to consider the lowest common denominator, there's always going to be some who don't/won't use technology for whatever reason and they have to be accommodated.

bazz26

Don't have a problem with this myself, haven't paid for the NCT using cash for along time. Lots of businesses and services have gone cashless with Covid ramping it up.

I wonder is it to help reduce the number of no shows also? Didn't they publish recent stats claiming high numbers of no shows?

Buffman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121011103#Comment_121011103

No, you already get charged a substantial no show fee so if that doesn't make people show up, nothing will.

This cashless move is only to eliminate their cash handling costs and increase their profits. They get paid a set contract fee by the Government to 'run' the tests for the contract duration and the NCT fee is set by Government. Any savings made with this move go straight to Applus+ profits and not be returned to the customer or taxpayer.

As a legally required Government service that people have no alternative options to, I think all forms of payment should be accepted.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121011294#Comment_121011294

The only time people pay in cash is when they didn’t pay online, so theres no way of them charging you for a no show fee if you didn’t give them your card details.

The only way they can charge you the no show fee is if you show up again for another test

Francis McM

This new move discriminates against those who cannot read or write ( a surprising % of the population), those who are computer illiterate, old etc. And a lot of rural areas do not have broadband. Poor form on the part of NCT.

bazz26

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121011294#Comment_121011294

But if you are paying cash on the day of the appointment it means they don't have any card details from you so won't be able to get a no show fee off you unless you show up for another test. It wouldn't surprise me if some people are just booking a test over the phone to provide proof of a booking if they are stopped by AGS but not actually bothering to do the test. It's costing them nothing to do it.

Squatman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121008393#Comment_121008393

this is the biggest bug bear. if they were honest and said to streamline the process and keep inflation to a minimum then yes. my safety? GFY go Flock yourselves.

growleaves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121010688#Comment_121010688

Probably not a serious question but...if they were independent farmers and had their own produce and livestock, they probably continued to use barter yes. They did what suited them, naturally.

The existence of a physical medium of exchange has obvious advantages for convenience, personal freedom and independence. I don't believe anyone who claims they don't understand this.

freshpopcorn

Won't people saying there paying with a postal order be there for those who don't want to pay over the phone with a card.

zg3409

I will bring my cheque book. If it's good enough for the nct to issue refunds as cheques....

Buffman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121011456#Comment_121011456

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121011614#Comment_121011614

Ye, that's the way it always was. If not forfeited from a card payment, the no show fee stays with the car so it has to be paid when the car eventually goes for a test. Always something to keep in mind if you buy a car with no NCT. If some people are just not bothering to ever get their cars tested, I don't think those people will be put off by them not taking cash.

And if paying with a postal order is still an option then a deterrent for no shows is obviously not the reason for this move, it's 100% Applus+ increasing their bottom line.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121011771#Comment_121011771

A postal order isn't free, for a €55 postal order the fee is €4.50 bringing the total to €59.50. People should not be forced to pay more for a mandatory legal Government service just to increase profits of the private company providing that service.

hoodie6029

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121010358#Comment_121010358

They are people out there who that is beyond their capabilities. A lot of people, of all ages, have been left behind. They may not be in poverty, but reading and writing are a real struggle for them. If we can make one thing easier for them, why wouldn’t we?

If you live in a rural area or outside the centre of a town, you need to drive to exist on this county. We are a hugely car dependent nation.

Private enterprises, for the most part, can call the shots on how they are paid, but public bodies have to serve everyone. This is especially true of one that you have to visit regularly. In this case, every year or two.

User1998

Don’t get me wrong, I hate the idea of a cashless society. I deal in cash myself. But what’s stopping someone who cant read or write from paying by card? I have a family member who is intellectually disabled and cannot read or write. They can use their card just fine and find it much easier than trying to count cash etc.

Even opening a bank account is easy once you have a family member that can help. Lots of elderly people using card now as well.

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121010688#Comment_121010688

I never stopped paying with cows etc.

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121011502#Comment_121011502

Yes. My poor elderly neighbour is almost completely blind. It's hard enough for him to drive the car to the test centre without taking a wing mirror or side panel off. Last year they even made him wash the cyclists blood off the bonnet before they'd open it. And now on top of that, he won't be able to pay in hard physical currency that he can identify by touch. Bastards

JP Liz V1

The credit union does drafts that have no additional fee costs compared to postal orders

It's a shame cashless, many still pay in cash

Who is in charge, Department of Transport?

Stark

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121012808#Comment_121012808

Beat me to it. I feel sorry for elderly people in the general sense of being left behind by things like internet banking etc. But if someone lacks general competence to the point where handling a bank card is too much for them then we do we really want them handling heavy fast moving machinery with the potential to maim and kill?

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121012851#Comment_121012851

If you are that illiterate that you can't figure out 4 digits for a pin number, are you really going to be obeying speed limit signs too..................

Dial Hard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121011502#Comment_121011502

How many of those people own cars, though? And should they be driving if they can't read road signs, etc? Likewise, how do they organise their insurance, tax their cars, etc etc?

Buffman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121012858#Comment_121012858

Why would they need their PIN? There is no option to pay with your card in person. NCT requires either online or over the phone card-not-present payment. Both of which will possible leave people who wouldn't normally use their cards for card-not-present transactions vulnerable to fraud.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121012879#Comment_121012879

If I wanted to I can pay cash for my motor tax and motor insurance and have done so in the past, why should the NCT be any different? Especially as it's being done just to save them money and increase the profits of a private company.

freshpopcorn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121012851#Comment_121012851

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121012879#Comment_121012879

I know elderly people and I'd put people in there early sixties in this category.

They'd mind grandkids, organise any type of party, repair machinery, fix or mend anything and they'd drive away without any hassle.

They'd tax the car at the tax office or via the post office. Insurance can be organised at an office in the local town.

In general they just aren't very tech savy and there's also sort of a fear of change.

Some haven't learnt but others have simply struggled. It's great also if your elderly relatives have imbraced technology.

kirk.

Some don't trust banks

davetherave

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121008777#Comment_121008777

https://irl.eu-supply.com/app/rfq/publicpurchase_docs.asp?PID=135766&LID=149834&AllowPrint=1

Schedule 12 Specifications.

5.2.8: Collection of test fees

The Contractor may collect Test Fees or require Owners to pre-authorise payment of Test Fees prior to National Car Tests being conducted, including at the time of booking a National Car Test by telephone or online. Test Fees may be collected on presentation of NCTS Vehicles for testing. The Contractor shall accept a range of payment mechanisms including postal orders, debit cards, credit cards and may use other non-cash payment systems Approved by the Authority. The Contractor shall be PCI certified to the required level based on volumes of transactions processed. If the Contractor is not PCI certified the Contractor shall commit to achieving full certification prior to the Operational Commencement Date.

The Contractor shall provide an alternative payment method accessible to Customers who are unable, or who do not wish, to use a debit card or credit card. Such payment method shall, unless otherwise agreed with the Authority:

• enable Customers to exchange cash, to the value of the Test Fee, for a payment voucher, which shall be accepted by the Contractor as payment of the Test Fee; and
• be widely accessible to Customers wishing to avail of this payment method. All fees charged by the provider of payment vouchers shall be paid by the Contractor. The proposed alternative payment method shall be subject to the Approval of the Authority, which shall not be unreasonably delayed or withheld. 

You'd assume they have covered themselves and the RSA have approved it.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121013195#Comment_121013195

Thanks for the link.

Back to the RSA, they will have to show that they are in line with Government policy.

kirk.

One of the Healy reas will probably pipe up

Should be able to drive to the nct after a few pints with cash in hand

Del2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121010971#Comment_121010971

Some have online access or just go back to the shopping centre.

Del2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121012749#Comment_121012749

If someone can't go to a desk and ask for a gift card or get a postal order at the Post Office should they be driving a 1+ tonne vehicle?

If they can't read or write then they have more issues with their normal life , where they are dealing with money on daily basis, than a annual vehicle inspection. Also even if people can't read most can do basic math's, if they couldn't then see my previous sentence.

Applus aren't a public body. When I went to VRT a motorbike at the Tallaght Revenue office several years ago the only option was card or cheque! If I owe revenue tax I can't walk into their office with a wedge of 50s. Legal tender only applies to debts, you've no debt to the NCT as it's pre pay.

Ginger83

I expect a big increase in the numbers of vehicles without a test.

bazz26

For some any excuse will do.