nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

Child Item

Leap card distribution expanded (hahaaaa) to An Post / Point Point Outlets

Mrs OBumble

So according to this from the NTA, "From early 2023, buying or topping up a Leap Card in-store will be exclusively available through An Post’s 920 Post Offices and 1,600 PostPoint convenience stores nationwide, Ireland’s largest retail network."

So instead of being able to top up at a range of local convenience stores that are open 7 days a week and usually extended hours, I'll be limited to Post Offices, which exist in old suburbs only (none built in new suburbs in my city, anyways), and are Mon-Sat with very strict office hours. As someone with a Mon-Friday job in a Post-Office free industrial estate, it will mean that I can buy Leap products which are office-only (eg monthly BE tix) on Saturdays only.

A great Leap backwards, so to speak.

Fecking marvellous.

Find more posts tagged with

Quick Links

Comments

Atlantic Dawn

Crazy decision, most in Dublin City close for lunch too.

LXFlyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058252708/leap-card-distribution-expanded-hahaaaa-to-an-post-point-point-outlets

While I’d agree that this, on the face of it is a strange retrograde move, you can purchase the monthly Galway City red zone ticket online at www.leapcard.ie and then load it onto your card via the Leap Top-Up app on your phone.

Most people are probably using the app nowadays to top-up.

devnull

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058252708/leap-card-distribution-expanded-hahaaaa-to-an-post-point-point-outlets

Whilst it's not the same kind of scale of network as PayZone by any means, to portray it as just being Post Offices in the new deal that are open restricted hours in old suburbs is pretty inaccurate as PostPoints are generally convenience stores. Yes there's not huge numbers of them, but they do exist.

In Dublin for instance, there are 30 PostPoint locations that I presume will be offering the service and with this contract it's almost certain there will be more PostPoint locations opening up prior to it commencing.

Here's the list of 30 Dublin area PostPoint locations, which is mostly convenience stores and garages

- Sunnys Christchurch Place

- Reynolds Abbey Street

- Whistle Stop Tara Street

- Centra Marlborough Street

- Today's Local Tyrconnell Road

- Spar Martin's Row Dublin 20

- Spar Woodbine Booterstown

- Costcutter Roebuck Hill

- Maxol Service Station Greenhills Road

- Tommy's Corner Shop Cherry Orchard

- Centra Kingswood Shopping Centre

- Spar Woodford Walk

- Circle K Navan Road

- Centra Barry Avenue

- Circle K Ballymun Road

- Newspark Green Park S/C

- Costcutter Priorswood S/C

- Bobs News & Off Licence

- Stop Press Dun Laoghaire

- Circle K Citywest

- Maxol Service Station Baldoyle

- Maxol Service Station M3 Mulhuddart

- Daybreak River Valley S/C

- Day Today Loughlinstown

- Eurospar Applewood

- Centra Miller's Glen

- Maxol Service Station Celbridge

- Daybreak Cellbridge

- Todays Local Killarney Park

- Maxol Service Station Turvey

Without a doubt they need to expand the network before they launch the services in 2023 (particularly outside Dublin) but they may just be able to do that in the time that they have and retailers that do a lot of LEAP stuff may sign up to PostPoint because of that.

Mrs OBumble

There's not a single post point in Galway city at the moment.

Do on-line top ups still need to be validated? That totally put me off bothering to learn about them initially.

devnull

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119279207#Comment_119279207

Hence why I said they particularly need to up the number of locations outside Dublin.

The only locations than An Post define as in Galway City are

XL Stop N Shop, Circular Road,
Mcgreals Xl Stop & Shop Renmore,
Mcgreals Mace Monivea Road,
Xl First Chapter Briarhill

And I agree none of these locations are particularly great, but lets hope they have more by 2023. The fact that to continue to offer Leap, shops will need to sign up for PostPoint hopefully should encourage more to do so, especially those that do a fair bit of trade on it.

LXFlyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119279207#Comment_119279207

Once you put the load location as the LEAP Top-Up app and you load them onto the card via the app (holding the card to your phone), you’re good to go.

Hence, most people will use that option.

Otherwise yes they still need to be validated.

mikeybhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119278958#Comment_119278958

Pretty much every shop in Dublin does Leap card it's an absolute disgrace unless every Payzone outlet becomes a postpoint outlet. We are supposed to be encouraged people to use public transport not making it more awkward for them.

I'd say fair enough but the Leap Card which was excellent when it first launched has gone to sh1t at least on my phone to point I've given up on using it and gone back to topping up in shops it isn't a huge inconvenience as there's literally a shop on the walk on the 5 minute walk from my house to the bus stop.

I'd say fair enough scaling back the network if we were at the stage where contactless cards were being accepted on public transport which is another thing that's taking way too long.

Makes me wonder are the NTA moving to a cheaper provider to offset cost of the recent fare reductions and the losses due to covid in general. They have some audacity to call this an improvement.

Citrus_8

I don't understand the frustration here. Most regular users simply have an auto-topup setup with their Leap card. People should use the more efficient ways of sorting things rather then complaining about that.

mikeybhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119281803#Comment_119281803

1. Not everyone is a regular user

2. Not everyone has a phone with NFC

3. Not everyone has a credit/debit card (-18s especially)

4. If the app does not work at least the back up option of payzone outlets are there.

5. Some people may not have enough memory in their phone to download the app could be an issue if they also fall into category 1

All of the above are possible reasons for people not utilising auto top up and/or the Top up app. Would you prefer if people in the categories above cause further issues with bus dwell times issue by paying in cash or decided against using public transport. They would save more money if they eliminated cash payments on buses by the start of 2023 and kept payzone on board.

And I forgot to mention the issue of buying a new Leap card (which stupidly can't be done at a Luas TVM but that's another story) in case one is lost or stolen.

LXFlyer

Contactless is unlikely to be launched until 2024 per the NTA, and then it’ll probably be another period before cash is finally eliminated.

mikeybhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119282560#Comment_119282560

This adds a spanner to the works of making buses cashless imo by making it more awkward to buy and top up a Leap card without using an app.

Even though the vast majority of people who use TFL now use contactless payments the Oyster card remains very much in circulation as an alternative for an albeit ever diminishing minority of people who do not use bank cards for whatever reason.

I apologise if I appear to be ranting but this just appears to be the NTA taking two steps forward one step back, fixing what isn't broken and causing confusion as usual.

Don't get me wrong expanding Leap to Local Link is a very much a good move and it's good to see these services becoming a more formal method of public transport. However this move is very much overshadowed by this negative move and as I've previously stated the NTA have some audacity to try and pass this a positive move and they particularly outline rural areas as benefitting from this despite the push to close rural post offices in recent years payzone outlets would be much more beneficial to these areas.

Citrus_8

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119282456#Comment_119282456

1. I'm using PT irregularly, once a month or so but auto-topup is very handy as I don't need to check the balance each time I think to use PT.

2. Not relevant. Auto-topup is made by taking the money from the bank account automatically the balance drops below 10 Euro.

3. Don't need a credit/debit card - can be done from their parents' current account.

4. App is not required for auto-topup. An actual physical Leap card can be used.

5. Again, nothing to do with an app.

LXFlyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119282799#Comment_119282799

With all due respect, not everyone is you or has the ability to fund auto top-ups on a whim. People working on a very tight budget may only be able top-up very small amounts at a time.

The fact that many people in London continue to use Oyster topped up at local agents and stations will tell you that.

Any system like this needs to facilitate everyone, and make it as easy as possible to use.

You need corner shops for that.

mikeybhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119282799#Comment_119282799

Can you name any actual advantages of moving Leap to only An Post/PostPoint outlets. Because I can think of zero.

devnull

Do we know if this award to the Post Office and their retail PostPoint network was down to winning a tender and what PayZone's approach was to this tender?

Citrus_8

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119284015#Comment_119284015

Most likely financial reason - retailers get a very small commission but too small to make it work so often charge additionally for a top-up in shop. However An Post is governmental - maybe NTA reached a better agreement.

mikeybhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119286031#Comment_119286031

That's what I reckon too but there are ways to save money that don't make cause potential inconvience to passengers.

There were some shops charging a surcharge a couple of years back but this was put a stop afaik. The idea of shops doing it is so people who go in to top up a Leap card might also pick up a packet of crisps, gum or sweets when their in and stop people going to the competition if they do Leap.

AngryLips

Can you buy a leap card at a train station or luas stop? What will happen to the visitor leap card at Dublin Airport?

dublinman1990

We currently have the option to top up leap cards from Irish Rail's TVMs in various Train stations all around the country. Going from the press release here; Is that going to be stopped from 2023 or not?

LXFlyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119287253#Comment_119287253

That won’t change.

Dravokivich

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119279207#Comment_119279207

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119284042#Comment_119284042

@Mrs OBumble: Leap will always require an "Activation" as the credit and top-up needs to be put onto the leap card directly. It has no other way of receiving it.

@devnull: The article linked in the OP refers to how the contract was awarded to An Post: "This is as a result of a five-year contract An Post has signed with Cubic Transportation Systems as part of Cubic’s contract with NTA to deliver the TFI Leap operations services in Ireland. The contract between NTA and Cubic was signed in April this year"

LXFlyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119287748#Comment_119287748

Just to be clear though, if you load a monthly bus ticket to your LEAP card via the LEAP Top-Up app on your phone, holding the card to the rear of the phone, the ticket is then ready to be used on buses and does not need to be touched to a live terminal in a shop or a ticket vending machine.

Dravokivich

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119287761#Comment_119287761

You're doing the exact same thing Lx. You're pulling the top-up because the card can't do it regardless of it being a validator, tvm, payzone terminal or with the NFC App. Heck even Auto top-up. Its the same concept and there's no way to change it.

LXFlyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119287800#Comment_119287800

I realise that - I think that the other poster meant physically having to go to a shop / TVM. The app makes life far easier.

Oyster is the same.

mikeybhoy

Couldn't shops that wish to continue doing Leap payments get staff members to use their phone with the app installed and a card then take payment for it. I wonder would the NTA have a problem with this.

devnull

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119288086#Comment_119288086

Be all sorts of GDPR and privacy/security issues with that.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119288086#Comment_119288086

Zero (actually negative) margin in doing that.

Dravokivich

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119288086#Comment_119288086

Hi, I know you don't know me all that well, but how about to input your payment details into my phone. One that definitely isn't tracking all the characters entered into it.

markpb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119289109#Comment_119289109

I presume mikeybhoy meant that the shop staff would use a company card to pay in the app and the customer would pay cash as normal. The negative commission would definitely be a problem though.

mikeybhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119289109#Comment_119289109

Could be done with a shops company card then take cash or card payment for it. Might be more secure using a phone provided by the shop but I've seen staff in restaurants using their own phones to check covid green passes when they were in and take orders on their own phone and there didn't seem to be a GDPR issue with that.