Tickets - Leap Card FAQ
A Young Adult card is a TFI Leap Card that can be used to pay for travel by anyone who is 19 to 25 years old, up to their 26th birthday. The user’s name and photograph is printed on it
The system adds up how much travel credit you have used on the applicable services you have travelled on for a given day or week and then it stops taking any more fares once the applicable Cap value is reached.
For more information, go to Leap Card Capping.
This card can only be purchased online at leapcard.ie. Go to the buy menu and select the card type from the drop down. You’ll need to complete the application details, upload a photo and pay for the card during the application process.
A Daily Cap runs from the first service of the day to the last service in that same day.
A Weekly Cap (Mon-Sun) runs from the first service on a Monday to the last service on a Sunday.
At the start of the journey, you need to 'Touch-On' using your Leap Card at a gate or validation pole. At the end of a journey you must 'Touch-Off' to ensure the correct fare is applied.
Touch-On - Identifies the origin of the journey
Touch-Off - Identifies the destination of the journey
If you don't Touch-On you are committing fare evasion.
If you don’t Touch-Off you will pay more.Tagging on at our gate;
- Hold the Leap Card against the Smart Card reader on the gate
- If you have credit on your Leap Card, the gate will open and allow you to enter and start your journey
- Your current ePurse balance will appear on the display on the gate
For a Young Adult Card you’ll need to upload an image of your valid Passport, EU National ID, Drivers Licence or Learner Permit, a selfie taken during the application to verify your identity against your ID and you card payment details
The earliest you can apply for a Young Adult card is two weeks before your 19th birthday.
The card is free to purchase, however, there is a €5 deposit and a €5 minimum travel credit requirement to proceed with the application.
These percentage discounts tend not to be a direct reduction in the price of an individual Fare or Ticket, but the averaged reduction over all for all Fares/Tickets.
All fares will be reduced by the closest % to 20% giving a multiple of 5 amount, so the discount will be between 18% and 22%, i.e. €1.15 reducing to €0.90 (-21.7%) or €0.80 reducing to €0.65 (-18.8%)
Travel Credit works in a similar way to mobile phone credit. Every time you use the card to travel the cost of the journey is deducted. If there is insufficient no credit on the card it cannot be used for any further journeys until it is 'Topped Up' at a ticket machine or online at www.leapcard.ie.
There are no Top-Up facilities at Ticket Offices.
Yes for more information please visit our Fares Sections.
Caps are being discounted by 20% on average from the 9th May. A new capping band for Young Adult/Students will be introduced on that day which is 50% less than adult.
You will be issued with a Fixed Payment Notice and the card will be confiscated.
The Young Adult card (19-23) eligibility is defined by age, so all customers in that age bracket are eligible regardless of educational status.
Yes, Annual cards are available on Leap cards in Cork.
The Leap Card system Caps a customers use of travel credit so that once you hit the cap value you can continue to travel as normal on the applicable transport operator, but no further travel credit will be taken from your card on their services.
Once you hit the Cap value for the day of the week, you should continue to use their Leap Card as normal when travelling. You should still Touch On and Touch Off as normal in order to have a valid card for inspection.
If you make lots of trips with your Leap Card on a daily or weekly (Mon to Sun) basis, a maximum Cap value will be applied to your travel credit spend.
For more information, go to Leap Card Capping.
Young Adult cards will usually be posted within 5 working days. Student Leap Cards will need to be collected in person at a Student Leap Agent where student status verification will take place.
Leap card products can be used on the Cork – Cobh/Midleton routes.
This card can only be purchased online at leapcard.ie. You will need to upload proof of your age and take a live selfie when ordering the card online.
1. Place the Leap Card in the slot provided.
2. Select the Top-Up Amount from options shown on the screen
3. Insert the amount selected - Notes/Coins/Credit or Debit Cards accepted
4. Remove the Leap Card from the pocket as indicated on screen
5. Your Leap Card is now Topped Up and ready for immediate useYou will be asked to upload an image of your valid Passport, EU National ID, Drivers Licence or Learner Permit
If you have any queries or concerns then you can contact Leap customer care and the team will investigate and liaise with you directly.
Customer Care: 0818 824 824
Calling from outside of Ireland: +353 (1) 907 9425
Monday to Friday: 7am to 7pm
Saturday and Bank Holidays: 9am to 3pm
Sunday: ClosedYes, see our Cork Smart Card section for further details on products available and applicable routes.
Yes Leap epurse is now available in Cork for more information please visit our Fares Sections.
For information on schoolchild Leap Cards go to our ticket information section
Yes combined Rail and Bus Tickets are available on the Cork to Midleton route for more information please see our Fares Section.
At a ticket Machine in the station
Put your card in the 'pocket' and then follow the instructions on the ticket machine screen.
Online
Log on to www.leapcard.ie to view your account history and you will be able to view your card balance.
No, you can continue to use your existing card until its expiry date and you will get the best fare. Student Leap Card fares are the same as Young Adult 19-23 Leap Card fares.
No. Cash fares will also be discounted by 20%, however, Leap fares, which are on average 30% cheaper than cash fares, are only available with a TFI Leap Card.
There are a number of benefits as follows;
- Leap Card will be protected against loss or theft (as long as you report it missing/stolen)
- You won't need to complete an online form for every online Top-Up
- You can view your card history and usage
- You can manage additional Leap Cards through your account (eg child's Leap Card)
You will received an email stating the reason why the application was rejected and the payment made as part of the application will be refunded
Gates and Poles may on occasion fail to identify the Touch-On / Touch-Off. It is up to the customer to ensure the card has been read successfully. The two main reasons for card failure are:
1. Incorrect Positioning of Smart Card
If the Leap Card is not placed against the reader/'target' on the pole or gate, it will not be read. Ensure that the card is held steadily against the Card reading 'target' for at least a second.
Do not wave the card over the Smart Card reading target. Do not put the Smart Card into the horizontal paper ticket slot on a gate.
2. Smart Card Interference
Remove the Leap Card from your wallet or bag before using it. Other Smart Cards you may have in your wallet or bag can cause interference with this card, which will make it inoperable.When you get close to a Daily or Weekly Cap you will only be charged the amount to bring you up to the Cap. After you have reached a Cap you will be charged €0.00 for subsequent travel that day or over the Week (Mon-Sun). Make sure you still 'tap-on' and 'tap-off' your Leap Card even when you have reached the daily or weekly cap.
Leap Cards can be purchased at Ticket Vending Machines in stations within the Short Hop Zone or online at www.leapcard.ie or in selected retail outlets. TFI Leap Cards are also available in many PostPoint outlets as well as all post offices nationwide.
If you don’t have the documents present at the time of application we recommend you wait until you can provide a copy before completing the application. If you don’t have any of the documents at all, there is an option of uploading non-standard documents for verification. This process can take up to 3 weeks, may require face-to-face verification and does not guarantee final application approval.
You can apply for a personalised card up to 2 weeks before your birthday, i.e. 19 yr – 2weeks for a Young Adult (19-23). Your card will expire on your birthday, i.e. your 24th birthday for a Young Adult (19-23). For a Student (24 yr +), customers need to be in full-time education
The Leap Card can be used for rail travel between stations within the 'Dublin City and Commuter Zone'. All stations in the Greater Dublin area from Rathdrum to Drogheda, from Dublin City Centre stations to Enfield and Kildare including all DART services.
The Leap Card also works in the Cork Commuter area.
Usage outside of the Short Hop Zone and Cork commuter Rail services will result in a Fixed Payment Notice of €100 plus the relevant unpaid fare.You are responsible for ensuring that you Tap On your Leap card at a validation point before travelling, otherwise you will be issued with a Fixed Payment Notice.
Yes, you will be asked to upload an image of your valid Passport, EU National ID, Drivers Licence or Learner Permit
Refunds will need to be requested by logging into your account on leapcard.ie
Student eligibility, i.e. full-time status, needs to be verified in person at Student Leap Agent
Student Cards are only applicable to people who are 24 years old and over. 18 year olds are eligible for a Child Card (16-18) until their 19th birthday. Then, when they’re turning 19, they will qualify for a Young Adult Card (19-23)
The 50 percent discount will only be available to existing Student Leap Card holders and customers who avail of the TFI Young Adults (19 – 25 years) or Student Leap Cards
A Leap Card is a reusable plastic smart card that can be used instead of paper tickets to pay-as-you-go for transport in Dublin. This card is used to store travel credit that is deducted as and when you use it when travelling on public transport.
Customers pay less with a Leap Card than when paying for single fares with cash on DART and Commuter rail services, Dublin Bus and Luas services.
Customers can register their Leap Card online, so if it's lost or stolen, no one else can use it.
For more information, go to leapcard.ie