The Leap Card Thread

[Mark Gleeson]

Major revision to Leap customer support rolled out this week.

Gone is the weird english voice and a more logical options menu

Current bug is all times in the transaction list are 1 hour out

[markpb]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

Current bug is all times in the transaction list are 1 hour out

Do you mean online or on the bus ticket printout? Cause they're find for me online and always have been (I checked a few weeks ago when this was mentioned on boards.ie).

[peter t]

What's the story with the on-line problems? Tried twice to top up, but on both occassions recieved an e-mail the following morning telling me my top up was successfully refunded without any real explanation.

[karlr42]

Originally Posted by peter t

What's the story with the on-line problems? Tried twice to top up, but on both occassions recieved an e-mail the following morning telling me my top up was successfully refunded without any real explanation.

When this happened to me, it was because the card wasn't activated. If you bought the card online and had it delivered, it won't be activated. You have to take it to a shop or Luas machine for that, after which you can top it up.

[Mark Gleeson]

Originally Posted by markpb

Do you mean online or on the bus ticket printout? Cause they're find for me online and always have been (I checked a few weeks ago when this was mentioned on boards.ie).

Back office only, so you will see it only on leapcard.ie


Vs


The first journey there was actually 8:57pm not 7:57pm

The second one at 4:24am is the Harmonstown Bug not shown on the cards history

All the Luas ones are out by an hour as well as you can see

[peter t]

Originally Posted by karlr42

When this happened to me, it was because the card wasn't activated. If you bought the card online and had it delivered, it won't be activated. You have to take it to a shop or Luas machine for that, after which you can top it up.

Thanks. Yes I bought it on-line but recieved no instruction about having to activate it, nor could I find any message related to card activation on the website when I checked again just now. It's probably there somewhere but well hidden. Why can't the card be activated on-line? Inspite of two attempts at topping up there was never any indication given as to why it wasn't working or what I should do.

Are they deliberately trying to make it as user unfriendly as possible and why weren't these shortcomings detected during the trial period?

[Colm Moore]

Originally Posted by peter t

Why can't the card be activated on-line?

I imagine its something that needs to be done with the card, as opposed to the account.

[karlr42]

Originally Posted by peter t

Thanks. Yes I bought it on-line but recieved no instruction about having to activate it, nor could I find any message related to card activation on the website when I checked again just now. It's probably there somewhere but well hidden. Why can't the card be activated on-line? Inspite of two attempts at topping up there was never any indication given as to why it wasn't working or what I should do.

Are they deliberately trying to make it as user unfriendly as possible and why weren't these shortcomings detected during the trial period?

I got an email from Leap after a couple of failed top ups and refunds, copied below

Dear Customer

Thank you for attempting to Top Up your free Leap Card online. Your Top Up has been unsuccessful and your payment card will be refunded in full.

In order to activate your new Leap Card, for your first transaction you will need to Top Up at a Luas Ticket Machine or a Leap Card agent; see www.payzone.ie to find your nearest agent. Once you have Topped Up for the first time you will then be able to use your card as normal, including purchasing online Top Ups.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused. If you have any further queries, do not hesitate to contact us at 1850 824 824.


Yours sincerely

I think I only got this email because I have a "free" card that I got for exchanging my IE smartcard(which I still use, BTW, since activating this card is too much hassle)

[Mark Gleeson]

Cards issued to replace Luas/IE cards does come with a letter which explains everything.

[Mark Gleeson]

I can now confirm online top ups now take no more than 24 hours

Topup in the evening and it will be there for collection first thing next day

Bug at Harmonstown has been resolved

[hoopsheff]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

I can now confirm online top ups now take no more than 24 hours

Topup in the evening and it will be there for collection first thing next day

Bug at Harmonstown has been resolved

why is it not instant? seems a bit bizarre that you have to wait 24hrs for credit to be applied to your account!


also is this the integrated ticketing I've heard so much about? seems to be just single use journey use of credit? no monthly/annual options?

[peter t]

Anyway you can check your credit on-line? Went to a luas stop to add my first credit. Seem to go through ok but given that it's my first transaction of any kind I'll like to have it confirmed before I plan travelling with it.

[markpb]

Originally Posted by peter t

Anyway you can check your credit on-line? Went to a luas stop to add my first credit. Seem to go through ok but given that it's my first transaction of any kind I'll like to have it confirmed before I plan travelling with it.

Create an account, register your card, click on Manage My Profile (at the top right), My Leap Card (menu on the left), View My Leap Card History (in the submenu) and you'll see your topups and travels. It can take some time for details to show up there because they're only loaded overnight (at least for some operators).

[peter t]

Originally Posted by markpb

Create an account, register your card, click on Manage My Profile (at the top right), My Leap Card (menu on the left), View My Leap Card History (in the submenu) and you'll see your topups and travels. It can take some time for details to show up there because they're only loaded overnight (at least for some operators).

Yeah tried that a few times, but this line just pops up everytime:

The application experienced unexpected problems completing your request. We're sorry for the inconvenience. Please try again later.

[markpb]

Originally Posted by peter t

Yeah tried that a few times, but this line just pops up everytime:

The application experienced unexpected problems completing your request. We're sorry for the inconvenience. Please try again later.

At what stage?

[peter t]

Originally Posted by markpb

At what stage?

On the "View My History" page when you select your card.

[Thomas Ralph]

Originally Posted by hoopsheff

why is it not instant? seems a bit bizarre that you have to wait 24hrs for credit to be applied to your account!

It's because your credit is not "applied to your account", it's stored on your card. A message is sent overnight to whichever channel you've chosen to collect your top-up from, and as soon as you touch in/out there, your top-up is applied to your card.

[al2637]

Hi,

I'm not sure if this has already been discussed, but can you top up the Leap card at an Irish Rail ticket machine? I've been using it fine on the buses since Christmas, and used it on the train today, but there isn't an option to top it up at the machines?

There is just a 'rail only' card topup allowed? I put the leap in the card holder and tried to proceed, but it threw up a red warning screen. (which incidentally didn't disappear... did I break the machine?)

There is no indication on any of the menu items that a Leap can be topped up.

Am I missing something?

[Colm Moore]

Originally Posted by al2637

I'm not sure if this has already been discussed, but can you top up the Leap card at an Irish Rail ticket machine? I've been using it fine on the buses since Christmas, and used it on the train today, but there isn't an option to top it up at the machines?

Not yet, but it will be one of the first upgrades.

There is just a 'rail only' card topup allowed?

This is the existing Irish Rail smart card.

I put the leap in the card holder and tried to proceed, but it threw up a red warning screen. (which incidentally didn't disappear... did I break the machine?)

It stays up for about 30 seconds. If it stays up, the machien will eventually re-set itself.

[Mark Gleeson]

Originally Posted by al2637

but it threw up a red warning screen. (which incidentally didn't disappear... did I break the machine?)

The machine did its correct action, it saw a card type it doesn't recognize and it typically puts up an I can't read this card type error.

Colm and I have the unique ability to break the smartcard functionality on the ticket machines (it does require money...) . The equipment vendor rewrote part of the software to ensure the machine could recover. The trigger was akin to an Oceans 13 style slot machine routine a very weird sequence of steps which to our knowledge no passenger has been able to recreate.

We expect that Irish Rail will have leap card top up, leap card top up collection and leap card sales from its machines sometime in February. The RUI test group are likely to be in the know as to where the trial machines are.

A hidden feature on Irish Rail's system is that you can collect a top up made online by simply placing the card in the ticket machines cradle. With that in place, very few people noticed the fact online top up was not instantaneous as any attempt to check a cards balance was preceded by application of any outstanding top-ups.

Luas in comparison will be some months before it can issue leap cards and do top-up collection from a ticket machine as neither feature was provided before on the Luas system