This post is about the REGULAR TFI Leap Card, not the VISITOR TFI Leap Card. I have worked my way through a lot of information, but I'm not entirely sure that everything I've established is correct, and I need some handholding. Input is probably needed from both tourists and from Irish locals who have used the REGULAR TFI Leap Card in the past two years on the WEST COAST.

Explanation for This Topic:
We will be heading back to the Republic of Ireland in June 2025. We avoid using cars in any European country. Our 2023 visit to Ireland, however, was a one-off. While we did not drive, we depended way too much on private drivers. We're determined to return to our old Bus Eireann habits for this upcoming trip as long as my left knee holds up (always questionable), and I'm interested in keeping abreast of any changes in the system.

Current Plans:
We will land in Shannon, sleep in Ennis, work our way up to Westport, then head south to Galway, from where we'll do daytrips, and then head further south to Doolin, mostly using the same Bus Eireann routes we've traveled over the past 25 years.

The New Tweak:
This is the first year I'm considering using a TFI Leap Card. Why? I am inclined towards using my Google Pay and/or "tap" credit cards everywhere. In Ireland in 2023, I tapped my phone and my credit cards at almost every vendor with ease, but I could not do so on the bus. Although the Irish National Transport Authority (NTA) has been planning to introduce a ticketing platform that allows passengers to pay with mobile phones, contactless bank cards, and other digital forms of payment, it's not expected to be in place until late 2025 or 2026.*Therefore, a TFI Leap Card would be my best "alternative to currency" option. I just don't know if it's worth the hassle.
*Please update if you have a more updated timeline.

I've been researching the Leap Card and the overall issue for days with mixed results. The Bus Eireann website has always been glitchy; the better Transport for Ireland (TFI) website still has links to missing pages, and the Leap Card website also has a few missing pages. Various forums have helped fill in gaps, but there's often been contradictory information.

Once again, the major upside of using a Leap Card is that we'd never be scrambling for change* as we hop buses. The downside is that we would have to pay a €5 Euro "deposit" on the card, and load at least another €5 euro on to it upon purchase, so that's €10 down before we even start using it. Another downside is that any money remaining on the cards cannot be refunded to our USA cards because our banks/currencies are not part of SEPA (please verify if that's not true). BUT apparently, we CAN donate the remainder to some organizations like MSF. If we've been spending money on holiday on ourselves rather than on the needs of others, donating a few Euros to charity would not a bad thing.
*Full disclosure: I view having to deal with currency instead of tapping my phone or my chip card to be a hassle; my husband adores having various Euro coins in his pocket to play with. You only get on guess as to which one of us enjoyed playing Monopoly as a kid and always demanded to be The Bank.

Here's what I've established:

• I was always under the impression that only Irish citizens could use a regular TFI Leap Card, although I was aware of some Dublin-oriented Visitors Leap Card. I was wrong. We can buy Adult Regular Leap Cards; we just can't buy any kind of Senior Citizen version.

• I had assumed that the REGULAR TFI Leap Card, even in its expansion, could only be used in major cities like Dublin, Cork and Galway. Wrong.

• I had no clue that there was any kind of Leap-Card discount on Bus Eireann. I was wrong--it's up to 30% cheaper than cash single fares.

• I had assumed that the regular TFI Leap Card could not be used on Expressway buses. I was wrong: although there's no Leap discount on Expressway buses, one can use the Leap Card to pay. In addition, Expressway buses can take contactless payments such as debit/credit, Apple Pay, Google Pay, etc.

• I assume I can't buy a Leap Card at Shannon Airport. IS THIS CORRECT? SEEMS STRANGE.

• I can, however, order Leap Cards to be mailed to me (allowing two to three weeks) in the US. And then I can register them on the TFI Leap app.

• I must have TWO cards for the two of us; I can register both and top off both on MY phone, though.

• While there are various rules for "in-city" use that allow 90 minutes of travel per fare, generally, for our needs as overall American idiots, we could just tell the driver where we're going and THEN tap the card. Correct?

Right now, I'm assuming that once we land in Shannon, we'll take the Expressway bus #51 to Ennis. Since there is no discount, we don't need to have the Leap in hand.

I have a few months to make up my mind. Yep, I know right now I can buy tickets online for the most part, but the last time we were there, that method was horribly glitchy for us and luckily, we were able to buy the tickets we needed at a machine. That opportunity is not always available.

Again, input from recent experiences welcome. Please avoid AI regurgitation--so much of it has been inaccurate. Thanks!

AZ

I just researched how I would order the Leap Card online and how long it would take to get to me, scouring the various TFI and Leap Card listings, plus doing deep dives for in-person online reports.

Well, it's a tad unclear.

Most of the official information about timing seems to be about the VISITOR Leap Card. However, since one can essentially order either type of Leap Cards on this page, I'm going to assume the timing is much the same. Either type would be sent out by Irish Standard Mail (unless you opt for Registered for an additional 9.95 Euros) within 2-3 business days. Online users have reported a five-day processing.

The timing for the cards to arrive, according to various reports, seems to be 2 weeks to four weeks. All in all, that is not as bad as I expected it to be.

Cost? There seems to be no additional charge for the shipping by STANDARD mail. You are, however, required to plunk down 5 Euros for the card and at least 5 Euros for an initial balance top-off. Remember, only one person can use each card.

It seems as though you can order them without a TFI account, but I'm going to assume you eventually have to tie in the cards to one. I already had a TFI account (much to my surprise), but I wiped that one out and started anew today. I've also downloaded the three TFI apps (all poorly rated) to my phone: TFI Go, Leap TopUp, TFI Live.

Whether I order the cards or not has yet to be decided.

I'm hoping someone with experience can chime in. I'm so afraid of leading anyone up the garden path.

Your Perpetual Planner,
AZ

I'm continuing to research, but please, please correct anything that is wrong.

Sharing One Leap Card
Several online forums differ with my very unsure statement in the first post that only one person can use each card. My "deep dive" on the TFI Leap Card website has rather murky results.

One thing is clear--if you have a PERSONALIZED Leap Card, only YOU can use it. According to the official website: "Adult TFI Leap Cards can be used by anyone to pay an adult fare and Child Cards 5-15 can be used by any child under 16 years old. Personalized TFI Leap Cards including adult personalized, young adult, student and child 16-18 are non-transferable and can only be used by the person whose name and photo is printed on the card. If someone else uses your personalized TFI Leap Card they may be fined & have the card confiscated."

Translation for those using NON-personalized adult cards: any adult can use that Leap Card, including a thief (you can block a stolen card, though).

The question remains: Can two adults use the same Leap Card for the same journey?

The most common EXPERIENCED answer seems to be, "Yes, but you have to go through the driver, telling him to charge two fares." One person suggested you do the initial tap as you mount the bus, then talk to the driver and have him charge the extra fare. Another person said, "Just go straight to the driver." Because many of our journeys will not be short, there's a good chance I'll be talking to the driver anyway, whether we share a card or not.

My feelings? I'm still undecided whether I'm even buying a Leap Card, let alone deciding whether or not to buy one for us to share or just buy two for my peace of mind.
-----------------------------------------------
Leap Card Protocol/How to Use the Leap Card:
Generally, the rule in using the card on a BUS is to touch/tap the reader when you get on UNLESS you have to clarify a fare with the driver (which again, I'll be doing). Then the card will work with the driver's reader.
YOU DO NOT TOUCH/TAP AS YOU LEAVE THE BUS but...
...for other types of transport (trains, trams, etc), you must touch/tap as you board AND touch/tap again as you leave.
Here is a Leap Card

instructional video

.

Just a quickie for absolute idiots like me--

I had looked up the various Leap Card fares in Galway, where we'll be doing short hops when our feet let us down. I saw this listing...

Adult 0-11 stages €1.35

Adult 12+ stages €1.55

...and thought, "What the heck?" Then my dim lightbulb fluttered to life. Yep, as long as we're only riding 11 regular stops, the fare is €1.35; at the 12th stop and after, I have to pay out €1.55.

By the way, I want to state again that this thread is not dealing with Dublin, only Galway and the West Coast. Leap Card possibilities in Dublin have far more permutations, and I tend to get migraines anyway.

I have been watching TFI-related websites and other about more Leap Card and alternative contactless payments. If you recall, I said the latest news was that there were various trials of systems and there was hope something would be done by 2025 or at the lates 2026.

Well, I'm not seeing anything truly new but a general populace attitude of "When are you guys going to get it together?". So many people have been saying, "We can LEAVE this country and go to a zillion others where contactless payment just works. Why can't we do it here?"

Yeah, I would be frustrated in their shoes, I'm sure. But it's not my country (Lord knows we have enough transport issues in the US that make no sense) so I shan't be criticizing another country's issues. Instead, I'm just continuing my fact-finding mission and still hoping others can contribute with any updates or clarifications about what they did.

With the lack of updates on contactless payment, our current plans are to use a driver (booked!) to whisk us up from Shannon towards Westport because both the connections and the unreliability of those connections will just take too long for our day's plans. Once we arrive in Westport, however, we're going to zip out and buy TWO Leap Cards, even though I now know we could share one. What we don't use in the Westport area will be more than gobbled up during our upcoming stays in Galway and Doolin where we will not need to have an exact reliable schedule.

In the meantime, if anything should change, I shall post.
Over and out,
AZ

Hello Alessandra,

My daughter is going to Ireland at the end of this month and I have had difficulty trying to get her a Leap Card, either the student card or the young adult card. It's hard to tell for sure, but it seems that anyone can register for the card, not just Irish natives or those studying in Ireland. (Otherwise I would think it would say so...?) Anyway, for the past two weeks, every time I click on the link to apply, I get the screen below. I am in the United States...do you know if I can register her for a card from the US before she goes, or does she have to do it when she gets there? Thanks for any help.

ksaturnia4517- I can't see the screen to which you are referring in your post, but when I tried doing the purchase steps with the official Leap card links, I certainly got a glaring red screen with "We'll Be Back Soon." I haven't a clue as to how one picks up a Student or Young Adult Leap card once there, and I'm sorry.
As I mentioned before, there's a lot of bad advice--both personal and AI--out there that I've found to be totally unreliable. I wish her luck, and I'm sure she'll be successful in getting some sort of transport pass.

Yes, that is the screen I get, the red screen. (I guess the image didn't show in my earlier post.) It's so frustrating! I guess I'll have to wing it. There's an email address I found, [email protected], which I sent my question to, so I'm hoping I will hear back soon. I don't know how many emails they get that they need to respond to. I will update hear when/if I hear back!

Hi again Alessandra,

I was just able to connect with a live agent through the chat feature on the TFI website. According to the agent, it sounds like there are NO discounts for anyone visiting, regardless of age or student status. Such a big disappointment. I really have a hard time believing they would charge a 5-year-old tourist the same price as an adult??? And a student with a valid college ID? Anyway, here is a copy of our conversation:Me: My daughter is from the United States and will be traveling to Ireland at the end of this month. I have been trying to register her for either a student card or a child card (she is 18) but I have been getting an error message for the past two weeks. She goes to college full time in the United States so, according to the website, I think she can apply for a student card. If not, it seems the child card is for ages 5-18.

Agent: The student card and child 16-18 card, would only be available to purchase and be delivered in Ireland

Me: So she can do that while she is in Ireland? Can it be purchased and used on the same day? She is flying into Dublin...would you kindly tell me if there is somewhere close by that she could get one?

Agent: The card needs to be ordered online and cannot be bought in a local store. These cards would need an EU standard piece of ID to be used when ordering.

Me: I am trying to purchase it online, but there is a red screen that comes up that says "We'll be back soon! Sorry for the inconvenience. We're performing maintenance at the moment. We'll be back shortly." That message has been showing for two weeks.

Agent: This message appears due to it not been available to purchase outside of Ireland

Me: So as an American, she cannot apply for one? (She would not have an EU piece of identification, which she does not have.)

Agent: Yes it would not be available, due to this

Me: Just to clarify, there are no discounts that American full-time college students or American children (18 or under) she can apply for?
Agent: If she is here for a short visit, there would not be, it would be different if they are studying over here for a long period of timeMe: Oof, her trip is going to be a lot more expensive than we thought. Thank you for clarifying. Do you know if an ICIS card helps with any kind of discount?

Agent: I don't think they do over here, Sorry

Me: Okay. Well, at least now we know. Just a suggestion that may help with the number of people contacting your department, it might be helpful for TFI to clarify this on the Student and Child TFI card applications. I do thank you for your help, Richard.

Agent: Thank you for contacting us today, please let me know if there is anything else I can help you with?

Me: That is all. Have a nice day.

----As a quick recap of this thread--
While we have ridden Bus Eireann many times, we had always bought tickets at a bus station or directly paid the driver. Flash forward. In 2023 I tried buying tix for ONE bus journey online while we were IN Ireland, and it was disastrous. I even had the help of our hotel's front desk, and they were frustrated. We decided we'd have to pay on board as always (but then the bus didn't show and that's another story).
After that debacle, it sure makes sense to me now that buying an online ticket for Bus Eireann is no longer an option.
Because our transport in Northern Ireland, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden had been so easy, so cashless, I was determined to seek simple solutions in The Republic and thus this thread was born in search of answers.----

ksaturnia4517--I'm so happy that you researched this issue because I started this thread in hopes of getting input from others. Your use of exact quotes from the agent is quite helpful. I hope someone heard your message, "Spell this out on your website" because the entire TFI web--and I do mean web in the spider sense--is both circular and sticky. In fact, if I were teaching web design again, I'd use it as an example of what not to do to customers and clients.

I do want to address/clarify some points raised from your posts, though:
1) One CAN buy a regular adult Leap Card from overseas, although I don't know the exact mailing time and I do know that we US Citizens can't get the refund from any remaining balance. I tested the website for the adult version this morning and got all the way to the end without the dreaded red screen.
2) I can understand why Ireland doesn't feel the need to underwrite the fares of students attending school in other countries. It may be frustrating to tourists, but it makes economic sense for Ireland.
3) For the most part, a regular adult Leap card is in itself a discount. No, there is no discount for riding an Expressway bus, but at least it is convenient for using one. On other aspects of travel like Bus Eireann, it can save you up to 30%.

Again, thank you for researching your end of the puzzle.
AZ

FYI-I am the original poster.

Our experience:
My husband bought our regular adult Leap Cards at the Westport Post Office (An Post). An hour later, we stepped onto the Bus Éireann #450 bus and laid our tickets on top of the machine, telling the bus driver where we wanted to go (Croagh Patrick). Unfortunately, we both were dazed by the view to our right and completely missed seeing the Croagh Patrick Center on our left. We had to ride to the end of the line in Louisburgh because we had to take the same bus back to the stop we missed anyway. By that time, the weather had changed dramatically, and we just returned to Westport.

I managed to top off our cards on that same ride using the Leap Top-Up app I had placed pre-trip onto my phone. Just make sure your phone settings enable the NFC reader, place the card on the back of your phone, and voila!, you can see all transactions plus you can add credit. While that app worked, I was NEVER ever able to register my Leap Card via the other TFI app. I didn't really use the TFI Go app--Google Maps transport routings have gotten increasingly more accurate, even to the point where they indicate delays.

Why did I top off before even a second ride? I had fully expected to use our Leap Cards in Galway both in the city and with our transfer to Doolin. In fact, I expected we'd use it to get from Doolin to Shannon Airport. Alas, a mid-trip physical injury to my right foot with a chronically crumbling left knee made engaging drivers more attractive even at prohibitive cost. We still used our cards spur of the moment to get from the Doolin Hotel stop to the Cliffs of Moher though*. It was great spotting a bus, whipping these puppies out in two seconds, and getting on board.
*There's a free shuttle between Doolin-Cliffs of Moher one can take too, though and it even uses the same bus stop as Bus Eireann. I'm not sure of how one gets it in Doolin, but it was easy to book the return shuttle at the entrance of the Cliffs.

It will be interesting to see how long Leap Cards stay in existence. Supposedly contactless pay via chip credit cards and via smartphones will be coming this year. For myself, I'm going to use the remaining balance on our Leap Cards (10ish Euros) as an excuse to get back to Ireland soon.