Leap Cards - Students

[Thethreecs]

Can someone plllllease explain to me in layman's terms how these work?

I've read everything on the TFL site, everything on the leap card site.

What I'm getting is (for a student)

You apply online, you have to go to a agent then to collect the card?

Agents are mainly in Dublin, Cork, limerick and Galway?

You top up the card online, but you need to go in somewhere to collect the credit?

I've checked with the college and they don't have a machine to top up.

Have I got this completely wrong.

See the thing is, the card will be used by a student who has severe dyslexia and dyspraxia. I mean if I'm struggling to grasp this he's going to have a break down.

It seems so complicated, probably isn't and I am wondering if there's an easier option for students? I could buy a bus eireann weekly ticket online, it'll probably be way more expensive though.

We're not in Dublin so we've only bus eireann buses.

I’m assuming if the college don’t have a top-up machine they don’t have the facility to issue the card either?

If you have the Leap card app you can top the card up directly using that BUT you have to have the physical card in order to do it this way. It’s pretty straightforward and you can save a payment card to the app so it’s easier. If the student is living at home it’s easy to keep an eye on the credit and top-up as required. Otherwise, if they will be away they’ll need to remember the cvc code for the card in order to top up with the app -easier said than done I know.

The top-up on the website and then having to collect the credit is ridiculous IMO. However you can top-up the card in loads of newsagents using cash/card and the credit goes straight onto the card. You just present the card at the till and tell the person behind the counter how much you want to top-up by.

Order and PAY for card online...get the code...bring it in to Students Union (SN) get the card. Many will be doing this. Perfectly normal for freshers

Auto Top-Up is an automatic way to Top-Up your Leap Card. Perhaps this is easier, at least initially?

Thanks for the replies. It is cleared now. It does seem a bit of a faff to sort this out. I'll definitely get it sorted, the price of weekly tickets is crazy.