A TFI Leap Card is a reusable prepaid card for many public transport journeys in Ireland. You add travel credit or a suitable ticket, present the card at a reader and use it to pay on participating services. It can make everyday travel easier, but the price and the way you use the card depend on the route, operator and type of journey.

The important distinction is that **a Leap Card is a way to pay, not one ticket that automatically covers every bus and train in Ireland**. Before travelling, check the operator, the fare and whether the card or ticket you intend to use is accepted. Transport for Ireland's Leap Card overview lists participating services and explains the main fare arrangements.

This guide explains how to start using the card, where the Dublin 90-minute fare and fare caps apply, what to check outside Dublin and how to get help if a card goes missing. Fares below are those shown on the official pages checked on 29 October 2026; check the current operator information before making plans.

What can you use a Leap Card for?

Transport for Ireland says Leap Cards can be used on Dublin Bus, participating Go-Ahead Ireland and Bus Éireann services, TFI Local Link, Luas, DART and specified commuter rail services, including the Cork–Cobh and Cork–Midleton lines. Certain private operators also accept them. The exact list and conditions can change, so check the official service overview and your operator before a particular trip.

Do not assume that a card works on every intercity rail journey or every private coach merely because those services appear in a journey planner. For a trip beyond the areas covered by Leap travel credit, you may need a separate ticket. A useful check is to look up your actual origin and destination on the operator's website rather than relying only on the name of a town or county.

Equally, a route accepting Leap does not necessarily accept every prepaid Leap ticket. Travel credit, a zonal ticket and a visitor ticket can have different coverage. Check the fare product as well as the card itself.

Which card should you choose?

There are different cards for adults, eligible young adults and students, and children. The applicable fare depends on the card type as well as the journey. Transport for Ireland lists reduced fares for young adult or student cards, but the conditions for applying and proving eligibility matter. Check the current Leap Card information before buying or applying.

If you are visiting Ireland, look separately at the terms of the visitor card and compare the duration and geographic coverage with your itinerary. A visitor pass may suit repeated travel in its covered area, while ordinary travel credit can be more flexible for an occasional trip. Do not assume either option is automatically cheaper without comparing the journeys you expect to make.

How do you get a card and add credit?

Transport for Ireland says adult and child cards are available at selected shops, and cards can also be ordered online. Some cards can be bought from selected rail station ticket machines; availability differs by station. The fare zones information page explains these options and links to the official Leap website.

Once you have the appropriate card, add travel credit or a suitable ticket before the journey. The Leap Top-Up app can be used with a compatible phone to check a card and add credit or tickets. Follow the app's instructions and hold the card against the phone until the transaction has completed. Ticket machines and participating agents offer other options for some card services.

Travel credit is a balance from which fares are deducted as you travel. A ticket is a separate product with its own validity and conditions. Transport for Ireland says a zonal ticket can be paid for directly without first adding travel credit. Keep track of which product you have bought and when its validity begins.

How do you pay on a bus, tram or train?

Keep the card accessible before boarding and follow the instructions displayed by the operator. On rail and Luas journeys, use the appropriate reader at the start and end of the trip. Iarnród Éireann explains that passengers must continue to touch on and off as normal even after reaching a fare cap, so that the card is valid for inspection.

Bus boarding arrangements can differ by service. Follow the driver's or operator's instructions and use the reader indicated for the fare and route. If you are unsure which reader applies, ask before presenting the card. Do not assume that a reader at one stop works in exactly the same way as one on a different operator's service.

For rail, make sure you have the required minimum balance before starting. Transport for Ireland's fare zone guidance lists minimum balances and explains the arrangements for different zones. A minimum balance is a condition for starting a journey; it should not be confused with a promise that every journey costs that amount.

What is the Dublin 90-minute fare?

The TFI 90-minute fare allows eligible journeys across participating Dublin city bus, Luas, DART and commuter rail services within the published rules. As listed by Transport for Ireland, the adult fare is €2, the young adult or student fare is €1 and the child fare is 65 cent.

The window and eligible services matter. The fare applies to qualifying trips and transfers; it does not mean that every coach or bus travelling towards Dublin is included. Transport for Ireland distinguishes Dublin city bus services from Dublin commuter bus services operated by Bus Éireann and Go-Ahead Ireland. It says commuter bus services are not eligible for the 90-minute fare or Dublin capping, though some city bus routes travel into Zone 2 and remain covered under the published conditions.

For a journey involving a commuter bus from Zones 2 to 4, the authority says additional travel within Zone 1 incurs an extra charge when using Leap travel credit. It gives a different transfer rule for eligible Irish Rail journeys into Zone 1. Check the zone guidance for the specific service before comparing options.

How do daily and weekly caps work?

Fare capping limits the amount of qualifying travel credit charged for eligible journeys during a defined day or week. It is automatic when the qualifying conditions are met; you still need to use your card correctly for each trip.

For Zone 1, Transport for Ireland currently lists an adult cap of €6 per day and €24 per week. The listed young adult or student caps are €3 daily and €12 weekly; the child caps are €1.95 daily and €7.80 weekly. The weekly period runs Monday to Sunday. These figures and the eligible combination of services are set out in the official Leap overview.

For example, if an adult makes enough qualifying Zone 1 journeys using travel credit to reach the daily limit, further eligible travel that day is not charged from that credit, according to the capping rules. This example does not extend the cap to an excluded commuter bus or a journey outside its terms. Check both the route and the fare product.

Do not confuse the calendar week cap with a seven-day ticket that starts when you first use it. Transport for Ireland says weekly capping is Monday to Sunday, whereas its seven-day zonal tickets are valid from first use. Which is better depends on your journey pattern, the zones and the ticket conditions.

What about travel outside Dublin?

Leap is used in several parts of Ireland, but the Dublin 90-minute fare and Zone 1 caps are specific products with defined coverage. A commuter travelling in Cork, a person using a Local Link service and a passenger travelling to Dublin from a commuter zone should not assume the same cap applies to all three.

Transport for Ireland's fare zone page describes four Dublin and surrounding commuter zones. It lists places such as Skerries and Naas in Zone 2, Drogheda and Newbridge in Zone 3, and Navan and Kildare Town in Zone 4. Always check the actual stop or station and the route map: a county name alone does not establish the right fare.

The same page says TFI Local Link services are not included in the new Leap zonal fare structure. This is distinct from the wider statement that Leap Cards are accepted on TFI Local Link services. In practice, check whether your service accepts the card and then whether the particular ticket you intend to use is valid.

Is a prepaid ticket better than travel credit?

It can be, but only if the ticket covers your route and matches how often you travel. Transport for Ireland lists daily, weekly, monthly and other zonal products for eligible services. Prices vary by card category and the zones covered; some tickets are available through the top-up app or Leap website.

To compare, write down your expected journeys for the period, identify which are covered by the relevant fare, and compare that cost with the ticket's published price. Allow for trips that may not be covered. The lowest advertised fare is not useful if it excludes one part of your journey or starts on a day you do not need it.

Employer-supported TaxSaver tickets are a separate option. Transport for Ireland says TaxSaver monthly and annual tickets are available through employers, while tickets bought directly through the app or website do not automatically receive TaxSaver discounts. Ask the relevant provider or employer for the current terms rather than assuming a particular saving.

What if your card is lost or stolen?

Transport for Ireland says registered adult, child and student cards can be replaced or refunded under the applicable process, while unregistered cards cannot be replaced or refunded. Personalised cards may require a new photo. Registering a card and keeping the associated details secure can therefore make a practical difference if it is lost.

Use the official Leap Card information to find the current replacement process. For a balance query, the authority lists the top-up app, an online account, participating agents and certain ticket machines. It cautions that transactions shown online can take up to 24 hours to appear.

If a reader does not work or you believe a fare is wrong, record the time, route and location and contact the relevant transport operator or Leap support through an official channel. Keep any evidence you are given, but do not share card details publicly. The procedure for a refund or correction depends on the circumstances and the applicable provider's policy.

A quick check before you travel

Start with your route and destination, then check the operator's current timetable and fare. Confirm that your card category is appropriate, your travel credit or ticket is valid, and your card has any required minimum balance. If a journey involves a change, check whether the second service is covered by the same fare or ticket.

For Dublin journeys, pay particular attention to whether the service is an eligible city bus or a commuter bus. For travel farther afield, check the route and zonal ticket rather than assuming the Dublin cap applies. On trains and trams, use the readers at both ends as instructed, even if you have already reached a cap.

Finally, check official information again when fares or services change. This guide provides general information for planning a journey; the operator's current fare conditions and service notices govern a particular trip.