1001 Smart Cities
🇮🇪 Dublin

TFI Leap Card: Dublin's Fare Card, Its Caps and the Contactless Successor Due in 2028

🤖 AI-generated summary · ◆ 21 sourced claims · 🔎 Last verified

This overview was generated with AI from the public sources listed below and checked against them before publication. It has not had a complete human fact-check — treat it as a starting point and follow the sources.

21 sourced claims on this page, none individually verified yet — turn on “Sources in the text” to see each one.

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Dublin's Leap card carries the city's fare rules: a €6 daily cap and a 90-minute transfer fare. Tapping a bank card on the bus still isn't possible; its successor is due in 2028.

Outcome🔄 Ongoing
Evidence🏛️ Official
what does this mean?The strongest source is the operator's or the city's own reporting — an official report, dataset or press release. It grades who did the looking — not how well the project went. All four grades →
Run byNational Transport Authority (Transport for Ireland); accepted on Dublin Bus, Go-Ahead Ireland, Luas and Irish Rail services
Scale🌍 National
CostReplacement programme (Next Generation Ticketing): €270 million budget; €35.6 million spent 2020 to early 2026
FundingPublic: National Transport Authority

Part of 1001 Smart Cities — 1,176 documented projects · 🏙️ 10 more in Dublin · 🎫 Smart ticketing guide · 🚲 Mobility projects

The TFI Leap Card, a prepaid contactless smart card managed by the National Transport Authority (NTA), was introduced in the Greater Dublin Area in December 2011 for Dublin Bus, Luas and DART, and has since spread to other Irish cities. The card is where Dublin's fare policy lives: daily and weekly caps across Dublin Bus, Luas and rail, set for multiple operators by an NTA determination of November 2013, and, since 28 November 2021, the TFI 90 Minute fare, which allows free transfers between Dublin Bus, Luas and most DART and commuter rail services within 90 minutes of the first tap. The adult caps in the Dublin city zone now stand at €6 a day and €24 a week, down from €8 and €32 under a fares overhaul announced in January 2024. Tapping a bank card or phone is not yet possible on Dublin's buses, trams or trains; card payment has so far started only on rural TFI Local Link services, beginning in Tipperary in December 2025.

Live 📅 since 2011

📊 Impact

By May 2014, NTA figures reported by The Irish Times counted more than 500,000 cards sold but 300,000 in active use, with one-third of Dublin public transport journeys paid by Leap. The NTA now says more than 9 million Leap cards have been issued since 2011 (cards, not people) and that the system has processed over €2.8 billion in payments. The NTA credits the €2 TFI 90 fare with contributing to the increase in passenger numbers on the city's network, without publishing a figure for its effect.

🎓 Lesson

Leap became the place where Dublin's fare rules live, so replacing it means rebuilding the rules, not just the readers. The NTA calls Leap a legacy system that has reached its limit; its successor, Next Generation Ticketing, went to Indra under a framework contract announced in April 2024, when the NTA's BusConnects site said a full rollout would likely take three to four years. The dates have since settled on new validators from 2027 and bank-card payments from 2028, starting with a first release of fewer than 100 validators in late 2027 to test the system before wider deployment, and a separate release for Irish Rail sequenced so that the 90-minute fare and Leap capping keep working. By February 2026 the NTA had spent €35.6 million on the programme since 2020, against a €270 million budget reported in August 2026, and it has no timeline yet for the rollout beyond the Greater Dublin Area.

🚲 MobilitySmart ticketingPublic transport

Sources

↗ The Irish Times, Leap card usage figures (13 May 2014) (media)Report of 13 May 2014: more than 500,000 Leap cards sold since the integrated ticketing system was introduced in December 2011, 300,000 in 'active use' over the previous two months, one-third of Dublin public transport journeys paid by Leap, Cork as the second city on the system, and a comparison with London's Oyster card at over 85 per cent of journeys.
↗ National Transport Authority, Determination No. 7 on Leap multi-operator capping (official)Published November 2013The NTA's 'Determination order for the introduction of Leap card multi-operator (Dublin Bus, Iarnród Éireann and Luas) daily and weekly capping rates', Determination No. 7, dated November 2013 on its title page.
↗ National Transport Authority, TFI 90 Minute fare announcement (official)Published 15 November 2021NTA release of 15 November 2021 introducing the TFI 90 Minute fare in the Dublin area from 28 November 2021: free transfer between Dublin Bus, Luas and most DART, commuter rail and Go-Ahead Ireland services within 90 minutes of the first touch-on, at a promotional €2.30 for adults using Leap.
↗ TFI Leap Card, fare capping page (official)Current Leap capping rules: Dublin area adult cap €6.00 a day and €24.00 a week (young adult/student €3.00/€12.00, child €1.95/€7.80), valid across Dublin city bus services of Dublin Bus and Go-Ahead Ireland, Luas, DART and commuter rail in Zone 1; Cork city bus has its own caps.
↗ TFI Leap Card, About page (official)Current overview of the card: accepted on TFI bus services, commercial bus services, DART, Dublin commuter rail, the Cork commuter line and Luas; TFI 90 Minute Fare at €2.00 adult; Dublin Zone 1 caps of €6.00 a day and €24.00 a week.
Show 9 more sourcesShow fewer
↗ The Irish Times, Dublin fares overhaul (24 Jan 2024) (media)Report on the NTA's planned 2024 fares overhaul: a new Dublin city zone, with the daily Leap cap reduced from €8 to €6 and the weekly cap from €32 to €24, plus a new Dublin commuter zone.
↗ National Transport Authority, first phase of 2024 fares determination (official)Published 10 June 2024NTA release: the €2 TFI 90-minute fare in Dublin remains in place and 'has been a huge success', having 'contributed to the increase in passenger numbers recorded across the city's network'; phase two to bring the new Dublin zones and a significant reduction in Leap multimodal caps.
↗ BusConnects (NTA), Next Generation Ticketing page (official)The NTA's explainer for Next Generation Ticketing: more than 9 million Leap cards issued and over €2.7 billion in fare payments since 2011; Leap described as 'a legacy system' that 'has reached its limit'; Indra engaged to build the national system, first phase in the Greater Dublin Area; 'realistically it will be 2028' before customers benefit.
↗ Railway Gazette International, Indra ticketing contract (media)Published 1 May 2024Trade report of the NTA's award to Indra, announced on 29 April 2024: a single-supplier framework contract for a national multimodal payment system accepting EMV bank cards, phones and smartwatches, running 10 years with an option for 10 more; Indra puts its value at 'hundreds of millions of euros'.
↗ Dublin Inquirer, NTA chooses Indra for contactless payments (media)Published 3 July 2024Report that the NTA board approved the Indra framework agreement on 22 March 2024 to replace 'the aging legacy Leap card system nationally'; quotes the BusConnects website that the system was 'likely to take between three to four years to fully roll out', and an NTA spokesperson putting the Greater Dublin capital cost 'of the order of €100m', not finalised.
↗ National Transport Authority, Indra Dublin office opening (official)Published 21 January 2026NTA release of 21 January 2026 on Indra's Dublin office for the programme: Leap has 'processed over €2.8 billion in payments since 2011'; new validators from 2027, contactless payments from 2028; upgrades of about 240 station gates, 1,000 station validators and more than 2,800 on-bus validators in the Greater Dublin Area.
↗ Irish Examiner, NTA spending on Next Generation Ticketing (6 Feb 2026) (media)Report of NTA figures released under Freedom of Information: €35.6m spent on Next Generation Ticketing since 2020, €23.4m of it in 2025; contactless payments due from 2028 and no timeframe for Cork.
↗ Irish Examiner, no national timetable for Next Generation Ticketing (27 Aug 2026) (media)Report of an NTA parliamentary response: more than €30m of a €270m budget spent; the first release (MR1) in late 2027 on fewer than 100 bus, tram and train validators to test the system; MR3 brings in Irish Rail so the 90-minute fare and Leap capping continue; no timeline for national rollout.
↗ Transport for Ireland, contactless payments on TFI Local Link (official)Published 28 November 2025NTA announcement of 28 November 2025: debit/credit card and mobile payment on TFI Local Link Tipperary services from 1 December, after a 2023 pilot in Cavan and Monaghan, with all Local Link offices to follow by the end of 2026; Next Generation Ticketing is described as a separate, parallel programme.

📅 How old is the evidence?

Two clocks, kept apart: when this entry’s sources were published, and what has happened to its record in the atlas. Documented span: since 2011. 11 of 14 sources carry a publication date, from November 2013 to 27 August 2026.

When the sources were published

  1. National Transport Authority · operatorNational Transport Authority, Determination No. 7 on Leap multi-operator capping (official)
  2. The Irish Times · pressThe Irish Times, Leap card usage figures (13 May 2014) (media)
  3. National Transport Authority · operatorNational Transport Authority, TFI 90 Minute fare announcement (official)
  4. The Irish Times · pressThe Irish Times, Dublin fares overhaul (24 Jan 2024) (media)
  5. Railway Gazette International · pressRailway Gazette International, Indra ticketing contract (media)
  6. National Transport Authority · operatorNational Transport Authority, first phase of 2024 fares determination (official)
  7. Dublin Inquirer · pressDublin Inquirer, NTA chooses Indra for contactless payments (media)
  8. National Transport Authority · operatorTransport for Ireland, contactless payments on TFI Local Link (official)
Show 3 more dated sourcesShow fewer
  1. National Transport Authority · operatorNational Transport Authority, Indra Dublin office opening (official)
  2. Irish Examiner · pressIrish Examiner, NTA spending on Next Generation Ticketing (6 Feb 2026) (media)
  3. Irish Examiner · pressIrish Examiner, no national timetable for Next Generation Ticketing (27 Aug 2026) (media)

Every source, with links ↑

What happened to this record

  1. Entered the record
  2. Sources last read

Every revision, permanent →

Show your work What this page rests on and what it can’t tell you · all 21 claims with their sources · the forensic record

Evidence Passport · public beta 21 addressable claims, 14 source dossiers, one permanent baseline. The passport is unreviewed — an AI-assisted structural migration, not a human or expert endorsement. Every revision keeps a permanent copy under revision history.

Inspect the claims, one by one — verbatim text, sources and caveats for all 21

The text below is copied verbatim from the published record. Each claim names the source dossiers that carry it; caveats stay attached to the claim they qualify.

Claim 1 clm-e9b3c9051f34b273 quantitative
a prepaid contactless smart card managed by the National Transport Authority (NTA), was introduced in the Greater Dublin Area in December 2011 for Dublin Bus, Luas and DART
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
The Irish Times reported cards 'covering transport on Dublin Bus, Luas and Dart' sold 'since the integrated ticketing system was introduced in December 2011'; the NTA's own page describes Leap as its system since 2011.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. The Irish Times, Leap card usage figures (13 May 2014) (media)
  2. BusConnects (NTA), Next Generation Ticketing page (official)
Claim 2 clm-25aed23e3727308f descriptive
has since spread to other Irish cities
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
The 2014 report names Cork as the second city on Leap; the current Leap page lists acceptance on the Cork commuter line and TFI bus services beyond Dublin.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. The Irish Times, Leap card usage figures (13 May 2014) (media)
  2. TFI Leap Card, About page (official)
Claim 3 clm-91fcd474ad12a5ec quantitative
daily and weekly caps across Dublin Bus, Luas and rail, set for multiple operators by an NTA determination of November 2013
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
The NTA determination order, dated November 2013 on its title page, introduces 'Leap card multi-operator (Dublin Bus, Iarnród Éireann and Luas) daily and weekly capping rates'.
Caveat
The document's title page gives November 2013; the date the caps took effect on each operator is not stated in the part we could read.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. National Transport Authority, Determination No. 7 on Leap multi-operator capping (official)
Claim 4 clm-f27e6c4c6b3e1b13 quantitative
since 28 November 2021, the TFI 90 Minute fare, which allows free transfers between Dublin Bus, Luas and most DART and commuter rail services within 90 minutes of the first tap
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
The NTA announced 'the introduction of the TFI 90 Minute fare across Transport for Ireland services in the Dublin area from the 28th November 2021', allowing 'free transfer between Dublin Bus, Luas and most DART, commuter rail and Go-Ahead Ireland services in Dublin within 90 minutes of initial touch on'.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. National Transport Authority, TFI 90 Minute fare announcement (official)
Claim 5 clm-ae0f51e287388966 quantitative
The adult caps in the Dublin city zone now stand at €6 a day and €24 a week
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
The Leap capping table gives the Dublin area adult daily cap as €6.00 and the weekly cap as €24.00.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. TFI Leap Card, fare capping page (official)
  2. TFI Leap Card, About page (official)
Claim 6 clm-f39086a5d25876bb quantitative
down from €8 and €32 under a fares overhaul announced in January 2024
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
The Irish Times reported that 'the daily cap on the maximum cost of Leap card journeys within the Dublin city zone will be reduced from €8 to €6, while the most someone will pay weekly will be capped at €24, down from €32.'
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. The Irish Times, Dublin fares overhaul (24 Jan 2024) (media)
Claim 7 clm-bf1d294479af4dec descriptive
Tapping a bank card or phone is not yet possible on Dublin's buses, trams or trains
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
The NTA says new validators will appear from 2027 'with contactless payments available from 2028'; in August 2026 the NTA said the first release comes in late 2027.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. National Transport Authority, Indra Dublin office opening (official)
  2. Irish Examiner, no national timetable for Next Generation Ticketing (27 Aug 2026) (media)
Claim 8 clm-006e9f2e85ed06d9 quantitative
card payment has so far started only on rural TFI Local Link services, beginning in Tipperary in December 2025
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
The NTA announced that 'From Monday, 1st December, passengers travelling on TFI Local Link Tipperary services will be able to pay their fares using debit or credit cards', after a 2023 pilot in Cavan and Monaghan.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Transport for Ireland, contactless payments on TFI Local Link (official)
Claim 9 clm-88e9a8d1c6d457cb quantitative
By May 2014, NTA figures reported by The Irish Times counted more than 500,000 cards sold but 300,000 in active use, with one-third of Dublin public transport journeys paid by Leap
Published field
impact · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
The report: 'More than 500,000 pre-paid cards ... have been sold since the integrated ticketing system was introduced in December 2011, with 300,000 in "active use" over the past two months', and 'one-third of public transport journeys taken by commuters in Dublin are now paid for using the cards'.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. The Irish Times, Leap card usage figures (13 May 2014) (media)
Claim 10 clm-8dc96662e88999bd quantitative
more than 9 million Leap cards have been issued since 2011 (cards, not people)
Published field
impact · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
The NTA page: 'Since its introduction in 2011, more than 9 million Leap cards have been issued'. This is a count of cards issued, not of distinct users.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. BusConnects (NTA), Next Generation Ticketing page (official)
Claim 11 clm-cea6b6cbb4f5cafb quantitative
the system has processed over €2.8 billion in payments
Published field
impact · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
The NTA release of January 2026: 'the Leap Card, which has processed over €2.8 billion in payments since 2011'.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. National Transport Authority, Indra Dublin office opening (official)
Claim 12 clm-82c614665ce788c4 quantitative
The NTA credits the €2 TFI 90 fare with contributing to the increase in passenger numbers on the city's network, without publishing a figure for its effect
Published field
impact · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
The NTA writes that the TFI 90 €2 fare 'has been a huge success' and 'has also contributed to the increase in passenger numbers recorded across the city's network'; the release gives no number for this effect.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. National Transport Authority, first phase of 2024 fares determination (official)
Claim 13 clm-a8e4bd9deee7e055 descriptive
The NTA calls Leap a legacy system that has reached its limit
Published field
lesson · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
The NTA page: 'Leap is now a legacy system and it has reached its limit in terms of its underlying software and hardware technologies.'
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. BusConnects (NTA), Next Generation Ticketing page (official)
Claim 14 clm-e335bb741282c679 quantitative
went to Indra under a framework contract announced in April 2024
Published field
lesson · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
Railway Gazette reports the NTA award to Indra of a single-supplier framework contract, announced on 29 April 2024; the Dublin Inquirer adds that the NTA board approved it on 22 March 2024.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Railway Gazette International, Indra ticketing contract (media)
  2. Dublin Inquirer, NTA chooses Indra for contactless payments (media)
Claim 15 clm-cb17f116e1257c95 descriptive
when the NTA's BusConnects site said a full rollout would likely take three to four years
Published field
lesson · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
The Dublin Inquirer quotes the BusConnects website: 'it is likely to take between three to four years to fully roll out the new system'.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Dublin Inquirer, NTA chooses Indra for contactless payments (media)
Claim 16 clm-0bcff1cbd7cf52d4 quantitative
new validators from 2027 and bank-card payments from 2028
Published field
lesson · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
The NTA: 'New validators will begin appearing from 2027, with contactless payments available from 2028.' The BusConnects page: 'realistically it will be 2028 before customers will be able to benefit'.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. National Transport Authority, Indra Dublin office opening (official)
  2. BusConnects (NTA), Next Generation Ticketing page (official)
Claim 17 clm-17d3072b31273a09 quantitative
a first release of fewer than 100 validators in late 2027 to test the system before wider deployment
Published field
lesson · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
The Irish Examiner quotes the NTA: the first phase 'when rolled out in late 2027, would be on fewer than 100' validators, to 'test and prove the functionality of these validators before committing to a large-scale deployment'.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Irish Examiner, no national timetable for Next Generation Ticketing (27 Aug 2026) (media)
Claim 18 clm-d64c93289031861e quantitative
a separate release for Irish Rail sequenced so that the 90-minute fare and Leap capping keep working
Published field
lesson · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
The NTA response: Major Release 3 brings in Irish Rail 'as close to MR2 as possible' to allow the 90-minute multi-modal fare to continue, and so Leap fare capping continues to limit the price.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Irish Examiner, no national timetable for Next Generation Ticketing (27 Aug 2026) (media)
Claim 19 clm-4e5769dfbe06413f quantitative
By February 2026 the NTA had spent €35.6 million on the programme since 2020
Published field
lesson · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
The Irish Examiner, from NTA figures released under Freedom of Information: 'Since 2020, €35.6m has been spent on the project'.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Irish Examiner, NTA spending on Next Generation Ticketing (6 Feb 2026) (media)
Claim 20 clm-e7534b241bcf29aa quantitative
against a €270 million budget reported in August 2026
Published field
lesson · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
The Irish Examiner reports the system 'has thus far cost more €30m of a €270m budget'.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Irish Examiner, no national timetable for Next Generation Ticketing (27 Aug 2026) (media)
Claim 21 clm-c0b8d9c3a8eeaf2f descriptive
it has no timeline yet for the rollout beyond the Greater Dublin Area
Published field
lesson · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
The NTA told a TD it intends to roll out nationwide after the Greater Dublin Area, 'though the timeline for that implementation is not yet available'.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Irish Examiner, no national timetable for Next Generation Ticketing (27 Aug 2026) (media)
Forensic record — source dossiers, gaps, hashes and the exact revision this page renders

This layer records what is known about each source, what is still missing, and the exact snapshot this page is rendering. A missing date, archive or hash stays visible as missing.

unreviewed Revision 2026-09-25-baseline effective 2026-09-25 · created 2026-09-25

Awaiting operator and domain-expert review; publication of this revision implies neither.

sha256:05cb20b23f02eea52523bdbce12578632d72c6aa8f33cbff4b7f1f4b07eb4031
Revision history → Permanent version link → Machine-readable record → Evidence Constitution →
21
of 21 claims mapped
14
source dossiers
10
publication dates recorded
0
archives linked
0
exact locators
0
content captures hashed

Governance facts carried by the record

Operator
National Transport Authority (Transport for Ireland); accepted on Dublin Bus, Go-Ahead Ireland, Luas and Irish Rail services
Actor types
national-government, private
Funding model
public
Funding description
Public: National Transport Authority
Cost
Replacement programme (Next Generation Ticketing): €270 million budget; €35.6 million spent 2020 to early 2026
Ownership
Not recorded
Decision rights
Not recorded
Exit conditions
Not recorded

14 source dossiers

The Irish Times, Leap card usage figures (13 May 2014) (media) irishtimes.com · 3 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-7aab3100150d7542
Publisher
Name not classified · irishtimes.com
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2014-05-13
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-09-25
Dossier created
2026-09-25
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Report of 13 May 2014: more than 500,000 Leap cards sold since the integrated ticketing system was introduced in December 2011, 300,000 in 'active use' over the previous two months, one-third of Dublin public transport journeys paid by Leap, Cork as the second city on the system, and a comparison with London's Oyster card at over 85 per cent of journeys.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
National Transport Authority, Determination No. 7 on Leap multi-operator capping (official) nationaltransport.ie · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-b31f621e7abe022f
Publisher
Name not classified · nationaltransport.ie
Type / language
pdf · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-09-25
Dossier created
2026-09-25
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

The NTA's 'Determination order for the introduction of Leap card multi-operator (Dublin Bus, Iarnród Éireann and Luas) daily and weekly capping rates', Determination No. 7, dated November 2013 on its title page.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
National Transport Authority, TFI 90 Minute fare announcement (official) nationaltransport.ie · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-3a8308ad6cf7182c
Publisher
Name not classified · nationaltransport.ie
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2021-11-15
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-09-25
Dossier created
2026-09-25
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

NTA release of 15 November 2021 introducing the TFI 90 Minute fare in the Dublin area from 28 November 2021: free transfer between Dublin Bus, Luas and most DART, commuter rail and Go-Ahead Ireland services within 90 minutes of the first touch-on, at a promotional €2.30 for adults using Leap.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
TFI Leap Card, fare capping page (official) about.leapcard.ie · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-13014a4b6f42acbf
Publisher
Name not classified · about.leapcard.ie
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-09-25
Dossier created
2026-09-25
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Current Leap capping rules: Dublin area adult cap €6.00 a day and €24.00 a week (young adult/student €3.00/€12.00, child €1.95/€7.80), valid across Dublin city bus services of Dublin Bus and Go-Ahead Ireland, Luas, DART and commuter rail in Zone 1; Cork city bus has its own caps.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
TFI Leap Card, About page (official) about.leapcard.ie · 2 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-266c834183172415
Publisher
Name not classified · about.leapcard.ie
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-09-25
Dossier created
2026-09-25
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Current overview of the card: accepted on TFI bus services, commercial bus services, DART, Dublin commuter rail, the Cork commuter line and Luas; TFI 90 Minute Fare at €2.00 adult; Dublin Zone 1 caps of €6.00 a day and €24.00 a week.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
The Irish Times, Dublin fares overhaul (24 Jan 2024) (media) irishtimes.com · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-2744a417b6dab7fb
Publisher
Name not classified · irishtimes.com
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2024-01-24
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-09-25
Dossier created
2026-09-25
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Report on the NTA's planned 2024 fares overhaul: a new Dublin city zone, with the daily Leap cap reduced from €8 to €6 and the weekly cap from €32 to €24, plus a new Dublin commuter zone.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
National Transport Authority, first phase of 2024 fares determination (official) nationaltransport.ie · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-39e535f62effeebb
Publisher
Name not classified · nationaltransport.ie
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2024-06-10
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-09-25
Dossier created
2026-09-25
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

NTA release: the €2 TFI 90-minute fare in Dublin remains in place and 'has been a huge success', having 'contributed to the increase in passenger numbers recorded across the city's network'; phase two to bring the new Dublin zones and a significant reduction in Leap multimodal caps.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
BusConnects (NTA), Next Generation Ticketing page (official) busconnects.ie · 4 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-b3bb545966950f5c
Publisher
Name not classified · busconnects.ie
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-09-25
Dossier created
2026-09-25
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

The NTA's explainer for Next Generation Ticketing: more than 9 million Leap cards issued and over €2.7 billion in fare payments since 2011; Leap described as 'a legacy system' that 'has reached its limit'; Indra engaged to build the national system, first phase in the Greater Dublin Area; 'realistically it will be 2028' before customers benefit.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Railway Gazette International, Indra ticketing contract (media) railwaygazette.com · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-58ecdd712b0fdc56
Publisher
Name not classified · railwaygazette.com
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2024-05-01
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-09-25
Dossier created
2026-09-25
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Trade report of the NTA's award to Indra, announced on 29 April 2024: a single-supplier framework contract for a national multimodal payment system accepting EMV bank cards, phones and smartwatches, running 10 years with an option for 10 more; Indra puts its value at 'hundreds of millions of euros'.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Dublin Inquirer, NTA chooses Indra for contactless payments (media) dublininquirer.com · 2 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-bdf3cfe0e547e29e
Publisher
Name not classified · dublininquirer.com
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2024-07-03
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-09-25
Dossier created
2026-09-25
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Report that the NTA board approved the Indra framework agreement on 22 March 2024 to replace 'the aging legacy Leap card system nationally'; quotes the BusConnects website that the system was 'likely to take between three to four years to fully roll out', and an NTA spokesperson putting the Greater Dublin capital cost 'of the order of €100m', not finalised.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
National Transport Authority, Indra Dublin office opening (official) nationaltransport.ie · 3 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-0ec70ecd7b710890
Publisher
Name not classified · nationaltransport.ie
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2026-01-21
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-09-25
Dossier created
2026-09-25
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

NTA release of 21 January 2026 on Indra's Dublin office for the programme: Leap has 'processed over €2.8 billion in payments since 2011'; new validators from 2027, contactless payments from 2028; upgrades of about 240 station gates, 1,000 station validators and more than 2,800 on-bus validators in the Greater Dublin Area.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Irish Examiner, NTA spending on Next Generation Ticketing (6 Feb 2026) (media) irishexaminer.com · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-52cb5e522410aed9
Publisher
Name not classified · irishexaminer.com
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2026-02-06
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-09-25
Dossier created
2026-09-25
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Report of NTA figures released under Freedom of Information: €35.6m spent on Next Generation Ticketing since 2020, €23.4m of it in 2025; contactless payments due from 2028 and no timeframe for Cork.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Irish Examiner, no national timetable for Next Generation Ticketing (27 Aug 2026) (media) irishexaminer.com · 5 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-53de54ec2e89bd95
Publisher
Name not classified · irishexaminer.com
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2026-08-27
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-09-25
Dossier created
2026-09-25
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Report of an NTA parliamentary response: more than €30m of a €270m budget spent; the first release (MR1) in late 2027 on fewer than 100 bus, tram and train validators to test the system; MR3 brings in Irish Rail so the 90-minute fare and Leap capping continue; no timeline for national rollout.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Transport for Ireland, contactless payments on TFI Local Link (official) transportforireland.ie · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-0ded5b98880abe00
Publisher
Name not classified · transportforireland.ie
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2025-11-28
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-09-25
Dossier created
2026-09-25
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

NTA announcement of 28 November 2025: debit/credit card and mobile payment on TFI Local Link Tipperary services from 1 December, after a 2023 pilot in Cavan and Monaghan, with all Local Link offices to follow by the end of 2026; Next Generation Ticketing is described as a separate, parallel programme.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Known limits of this passport
  • Publisher names and source languages have not yet been classified; domains are recorded without guessing.
  • Existing source notes are descriptive locators, not page- or paragraph-exact citations.
  • A missing archive, publication date or content hash is shown as null rather than inferred.
  • The project-level evidence grade ranks the strongest source in the entry; it is not a truth score for every claim.

Continue exploring

Compare this project

🇹🇼 EasyCard (悠遊卡) Contactless Fare Card · Taipei Stored-value cards kept running while bank-card payment is added or built; Dublin's replacement is not due before 2028. 🇨🇦 Compass Card Contactless Fare Payment · Vancouver Two closed-loop transit cards: Vancouver later opened its gates to bank cards; Dublin's opening is still years away. 🇦🇺 Opal Card & Contactless Tap and Pay · Sydney Opal added tap-and-pay to its own system; Dublin is procuring a whole new ticketing system to do the same.

Explore the wider context

🔑 Your Smart City Is Owned by Someone Else📖 Bus rapid transit (BRT)📖 E-ticketing📖 Fare capping
📎 Cite this project

1001 Smart Cities (2026). “TFI Leap Card: Dublin's Fare Card, Its Caps and the Contactless Successor Due in 2028” — Dublin, Ireland. The Smart City Atlas. https://1001smartcities.org/projects/dublin-leap-card/ (last verified 2026-09-25). Data: CC BY 4.0.

The underlying data is free to reuse with attribution — see the open data page.

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