Taxsaver to Leap FAQ

With effect from 01 December 2019 all taxsaver tickets must be ordered using a personalised Leap Card (with photo on it). Valid Fingal Express taxsaver cards will be accepted until their expiry.

 

How much is the new taxsaver ticket?

The price will remain the same for 2020 taxsaver tickets – monthly at €132, three monthly at €387 and annual at €1,399.

 

I already have a Leap Card and a Fingal Express annual taxsaver card. Will my current valid taxsaver card be valid in 2020?

From 01 December 2019, you will no longer be able order taxsaver tickets without a personalised Leap Card. From 01 December 2020 we will no longer accept Fingal Express taxsaver cards. Only personalised Leap Card taxsaver tickets will be accepted on board our service.

 

How do I switch from my current valid Fingal Express taxsaver card to my personalised Leap Card?

When you have your personalised Leap Card, email our office ([email protected]) and include your card number. We will upload your taxsaver ticket onto this and request that you post your Fingal Express taxsaver ticket to us within 5-days by registered post.

 

Will my employer need to continue to order my taxsaver ticket or will I be able to do it myself?
As taxsaver tax deductions are generally made via a salary sacrifice arrangement with your employer, tickets must continue to be purchased on your behalf by your employer on our website. Tickets cannot be purchased from the driver or via Taxsaver.ie or Leapcard.ie.

 

Will I still get the same tax benefits, when taxsaver tickets are on a TFI Leap Card?

Yes, your ticket is loaded onto your personalised Leap Card, so your tax benefits are unchanged.

 

How will the taxsaver Leap Card ordering process differ from the current taxsaver ordering process?

We will no longer be posting out Fingal Express taxsaver cards. Continue to order taxsaver tickets via our website. There is a space to input the personalised Leap Card number. The ticket will be added to your personalised Leap Card by us once your order is completed and full payment received.

 

How long will it take to load a taxsaver ticket onto the personalised Leap Card?

From when payment is received, it may take 72 hours (3 working days) to load to your card.

 

If payment is late, will the card still be valid from the 01st of each month as opposed to 30 days from activation date?

For example, when a 1-month ticket is purchased for March and payment is received on 04 March, it will expire on 31st March. Taxsaver tickets will be active on personalised Leap Card within 72 hours (3 working days) of payment being received. Payment and order cut-off date will remain the same, 21st of each month.

 

How do I activate my taxsaver ticket?

From the 1st of each month, tickets are activated by placing your Leap Card on our ticket machine. Tickets loaded before this date may be visible but will be inactive.

 

Will the same order cut-off and payment date apply?

Yes, the cut-off date for orders and payment will continue to be the 21st of each month except for December when this is brought forward. Late payment may result in your taxsaver ticket not being accessible on your personalised Leap Card from the 01st of the month.

 

Will this work the same way as the current taxsaver ticket, in that it has a start and end date with unlimited journeys? 

Yes. It can be used up to last day before cancellation as the card will not need to be returned to us. Fingal Express taxsaver tickets are valid on all Swords Express services except the Nitelink.

 

What are the benefits of this new taxsaver ticket?

There are many benefits to loading your taxsaver ticket onto a personalised Leap Card:

  • No lost taxsaver ticket replacement fee;
  • No photo ID required as this will now be on your card;
  • Save €8 on every order as postage fees no longer apply;
  • Easier to cancel – notify us by email and you will not be required to return your Leap Card by registered post, saving €8.
  • Easier and faster replacement process.
  • Quicker boarding. Tap your card to validate and show photo on your personalised Leap Card to the driver.

 

Will Fingal Express issue the personalised Leap Cards?

Personalised Leap Cards must be ordered via TFI Leap directly.

 

I currently have a personalised Leap Card that I used with other services which has my photo on it. Can I use the same one? 

Yes. If you already hold a personalised Leap Card your employer will be able to use this existing card number when ordering your Fingal Express taxsaver ticket.

 

I have an annual taxsaver ticket and if that switches to a personalised Leap Card, what happens with my general Leap Card?

Contact Leap Card Support and they will be able to advise you on cancelling your current card and replacing it with a new personalised one. TFI Leap will assist you in transferring all funds/products to your new card and refunding your €5 deposit.

 

Will I need to carry ID on the bus?

Your taxsaver Leap Card is personalised to you as your name and photo are printed on it. Therefore, you will not be required to show additional ID.

 

Is my Leap Card transferable?

No. Your personalised Leap Card is unique to you and is not transferable on our service. Only the person whose name & photo is printed on the card can use it.  If someone else uses your personalised Leap Card, they may have the card confiscated.

 

How will I be able to view if my taxsaver ticket has been loaded successfully onto my personalised Leap Card?

You can view this via your LeapCard.ie account from the Card Overview screen. Tickets will be uploaded to personalised Leap Cards 72 hours (3 working days) after full payment is received.

 

Can I use my personalised Leap Card on Dublin Bus, DART & Luas?

Yes. If you already have a personalised Leap Card, the Fingal Express taxsaver ticket can simply be loaded on to your existing card and will not interfere with additional tickets you have, such as Dublin Bus and Dart tickets, if topped up sufficiently. Please note that our taxsaver ticket is not valid on other service providers except Swords Express.

 

Are there any plans for Fingal Express to do a deal with Luas for combined taxsaver tickets?

At present there are no plans to do combined taxsaver tickets.

 

Will you now accept Dublin Bus issued taxsaver tickets?

No, we will not accept these taxsaver tickets as we are separate businesses.

 

Will the new taxsaver Leap Card need to be topped up or will the same system apply, just a different card?

Your Fingal Express taxsaver ticket can be cancelled, removed and renewed easily as it is simply a ticket on your personalised Leap Card that can be used like any other Leap Card tickets with any operator who is supporting Leap.

 

Do I add money to the new personalised Leap Card in order to swipe for Luas? 

Top-up your personalised Leap Card as usual and use it with any operator who is supporting Leap Cards. Your Fingal Express taxsaver ticket loaded onto your Leap Card will only be valid on our service.

 

When I scan my personalised Leap Card, will my journey be recorded and no credit deducted from my card?

Our drivers are trained to check if your personalised Leap Card has a valid taxsaver ticket for the applicable service. Once your taxsaver ticket is valid nothing will be deducted from your Leap Card as our system will only check the taxsaver ticket expiry date. If your taxsaver ticket is not valid, you can use travel credit on your card to pay. Please tell the driver that you have a taxsaver ticket before putting your Leap Card on the ticket machine.

 

If bus drivers scan every taxsaver ticket, will this delay boarding and slow the service especially at peak times?

Our technical team will continue to perform all necessary testing of this new system and calculate time needed to scan each ticket. To date, this has proved to deliver quicker boarding times with passengers using their personalised Leap Card.

 

How do I cancel my taxsaver ticket?

Email us at [email protected] and we will cancel the ticket immediately. We only accept cancellations for 3-month or annual tickets. We require a letter from the employer explaining the reasons for cancellation. As soon as the letter is received, we will issue a refund for months remaining on the ticket minus a 10% administration fee. We will only refund full months remaining on the ticket. For example, if there are 6 months remaining on the ticket, we will refund 6 months minus an administration fee of 10%.

 

What happens if I lose my personalised Leap Card?

Contact LeapCard.ie and they will block your card, including Fingal Express taxsaver ticket. As well as issuing a new personalised Leap Card they will transfer your ticket onto the new card.

 

Will I have to pay for the bus if I lose my personalised Leap Card?

Yes. However, contact our office straight away and we will post a temporary travel card for 5 working days, the expected time it will take to receive the new Card.