Iarnród Éireann adds PayPal for rail ticket bookings
Iarnród Éireann has added PayPal as a payment option on its website and app, giving rail customers in Ireland and abroad a new way to check out.
Customers can now buy tickets through their PayPal account using either a PayPal balance or another linked funding source. The option is available across the operator's digital booking channels.
The change connects one of Ireland's largest transport providers with a payments group that has operated in the country for more than two decades. Dublin remains one of PayPal's largest European hubs, highlighting the importance of the Irish market to the company.
Iarnród Éireann carried more than 55 million passengers in 2025, according to the National Transport Authority's public service obligation passenger journeys report. That gives the operator a large domestic customer base, while its online booking system also serves visitors and people planning travel from outside Ireland.
Early data
Initial transaction figures point to notable international use of the new payment option. More than 20 per cent of Iarnród Éireann transactions made through PayPal came from outside Ireland, with a significant share of those purchases coming from the United States.
That suggests the payment method may be particularly relevant for overseas customers booking Irish rail travel before they arrive. It also reflects a broader effort by transport operators to reduce friction in online booking by offering familiar payment options to different groups of travellers.
Digital payments have become a routine part of transport booking across Europe, especially through apps and online channels. Rail, airline and urban transport operators have expanded the mix of card, wallet and account-based options they accept as consumers have become more accustomed to buying tickets remotely.
For Iarnród Éireann, the addition is part of a wider digital sales effort to make ticket purchases more straightforward across its intercity and commuter network. The company runs Intercity services across Ireland, DART and commuter services in the Greater Dublin Area, commuter services in Cork, rail freight operations, and jointly operates the Dublin-to-Belfast Enterprise service with Translink.
It also serves as the infrastructure manager for the national heavy rail network and the port authority for Rosslare Europort. The organisation employs more than 5,300 people.
Travel focus
The travel sector is an important area for payment providers because bookings often involve cross-border customers, advance purchases and mobile transactions. A recognised payment brand can help address concerns at checkout, particularly for customers who may be less familiar with a local operator's website or app.
PayPal described the agreement as part of a broader effort to strengthen its position in Ireland's travel market. The company has operated in Ireland since 2003 and said the latest arrangement adds to its local presence in the sector.
Jonas Breding, General Manager of PayPal Northern Europe, highlighted the international element in the early booking data.
"Travellers expect payments they know and trust, wherever they book," Breding said. "The early results of our cooperation show clear international demand, with more than 20 percent of Iarnród Éireann transactions via PayPal coming from outside Ireland, with a significant share of them from the United States."
Iarnród Éireann said the change is intended to give customers more choice when paying for rail journeys and to make booking easier through its digital channels.
Keith Faherty, Head of Digital Channels at Iarnród Éireann, said the focus is on customer access and ease of purchase.
"Our priority is to make booking rail travel easy to buy, easy to use, and as accessible as possible," Faherty said. "By adding PayPal to our supported payment methods, we are giving our customers what they want - greater choice and reassurance at checkout - making the first step of their journey even easier and more convenient, wherever they are travelling from."