Accepting Interac Payments Online: Options for Canadian Firms

Short answer: For online Canadian payments, distinguish Interac Debit in supported Apple Pay or Google Pay checkouts from Interac e-Transfer received through your business bank. Pre-authorized debit (PAD) is a separate bank-payment option, not another name for Interac. Check the exact online method your processor and bank support before commissioning a checkout or invoice flow. Do not assume an in-person debit terminal rate applies online.

Why "Interac online" is confusing

Interac is Canada’s local debit network. A request for ‘Interac online’ needs a more precise specification; these options do not use the same payment flow:

Option	How the customer pays	Possible use	Main catch
Interac Debit in Apple Pay / Google Pay	Taps their wallet at checkout; debit card behind it	Online stores and apps	Confirm wallet, device, issuer and processor eligibility
Interac e-Transfer	Sends money from their banking app to your email or phone, or pays your Request Money	Invoices, deposits, B2B, services	Confirm invoice reference and automated confirmation support
Pre-authorized debit (PAD), separate from Interac	Authorises eligible bank-account debits	Memberships, subscriptions, retainers	Setup friction; mandate rules

Option 1: Interac Debit through Apple Pay and Google Pay

Interac announced back in October 2019 that Interac Debit for in-app and in-browser payments with Apple Pay and Google Pay was "now widely available," naming merchants such as SkipTheDishes and Second Cup. When a customer has their debit card in their phone's wallet, it can be used at an online checkout that offers Apple Pay or Google Pay, if your payment provider routes it as Interac.

Adyen's Interac page describes this as the e-commerce flow for Interac and notes that many banks chose Interac for the debit cards in those wallets. Interac’s 15 October 2019 announcement used the phrase “no chargebacks,” but that historical description is not a blanket guarantee against disputes or reversals. Adyen’s method page, retrieved on 1 November 2026, lists chargebacks for technical errors and goods not received. Review the applicable processor and scheme rules.

The method descriptions below are not a confirmation that a particular business account, card or shop integration is eligible.

What to check with your provider:

Does it process Interac Debit in Apple Pay and Google Pay online, or only in person? Ask for written confirmation of the supported online flow rather than treating a terminal integration as proof.
How are refunds handled? Adyen's page shows partial refunds are available for e-commerce but in-person refunds require the customer to be present.
What is the per-transaction cost? Interac’s published network/interchange fees are not a complete merchant quote; ask which processor, wallet, refund and dispute charges apply.

Option 2: Interac e-Transfer for invoices and deposits

For invoices and deposits, ask your business bank about Send Money, Request Money and Autodeposit support. Two possible customer flows are:

Customer sends money using the email address or mobile number registered for the supported service. Ask your bank whether Autodeposit is available for your business account; where enabled, it deposits incoming funds directly without a security question.
You request payment through a supported bank service. Confirm whether your bank offers a retail Request Money flow or the separate Business Request Money product, and how the customer authorises payment.

Costs: Interac's fee page states that e-Transfer fees it lists are wholesale fees paid by banks and that "Interac does not charge Interac e-Transfer fees directly to end customers." Interac directs consumers and business owners to their financial institution for their own fees. Check your business-account schedule; do not treat the wholesale table as the charge for your invoice.

Reconciliation is another cost to consider. In a hypothetical example, a customer pays from a spouse’s account with the memo “for the deck.” Your team still needs reliable evidence linking the received payment to the correct invoice.

Interac’s Business Request Money page describes direct payment from a website, app, QR code or invoice through a participating financial institution. That is more than a manual email instruction, but availability and integration must be confirmed with your bank; do not assume every account or store plugin includes it.

Automating the matching

Put a short, unique reference on every invoice ("INV-1043") and ask customers to paste it in the message.
Check whether the supported Request Money flow carries your requested amount and invoice reference through to the bank records.
Where your accounting software supports it, use an authenticated bank feed to propose matches by amount and reference. Keep ambiguous, duplicate and partial payments for review.
If an integration reads deposit emails, treat them only as untrusted matching hints. Confirm receipt through authenticated bank records or a supported bank feed before marking an invoice paid or releasing goods. A notification email or customer screenshot is not payment proof. Restrict access and retention for any payment data.

Option 3: Pre-authorized debit for recurring payments

For memberships, subscriptions and payment plans, assess PAD separately from Interac. Ask the bank or payment provider about eligibility, the customer agreement, verification, processing and settlement times, returns and dispute rules. Compare a written quote with your card option at the actual payment sizes and volume; do not assume PAD is always cheaper or immediately final.

Compare the same channel and total cost

Ask each provider for an online quote covering the method you will actually use, not an in-person terminal headline. Include fixed charges, transaction charges, refunds, failures, disputes, currency conversion where applicable and reconciliation effort. Interac’s wholesale fee table explains part of the network economics; it is not a price list for an end merchant.

Suggested starting points by business type

Business	Suggested setup
Online shop selling products	Cards + Apple Pay/Google Pay at checkout; ask your processor about Interac routing for wallet payments
Trades and home services	Card payment links for deposits; e-Transfer Request Money for final invoices with reference matching
Clinics, studios, gyms	Card on file or PAD for memberships; in-person Interac debit at the front desk
B2B supplier	e-Transfer (or EFT) for invoices with references; automated matching in accounting software
Event or course sales	Assess cards and wallets for immediate checkout; offer e-Transfer only with a clear pending-payment and reconciliation process

FAQ

Can I add an "Interac" button to my Shopify or WooCommerce store?

Check the store platform, gateway and bank together. Ask specifically for Interac Debit in supported wallets, or for a supported e-Transfer invoice process. A manual payment instruction is not the same as an automatically confirmed checkout, and a bank-redirect flow should not be commissioned solely on the basis of an old plugin listing. Obtain current bank and processor confirmation.

Is e-Transfer safe for large business payments?

Ask your bank about sending and receiving limits for your business account and transaction, and agree an approved payment route for large invoices. Do not split transactions to evade a bank restriction. Verify refund instructions through a trusted channel rather than relying on a new email request.

Do e-Transfers have chargebacks?

Do not read ‘not a card payment’ as ‘no risk of dispute, fraud or reversal’. Ask your bank about the rules that apply to received e-Transfers. Confirm receipt in authenticated bank records before releasing goods, and review suspicious payer or refund requests.

What is the cheapest way to take recurring payments in Canada?

There is no universal cheapest method. Compare eligible PAD and card quotes using the same payment amounts, volume, failure assumptions and review effort. PAD is a separate option, not an Interac checkout route.

If you'd like e-Transfers matched to invoices automatically instead of by hand, describe how payments reach you today.