Skip to main content

Accept payments with Interac® Debit

Give your customer the confidence of checking out using their own money with Interac Debit.

Ways to offer Interac Debit Solutions

Power your business with secure and convenient Interac Debit payment solutions.

Interac Debit contactless payments are a popular checkout choice for consumers, and businesses have several options to accept them:

  • Tap to pay on smartphones: Accept contactless payments directly on a compatible smartphone, no extra hardware needed1.
  • Mobile card readers: Use a card reader that connects to a compatible smartphone or tablet.
  • POS terminals: Integrate contactless payments with a point-of-sale system.

With contactless payments, you get the benefits of:

  • Streamlined payments for quicker checkouts
  • Immediate access to funds
  • No chargebacks – ever
  • Secure transactions
  • Economical fees

How it works with Interac Debit

Your customers can simply tap their debit card or mobile phone to pay2 – no PIN needed (ask your acquirer3 for more details). They can tap on a card reader, terminal, or directly on an eligible smartphone, depending on the merchant’s set-up. It’s as safe and secure as all our Interac payment solutions.

Accepting contactless payments directly on smartphones

With Tap to Pay on iPhone and Tap to Pay on Android, businesses across Canada can accept contactless payments while they’re on the go, directly on their compatible smartphones1. Enjoy the freedom to accept contactless payments wherever your customers are, without being tied down by extra hardware or fixed terminals.

Learn more about Tap to Pay on iPhone

Accepting contactless payments with a card reader

Busy on-the-go businesses can enjoy the ease and flexibility of accepting contactless Interac Debit payments with a card reader. This affordable solution lets customers pay with a card through chip and pin or with a simple tap – using either their card or smartphone – near the contactless symbol of the reader. Plus, you can process transactions directly on your device without needing a complex integrated system.

Need to accept payments beyond the $250.00 contactless limits?

Learn more about chip and pin payments.

Accepting contactless payments with a POS terminal

Operating in-store? Streamline your checkout process and delight your customers with the speed and convenience of Interac Debit contactless payments on your POS terminal. Customers can pay quickly and easily with just a tap, reducing wait times and enhancing their in-store experience. Talk to your Acquirer about activating Interac Debit contactless payments on your POS terminal today and experience the benefits of this popular payment method.

For more information, contact an Acquirer to get started.

Why offer Interac Debit?

Faster checkouts

Interac Debit contactless payment offers a fast way for your customers to pay, meaning minimal wait times, and more time for you to serve more customers. And fast payment processing time means your business gets fast access to funds sent directly to your account.

Payment solutions wherever you are

Whether you’re selling in a food truck or at a convention, through mobile point-of-sale solutions you can offer Interac Debit to your customers no matter where you are.

No chargebacks

Access your earnings easily with zero chargebacks. Enjoy less hassle and more ease.

Virtually everywhere

Interac Debit payment solutions are integrated across financial institutions nationally and are accepted at over half a million locations.

Unparalleled fraud prevention

Interac Debit uses up-to-date security technology and practices to help ensure that your business has control over who has access to your financial information.

Trusted by Canadians

Interac is one of the most trusted financial service brands in Canada. Your customers feel good about using Interac products.

Future-ready

Innovation is our cornerstone. Working with our partners, we continuously evolve to help your business transactions run smoother with our payment solutions.

Want to know more about Interac Debit?

Unlock the full potential of Interac Debit with helpful usage resources.

Secure transactions

From chip technology to tokenization and fraud prevention, Interac has state-of-the-art security measures in place.

Protect your payments

Which financial institutions offer Interac Debit features?

Filter by Alphabet

How small business owners can stay in charge during crunch time.

Discover strategies for staying in control during peak seasons.

Have More Questions?

How small business owners can stay in charge during crunch time

Discover valuable insights and strategies for small business owners to stay in control during peak seasons.

Read Article

Find answers to common questions.

Have any questions about Interac Debit for Business? Get fast answers on our Support page.

FAQs

See how it can help your day-to-day operations.

Learn more about the practical features of Interac Debit and how it can help your business.

See It in Action
  • Participation eligibility and suspension criteria

    The below sets out a high-level summary of eligibility criteria for service participation and a summary of circumstances in which a Participant may be suspended from the service. In addition to the eligibility criteria summarized below, Participants are required to meet all the requirements (including technical requirements) found in the service’s governing documents. If your organization fits within the eligibility criteria below and would like to discuss participation in Interac’s services, please contact participation@interac.ca.

    Interac Flash and Interac Debit

    The following entities are eligible to become Participants on the Interac Flash and Interac Debit services:
    Issuers: The following financial institutions are eligible to participate as an Issuer:

    • a bank;
    • a Central Cooperative Credit Society, a Cooperative Credit Association or a local cooperative credit society;
    • a foreign bank operating at least one full-service branch in Canada;
    • a foreign life insurance company;
    • a trustee of a qualified trust; or
    • a designated foreign financial institution.

    Acquirers: Entities that operate card-accepting devices (contact and/or contactless) at the point-of-sale, which capture and transmit relevant data, needed to undertake a transaction to the Issuer.

    Suspension:
    Issuers and/or Acquirers can be immediately suspended where Interac determines that actions or omissions have resulted, or will result, in a material adverse effect upon the security or integrity of Interac Flash and Interac Debit or a material financial loss to one or more Participants or Interac.

    A Participant may be suspended at a later date if Interac determines that the Participant is not in good standing and that immediate suspension is not required.

    Interac Mobile Debit:

    To be eligible to become a Participant in Interac Mobile Debit service, participation in Interac Debit as either an Issuer and/or Acquirer is required.

    Suspension:
    Participants can be immediately suspended if they no longer meet the criteria for participation criteria or have committed a material breach of the governing documents, and Interac determines that this will likely have a detrimental effect on the Interac Mobile Debit service.

    A Participant may be suspended at a later date if Interac determines that the Participant is not in good standing and that immediate suspension is not required. Interac may also temporarily suspend Participants who are unable to properly participate in the network due to technical problems.

    Interac Token Service Provider (TSP):

    To be eligible to become a Participant in Interac TSP, participation in Interac Mobile Debit as an Issuer is required.

    Suspension:
    Participants can be immediately suspended if they fail to perform or observe any material obligation, are in financial default, or fail to make payment of certain fees when due. Interac may suspend a Participant if

    • the technology platform provider is suspending or discontinuing Interac’s access to specific functionality of the platform or the platform as a whole,
    • the Participant has been suspended by the technology platform provider,
    • the Participant is suspended from Interac Mobile Debit,
    • they cease to participate in Interac Mobile Debit,
    • a security breach occurs by the Participant or due to an action on the part of the Participant, or
    • its affiliates or representatives place Interac’s network or systems or other Participants at risk.
  • Disclaimer

    1Tap to Pay on iPhone requires a supported payment app and the latest version of iOS. Update to the latest version by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Tap Download and Install. Some contactless cards may not be accepted by your payment app. Transaction limits may apply. The Contactless Symbol is a trademark owned by and used with permission of EMVCo, LLC. Tap to Pay on iPhone is not available in all markets. For Tap to Pay on iPhone countries and regions, see https://developer.apple.com/tap-to-pay/regions/

    2For contactless payments, transaction limits are set and will vary based on the financial institution

    3Works with a number of payment platforms in Canada, such as Adyen, Moneris, Stripe, and Square. Contact your acquirer for more details.

    4For a list of compatible Apple Pay devices see support.apple.com/en-ca/. Apple, the Apple logo, and iPhone are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Apple Pay and Touch ID are trademarks of Apple Inc.

    5Google, Google Pay and the Google logo are trademarks of Google INC. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

    6Interac recognized as the most trusted financial services brand in Canada for 2023.

Get started with Interac Debit for your Business.

Ready to get started? Find an Acquirer to answer your questions and help you get set up.

Find an Acquirer