March 22, 2019--Canada’s federal government yesterday announced Budget 2019, Investing in the Middle Class, which supports payments innovation and changes to safeguard the funds and payments data of Canadians. Most notable to the payments ecosystem is the government’s proposed functional, risk-based approach to retail payments oversight. The framework will help level the playing field by bringing newer entrants under regulation and act as the foundation for broader, risk-based access to Canada’s retail payments ecosystem, an objective of Canada’s payments Modernization program.
March 21, 2019 --The Canadian Prepaid Providers Organization (CPPO), the voice of the rapidly growing prepaid payments industry in Canada, has announced new speakers for the third annual CPPO Prepaid Symposium on May 13, 2019, at the Toronto Region Board of Trade. The CPPO Prepaid Symposium is the premier education and networking event for the $3.8 billion prepaid industry in Canada. The event will immediately precede The Payments Canada Summit held between May 14-16 in Toronto.
March 15, 2019--Central 1 announced the launch of Request Money integration into Central 1’s small business online invoicing and payments product. The integrated solution combines Central 1’s small business online invoicing service with Request Money into a single digital platform using Interac e-Transfer Request Money feature. Saskatchewan-based Synergy Credit Union is the first credit union to offer to the service to small business members.
February 28, 2019--Flexiti Financial, a provider of point-of-sale consumer financing solutions for retailers, announced today that Birks Group has launched its online financing solution, modernizing consumer lending for its customers across Canada. The online offering complements Flexiti's in-store financing which was implemented last year following the signing of a multi-year agreement. Birks Group is Canada's leading jewellery retailer with more than 26 locations across the country.
February 29, 2019 --Scotiabank is the first Canadian-based bank to leverage SWIFT's Global Payments Initiative (SWIFT gpi) to enable its business customers to track their wire payments in real time through ScotiaConnect, the Bank's digital business banking channel.
February 27, 2019---Melissa, a leading provider of global contact data quality and identity verification solutions, today announced availability of “Identity Verification: Successful Strategies to Minimize False Positives and Risk,” a new report commissioned by Melissa and produced by Aite Group. The paper explores the challenge of verifying identity without intruding on the customer experience, and the operational impact of false positives. Further, it addresses the need for next-generation solutions to help with identity verification (IDV) and presents Melissa’s approach to tackling these problems.
February 25, 2019 --Moneris Solutions, Canada's largest processor of debit and credit card payments, today announced the addition of Lightspeed Restaurant to its suite of iPad point-of-sale (POS) solutions. The all-in-one management tool for full-service and fast food restaurants debuted at Restaurants Canada's RC Show, and comes as part of an evolving partnership with Montreal-based software company Lightspeed POS Inc. The product marks Moneris' first cloud-based iPad POS solution catered to restauranteurs in the province of Quebec.
February 19, 2019--Payments Canada welcomes top payments, fintech, technology and business leaders to this year's annual conference taking place May 14-16. This year, The SUMMIT will open with an interview with president and CEO of CIBC, Victor G. Dodig, and feature leading industry experts discussing hot topics including artificial intelligence, big data, blockchain, internet of things, cybersecurity, modern payments and more.
February 19, 2019--FinanceFeeds, a leading forex industry publication, conducted detailed research at Scandinavian Capital Markets in Stockholm, Sweden and, from that research, suggests that Scandinavian Capital Markets ideology expands far beyond competing with existing FX brokerages.Guided by two highly reputable external professionals, those being Justin Hertzberg, CEO of Forest Park FX, one of North America's only NFA membership holding introducing brokers, and leading social data analyst, Nathaniel Hansen of The Socializers, the organization is using the novel approach of relationships instead of advertising/conference attendance.
February 19, 2019--Veem, a way for businesses to send money around the world, celebrated reaching 100,000 customers in 96 countries, by launching a first-of-its-kind rewards program, VeemRewards. The VeemRewards program gives businesses cash back for managing their business payments through Veem and ditching outdated bank wires.
February 6, 2019--Central 1, creating digital solutions that make everyday banking easier, today announces the launch of technology that allows financial institutions to offer SecureKey ConciergeTM, a single sign-on authentication service, to their members. The seamless integration of Central 1’s product means financial institution customers can access additional online services using their existing digital banking credentials, providing fewer complex logins to remember and simplifying login access for over 80 government websites. Vancity credit union and Conexus Credit Union are launching the integration of SecureKey Concierge into their systems, providing the convenient and secure service to their members.
February 5, 2019--The EY Open Banking Opportunity Index reveals Canada is behind its global peers when it comes to readiness to thrive in an open banking environment, landing in 8th position after the UK, China and US. "Open banking is steadily but slowly progressing in Canada," says Abhishek Sinha, EY Canada Open Banking Leader. "It allows consumers to share their data with third-party providers and easily access a wider variety of financial services. The benefits for customers are big, and the opportunity for banks is even greater. Some are already investing in this space, but more need to start considering how they'll maximize the opportunity."
January 23, 2019--Nuvei, a leading provider of global fintech solutions and the first-ever community of payment experts, has announced it has completed certification to the new Telium Tetra suite of smart terminals from Ingenico Group in Canada. This milestone enables Nuvei's partners and merchants to benefit from Ingenico's advanced new line of payment devices on Nuvei’s powerful processing platform.
January 9, 2019--Globalive Technology Inc., a technology company focused on developing innovative payment, billing and credit solutions for consumers and businesses, today announced it is exercising a previously-disclosed call right, from Globalive Capital Inc. over GC's wholly-owned subsidiary, 2629331 Ontario Inc. ("Flexiti Holdco"). Flexiti Holdco owns 41.0% of, and has 51% voting control over, the parent of Flexiti Financial Inc, a leading point-of-sale consumer financing solutions company in Canada with over 1 million customers and a loan book of more than a quarter of a billion dollars.
January 4, 2019--Low credit card usage, and increasing popularity of eCommerce coupled with a growing middle class in China have accelerated the growth of mobile payments in the country.China has also seen an increase in cross-border payment transactions, primarily due to growth in sectors such as eCommerce, travel and overseas education. Frost & Sullivan recently reported that nearly 65% of Chinese tourists have used mobile payments abroad, approximately six times higher than the average non-Chinese traveler.
December 13, 2018 --Traction Guest, a pioneer in visitor management systems, announced that it has entered into a preferred partnership with Gemalto, a digital security hardware firm that produces ID scanners capable of processing high visitor volume. Traction Guest's vision is to integrate high-end ID scanners into their visitor check-in process to bolster security and efficiency.
December 13, 2018--Equifax Inc. and Valeyo, a leading solutions provider of insurance products and technologies announced a strategic partnership to integrate Equifax's verifier solution, Verification Exchange into Valeyo's proprietary loan origination solution. Verification Exchange is an income and employment verification solution that provides instant verifications between employers and verifiers, delivering speed and confidence in the income verification process. It securely provides verifiers, such as lenders, with current income verification from employers, reducing the dependency on applicant-provided information.
December 12, 2018 --Lightspeed, a powerful cloud point of sale system for independent retailers and restaurants, today introduces Lightspeed Loyalty. With its seamless integration of Lightspeed's existing suite of products, the new technology enables merchants to engage customers, reward repeat business and build a loyal following.
December 7, 2018 --Cerebri AI, the creator of the Cerebri Values system for enhanced customer experience, was one of 10 startups recently selected from a global pool of over 1,600 applicants to join Mastercard's Start Path program. An award-winning startup engagement program, Start Path taps into Mastercard's global network – including its people, products and partnerships – to connect later-stage startups with banks and merchants all over the world. First launched during 2014, the Start Path program has built a global network of innovators committed to collaboration.
December 6, 2019 --PaymentEvolution, the payroll, payments, and benefits management solution for small and mid-sized businesses across Canada, announces the launch of a Small Business Payroll Solution with Central 1 Credit Union (Central 1). As Canada's leading digital banking and payments provider for credit unions and financial institutions, Central 1 will make the easy-to-use payroll solution available to thousands of Canadian business owners.
December 6, 2018--Paysafe, a leading global payments provider, announces the launch of its updated Skrill money transfer service. The service is now being offered to existing and new customers with no foreign exchange (FX) mark up or transfer fees. Skrill customers can transfer money to bank accounts and mobile wallets in over 40 countries at the mid-market FX rate, with zero transfer fee.
November 27, 2018--NetCents Technology Inc. has entered into a five-year ISO Reseller Agreement with SecureGlobalPay.Through this agreement, SGP will promote and sell the NetCents Cryptocurrency Merchant Gateway to their merchant network with a focus on B2B, retail, food and beverage, mobile service professionals, utilities and communications, automotive, healthcare industries, as well as hard to place merchants with higher risk business types. SGP has begun their merchant promotion and education program, resulting in multiple merchants already onboarded or in the onboarding process.
November 26, 2018--Data-driven marketing and loyalty analytics company Aimia Inc. today announced a definitive share purchase agreement with Air Canada for the purchase by Air Canada of all of the issued and outstanding share capital of Aimia Canada Inc., the owner and operator of the Aeroplan loyalty program, for an all-cash purchase price of $450 million on a cash-free, debt-free basis.
November 21, 2018 --Canada is rapidly falling behind other countries in artificial intelligence (AI) adoption and demand, which is putting Canadian talent and future competitiveness at risk, according to Deloitte's latest report. With only 16 per cent of all businesses reporting using AI technologies – a number that has remained stagnant over the last four years – Deloitte examined the reasons why businesses are failing to use AI to solve business problems. The study found that both consumers' and businesses' lack of understanding, lack of trust, lack of awareness, and an inability by companies to scale small pilots were barriers limiting adoption.
November 21, 2018--As the automotive industry faces narrowing margins, stakeholders need to identify additional revenue streams, while also keeping the customer committed to the brand for their next purchase. According to a recent analysis from Frost & Sullivan, manufacturers must look beyond the initial sale of the vehicle and periodic maintenance revenue, and focus on creating a personalized in-vehicle experience through allied service partners to succeed in the future.
November 20, 2018--ACI Worldwide, a leading global provider of real-time electronic payment and banking solutions, today announced that Everlink Payment Services Inc., a leading provider of payments solutions and services for credit unions, banks, and small and medium enterprises across Canada, has selected ACI’s UP Retail Payments to deliver modernized payment solutions to their Canadian clients.
November 19, 2018 --The Bank of Canada today issued the new vertical $10 bank note featuring the portrait of social justice icon Viola Desmond, during a ceremony at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) in Winnipeg. Canadians will start to see this new note over the coming weeks and months as it gradually enters into circulation alongside existing $10 notes.
Bank of Canada Governor Stephen S. Poloz and Wanda Robson, Viola Desmond's sister, spoke about Desmond's legacy and the ongoing pursuit of human rights and social justice in Canada. They spent the first new bank notes at the CMHR, which itself is featured on the back of the new note.
November 15, 2018--At the 2018 Association of Financial Professionals (AFP) Conference in Chicago, Scotiabank proudly showcased Canada's first integrated security token and mobile banking app. The app was one of a number of innovative products and services for business banking customers highlighted by the Bank at the conference.
November 15, 2018 --Drop Technologies Inc., the first truly flexible mobile rewards program, announced today its acquisition of Canopy Labs, a YC-backed predictive analytics software company focused on improving and optimizing its clients' customer journeys.
November 14, 2018--PNC Bank Canada Branch, the Canadian branch of PNC Bank, announced today the launch of commercial card products designed specifically to support Canada-based companies and U.S. companies doing business in Canada. "These new cards streamline the purchase of goods and services to reduce the time and costs associated with the traditional purchasing process and make it easy to monitor and manage employee T&E spend," said Chris Ward, executive vice president and head of product, PNC Treasury Management. "In addition, our experienced implementation team can help clients create a customized program quickly and provide ongoing support as they focus on growing their business."
November 5, 2018--Ledn Inc. has issued the first Bitcoin-backed loan in Canada to Bylls, Canada's first and largest Bitcoin payment processor operated by Satoshi Portal Inc. The announcement, made during the 2018 Canada Fintech Forum, marks an important milestone for the Canadian Bitcoin ecosystem and establishes Ledn as the first and only Canadian company to issue a Canadian dollar loan taking Bitcoin as collateral.
October 31, 2018--Four Canadian start-ups won top honours yesterday at the FinTech Startup Pitch Contest, which took place during the 2018 Canada FinTech Forum, the country's largest FinTech gathering. The ten finalists, chosen among 118 start-ups from Canada, the United States, Europe, Asia and Africa, had the opportunity to present their innovative solutions to a panel of judges made up of industry leaders: Peter Holt Dunn (Holdun Family Office), Laviva Mazhar (Luge Capital), Chris Betz (Morgan Stanley), Nancy McCuaig (IGM Financial), Sebastian Boisjoly (Investissement Québec) and Stephanie Choo (Portag3 Ventures).
October 30, 2018--Moneris Solutions Corporation, Canada's largest processor of debit and credit card payments, today launched Offlinx, a digital marketing analytics tool that helps businesses measure the impact of online advertising on in-store and online sales. The first-of-its-kind solution connects consumer browsing activities to purchase transactions, providing retailers with an unprecedented view of their return on digital advertising investment.
October 30, 2018--FICANEX and First West Credit Union have rolled-out SendGlobal, an international money transfer mobile application that provides a convenient and secure way for customers to send money to family and friends around the world. Integrated through the tunl.™ platform built by FICANEX, First West Credit Union and its regional divisions – Envision Financial, Island Savings, Valley First and Enderby & District Financial – have launched the app and now offer this valuable service to their current and prospective members.
October 29, 2018--Central 1, today announces the launch of Forge, the digital banking platform that transforms the banking experience in Canada. Built using global-leading, Backbase technology, Forge puts the control in the hands of clients, providing the flexibility and control to design their digital branch of the future with a user experience that is unparalleled today.
October 29, 2018---Today marks the official unveiling of the brand identity of a new leader in payment solutions on an international scale: PayFacto.
PayFacto was created from the union of B2Billing, CT-Payment and Supreme Payments, three proudly Canadian firms known worldwide for their excellence and expertise. Building on the complementary strengths of each entity, PayFacto now offers its clients unique, customized expertise for the deployment of credit and debit card payment solutions.
October 18, 2018--Payments Canada announced today the appointment of Tracey Black to Executive Director, Modernization and Andrew McCormack to Chief Information Officer, effective November 1.
Black joins Payments Canada from her role as president of Toronto-based consulting firm GFH Group Inc., the firm that managed the Canadian Chip Trial Program Management Office and coordinating the efforts of all payment stakeholders participating in the trial and launch of EMV in Canada.
October 17, 2018--Weed Advisor, a cannabis platform service that supplies the latest access to products, information, business solutions and consumer insights to the cannabis industry, has launched a first-to-market legal retail credit card payment processing platform for hundreds of products and counting, available at weedadvisor.com. While other online cannabis-focused sites offer sales through e-transfers, C.O.D. transactions and third-party channels such as PayPal, as of Canadian cannabis legalization today, Weed Advisor will offer the same type of PCI compliant transactions utilized to purchase music, furniture, computer hardware & software, food & beverage, and clothing, to name a few industries – virtually everything people have come to grow accustomed to when buying online.
October 3, 2018 --NexJ Systems Inc., a provider of intelligent customer management software to the financial services industry, announces a partnership with the cloud-based secure team collaboration platform Symphony Communication Services, LLC to offer a product that allows corporate banks to engage with colleagues and clients in new and exciting ways.
October 2, 2018--R9B, a provider of cybersecurity products, services and training is expanding operations into Canada. The new entity will be located in Ottawa and do business as R9B Canada, Inc. Operations will be managed by longtime Canadian defense and security leader and former member of the Canadian Armed Forces, Allen Dillon. Al's diverse experience in security technology and close collaboration with Canadian industry and Government entities will accelerate R9B Canada's growth, driving direct value to Canada.
October 2, 2018--The Government of Canada, saying "our public servants must be paid accurately and on time", have launched its innovative agile procurement process to seek potential vendors for the next generation human resources and pay system. The next step of this challenge-based procurement process was posted this week on BuyAndSell.gc.ca, where the government has identified the issues it is looking to address at the outset, and has asked vendors to self-identify their interest and capacity in meeting the basic technical criteria required to support any new solution.
September 26, 2018---WEX Inc. is expanding its presence in Canada with its announcement today that it has integrated with Moneris Solutions Corporation, Canada’s largest processor of debit and credit payments. The PetroTrak host certification provides national merchants with a comprehensive fleet management solution to process WEX Fleet Cards, as well as commercial, credit and debit card payments. To streamline reconciliation for merchants, the PetroTrak application captures WEX Fleet Card payments in its transaction activity reports and Universal Settlement Files. Moneris is the first acquirer in Canada with a direct host connection to WEX.
September 25, 2018I--Comviva, the mammoth worldwide provider of mobility solutions, has made a foray into banking customer value management (CVM) by entering into a new partnership with Number Theory, an Artificial Intelligence and Enterprise Data Management firm. The partnership allows Comviva to enhance its MobiLytix Real Time marketing solution with new machine learning and AI capabilities built on Number Theory's AI @ Scale Platform.
September 24, 2018--Checkfront Inc., a leading provider of online booking solutions, announces a new partnership with Google. Reserve with Google changes how users find things to do in their area by making it easier to search and book directly within Google. This partnership will allow Checkfront suppliers to share their tour and activity products, making them bookable in Google Search, Maps, and the Assistant. By listing their live inventory, operators will be able to reach new users and drive guest bookings with people searching on Google.
September 19, 2018 --After launching a new version of its website nbc.ca, National Bank is continuing to enhance its digital experience by rolling out a new transaction site for personal banking clients. After consulting with bank clients, the bank completely redesigned the site to give users a 360-degree view of their bank accounts. They can see all their accounts at once, including those held at other financial institutions. The new site also makes budget planning easier and gives a clear picture of spending, which is now presented by category.
September 18, 2018--Kofax has formed an alliance with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the multinational professional services firm, to deliver intelligent automation solutions to digitally transform organizations and thereby improve customer engagement, reduce operating costs, mitigate compliance risk and increase competitiveness, growth and profitability. PwC chose to work with Kofax as a result of its comprehensive portfolio of software products that are needed to provide intelligent automation solutions around the globe.
September 14, 2018 --National Bank and Canadian fintech leader Thinking Capital today announced a strategic partnership that will make it faster and easier for Canadian SMEs to access the capital they need to fund their day-to-day operations or to support their growth. With Thinking Capital's Lending-as-a-Service model as the foundation for the partnership, the Bank can now offer small business financing to a larger set of the addressable SME market in Canada.
TORONTO--Flexiti, one of the industry's leading private label credit card providers for retailers, announced today that Kal Tire, Canada's largest independent tire dealer will implement its platform in over 200 retail locations across Canada. "Kal Tire is committed to forging strategic partnerships that improve the customer experience in our retail locations," said Greg Waring, vice president retail marketing, Kal Tire. "Providing payment options that cater to individual preferences is critical, and we are excited to partner with Flexiti to offer a payment solution that is fast and easy for our customers to obtain and use."
September 5, 2018--Afinis is a membership-based standards organization that brings together diverse collaborators – through innovative and agile processes – to develop implementable, interoperable and portable standards across operating environments and platforms. Afinis furthers the work of NACHA's Payments Innovation Alliance Application Programming Interface (API) Standardization Industry Group (ASIG) to now advance API standardization efforts across the financial services ecosystem through formal governance, and includes the work of Interactive Financial eXchange Forum (IFX). Afinis provides a community for thought leadership on the shared goals of expanding efficiency, surety, safety and interoperability within the financial services industry.
August 24, 2018--NetCents Technology Inc.will be launching a branded cryptocurrency credit card to the Canadian and European markets. The NetCents card will be able to be used anywhere, at over 40 million merchants1 worldwide, that Visa or Mastercard are accepted. Unlike other prepaid cryptocurrency cards in the market, NetCents cardholders will not have to pre-load cryptocurrency onto their card, eliminating the risk of the value of the cryptocurrency fluctuating between the time the user loads it and the time they spend it. The NetCents Card will be tied directly into users' NetCents wallets, allowing cardholders to directly spend the cryptocurrency in their wallet.
August 21, 2018--The U.S.-based Electronic Transactions Association (ETA) is expanding its presence in Canada to help drive innovation in the global market for payments technology services. The Canadian advocacy and policy initiatives are guided by a committee of ETA member companies, which includes: Moneris, First Data, Worldpay, Pivotal Payments, Paysafe, Square, and Blake, Cassels & Graydon.
August 15, 2018--STACK has added three C-suite executives along with senior leaders in finance and digital marketing to spearhead the brand's leadership, vision and expertise, as the financial services disruptor readies for the national launch of their fresh alternative to traditional banking. Fee-free and straight from a client's mobile or STACK Prepaid Mastercard, STACK calls itself "a smarter way to spend, save and share your money."
August 10, 2018--eBuyNow eCommerce Ltd, a Canadian global sales, R&D, marketing and branding company with seven years of deep experience in developing a full range of Internet Of Things (IoT) connected consumer electronics products, is planning an IPO, the firm announced. The company is currently generating sales direct to online consumers in 29 countries, 19 global marketplaces and has distribution partnerships with bricks and mortar retailers in 24 countries. In Q3 eBuyNow will ship the first 8 connected products of 30 currently finishing development under the Kodak and Motorola brands.
August 10, 2018--Today, the Federal Government of Canada announced that it has helped secure new, separate and voluntary commitments from three payment card networks that will lead to lower costs for small-and-medium-sized businesses - action that is supported by the Small Business Matters (SBM) Coalition. "We're pleased to see the Federal Government continuing to take action in reducing credit cards fees for small and medium-sized businesses," said Gary Sands, chair of the Small Business Matters Coalition and senior vice-president, Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers. "This is a step in the right direction, although more work is needed to continue to support and foster Canada's independent business landscape. We look forward to continuing to work with the Government to even further reduce the effects of credit card fees on the member companies of the SBM Coalition."
August 10, 2018---After a decade of advocacy work on credit card processing fees, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) welcomes the new agreements between the federal government and major payments brands announced today. Starting in 2020, Visa and Mastercard have vowed to reduce the fees they charge retailers to an average annual effective rate of 1.4 per cent from the current 1.5 per cent. American Express announced a separate agreement to increase transparency and fairness.
August 9, 2018---Equifax Canada today announced that it has extended a long-standing partnership with FICO to distribute FICO Scores to lenders and other businesses in Canada. Building on a partnership of nearly 30 years, the agreement renews a commitment that the two firms will continue working together to develop new innovative analytic solutions for the Canadian market.
August 8, 2018--Everything in the retail, service, sharing economy and hospitality business is about creating an exceptional customer experience. Yet, according to a new study released today by Payments Canada, friction at the end of the path to purchase in store and online is causing 53 per cent of Canadians to abandon a purchase. "The high abandonment rates at check-out suggest there is a high cost of not integrating faster, more convenient payment technologies. Canadian consumers are speaking with their wallets, indicating that they will not buy from those businesses that don't make the payment experience easy," said Gerry Gaetz, President and CEO of Payments Canada.
August 8, 2018--OpenTable, the world's leading provider of online restaurant reservations and part of Booking Holdings, Inc. announced the global rollout of Seating Options, a feature that allows diners to reserve a seat at the bar, counter, a table outside and more during the reservation process. Not only does the feature give diners the freedom to choose where they want to sit at the restaurant, even before they arrive, but it also increases restaurant availability during peak dining times.
June 25, 2018--No more false promises or false starts, that's the promise to the market from a Toronto-based start-up called Koho. The firm describes itself as fintech for millennials and is taking North American banking to task. Woke to a current system of archaic products and fees, Koho has delivered a fundamentally un-bank-like statement that is challenging conventional financial services and advertising to its core.
July 23, 2018 --Canadian spending has begun to flatten according to the MonerisMetrics Quarterly Report released by Moneris Solutions Corporation, Canada's largest processor of debit and credit payments. In total, year-over-year spending in the second quarter of 2018 increased by only 3.3 per cent – marking the lowest quarterly growth in nearly four years.
July 5, 2018--Glance Technologies Inc. to welcome four new Vancouver locations to the Glance Pay network with the trial signing of Glance Pay at the Steamworks Group of Companies. Glance Pay users currently use the app for payments and rewards at Rogue Kitchen & Wetbar Convention Centre and Gastown locations, with the additional Rogue location on West Broadway and their sister location, Steamworks Brewpub.
July 5, 2018--With safety, trust and convenience emerging as important factors, the adoption of digital wallets and contactless card-based payments by retailers in developing countries across Asia-Pacific is likely to rise further and become a standard, says leading data and analytics company GlobalData.
June 26, 2018--CellPoint Mobile, a leading global provider of sales and payment-side technology solutions for the airline and travel sectors, announced today the launch of Voyage, a complete booking solution designed specifically for travel merchants to increase revenues in the direct channel.
June 26, 2018--UnionPay International has partnered with Bank of China (Canada) in enabling all the stores of Foodymart in Canada to accept UnionPay QR code payment. Cai Jianbo, CEO of UnionPay International, Li Aihua, President of Bank of China (Canada), and Wei Chengyi, Chairman of Foodymart attended the launching ceremony. Some food and beverage merchants in California, the US, have recently started accepting UnionPay QR code payment too. This is the first time that UnionPay's QR code payment is launched in Canada and the United States. It is expected that the number of merchants accepting UnionPay QR code payment in North America will reach 5,000 within this year.
June 26, 2018 --We've all been there. You open your wallet and your credit card isn't where it should be. You mentally retrace your steps wondering if you left it in your car, the last store you visited, or if your toddler has "borrowed" it and left it in the toy box. RBC has introduced a new functionality through the RBC Mobile app to help clients who have misplaced their credit cards, without going through the hassle of ordering a new one.
June 25, 2018--National Bank is proud to announce that its SME clients can now use National Bank Easy Pay, a mobile point-of-sale solution powered by Montreal fintech Mobeewave. By collaborating with its long-standing partner, Global Payments, the Bank is the first Canadian financial institution to offer this innovative solution to its SME clients.
June 22, 2018--Shift4 Payments, a secure payment processing solution, and Posera Ltd., the provider of software solutions for the hospitality industry, have expanded their EMV-certified integration to include a full merchant services offering. This integrated payment solution now provides Posera customers with everything they need to process fast, reliable and secure payments, all for the lowest total cost.
June 21, 2018--GoverMedia Plus Canada Corp.'s wholly owned subsidiary, GoverMedia Plus LLC has finalized the development and integration of a state of the art cryptocurrency payment processing technology within GoverMedia's ecosystem. The processing technology is expected to be ready to market within the next few weeks.
June 18, 2018 --Financial technology company FundThrough announced today that it has secured $9 million in equity funding and a new $25 million credit facility. The Series A equity round is led by David Mirvish and ScaleUP Ventures, with participation from several successful entrepreneurs intimate with the cash flow hurdles that FundThrough is solving. This latest equity round brings FundThrough’s total equity financing to $15.4 million.
June 4, 2018--Leading global payments provider, Paysafe, today announces the global launch of its latest alternative payment solution - ‘Paysafecash’. The pioneering and ultra-safe online cash payment option has been designed to cater for the sizeable number of online shoppers around the world who still prefer to pay by cash. Recent data indicates that despite the enthusiastic uptake of electronic payments by many, numerous online shoppers are growing increasingly concerned that online shopping all too frequently results in financial fraud and data breaches.
May 31, 2018--PUDO Inc. North America's first carrier-neutral pick-up drop-off network, is pleased to announce that, for online retailers drowning in unsustainable variable costs tied to disproportionately high returns of online purchases (Thirty percent of all online purchases, on average according to a UPS survey), the fixed cost-of-goods-sold solution offered through PUDO's suite of member services, can return profits and predictability.
May 30, 2018--Today, the Canadian Bankers Association launched a white paper that reveals how digital ID could become a reality in Canada. The study demonstrates that a federated digital ID model would significantly enhance the protection of personal data and enable Canadians to verify who they are safely, quickly and securely, while maintaining privacy by only revealing the information necessary for any transaction.
May 30, 2018 --OpenText, the global leader in Enterprise Information Management (EIM), today announced that Opel Automobile GmbH (Opel) has selected OpenText to digitize the organization's payment management processes, streamlining the information flow and payment processes between Opel and its global supply chain—including suppliers, dealerships, and financial institutions.
May 24, 2018--Vanilla Prepaid, the perfect gift for any occasion, has announced the sponsorship of eight Canadian high-performance athletes through a partnership with C3, the Canadian Cross-Training Club. The non-profit organization, located in Caledon, ON, provides opportunities for individuals of all athletic abilities to achieve improved health and personal fitness objectives.
May 22, 2018 --The Canadian Prepaid Providers Organization (CPPO) released its annual benchmark study, entitled Canadian Open-Loop Prepaid Market: 2017, revealing CAD$3.8 billion in total dollars loaded onto open-loop prepaid cards. In addition, there were significant increases to average loads per card in all 17 categories of corporate-, consumer- and government-funded cards. The open-loop market has achieved consecutive growth over the past three years, with a 27 percent increase between 2015 and 2017. The study was conducted by Mercator Advisory Group.
May 18, 2018--BMO and Air Miles have adjusted the reward program on their most popular Mastercard with no annual fee to allow cardholders to get rewards faster at over a dozen participating Air Miles Partners. Both new and existing cardholders will now get 2x the Miles at participating Air Miles Partners - that's 2 Miles for every $20 they spend on their BMO Air Miles Mastercard at participating partner retailers across Canada including Sobeys, IGA, Shell, Rexall, Jean Coutu, Safeway, and Lawtons.
May 14, 2018--Payments Canada, the Bank of Canada, TMX Group and Accenture have demonstrated that the instantaneous clearing and settlement of securities on-ledger is feasible, showing for the first time that both central bank cash and assets can be tokenized to complete an instant, end-to-end equity settlement on distributed ledger technology (DLT). Project Jasper is a collaborative research initiative between Payments Canada, the Bank of Canada and TMX group to experiment with an integrated securities and payment settlement platform based on DLT. Jasper III, a continuation of previous work launched in March 2016, is a proof of concept that was delivered by Accenture, leveraging R3's Corda DLT platform. It explores the impact and potential benefits of DLT on broader Canadian financial market infrastructure.
May 11, 2019--Boston Pizza, Canada's largest casual dining restaurant chain, is adding MyRestaurant mobile payment functionality from MyCheck into its MyBP loyalty program app at select locations within the Greater Toronto Area, as part of a pilot. The enhanced pay-at-table experience will enable Guests to check-in with the MyBP app, redeem personalized rewards that are synchronized with each restaurant's point-of-sale system (POS), review their bill, split a bill, and pay a bill using Apple Pay or traditional credit cards.
May 11, 2018--Cadillac Fairview we believe in building and maintaining shopper loyalty through the delivery of uniquely tailored services and experiences, created as a direct result of feedback and insights. Following months of research and analysis, CF revealed the development and launch of the company's symbiotic approach to loyalty, one that recognizes and rewards shoppers while helping build stronger relationships with the developer's clients. For CF, it menas loyalty will be constantly evolving, aiming to solve the future needs of shoppers. To validate the insights gained by this research, CF launched Loyalty experience pilots to test and trial the new approach.
May 10, 2018--Visa and PayPal extended their strategic partnership to Canada that will see them work collaboratively to accelerate the adoption of secure, reliable and convenient digital and mobile payments for consumers and merchants in Canada. The two companies are already collaborating in the U.S., Asia Pacific and Europe. This latest step brings the benefits of the partnership to Canadian consumers and businesses.
May 8, 2018 --Visa is expanding Visa Direct – a real-time push payments platform that allows companies to leverage Visa's global network to transform domestic and cross-border payments to businesses and consumers, in Canada. Peoples Payment Solutions, in working with TELUS Health and Payment Solutions, will be among the first companies in Canada to leverage the business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) solution to better serve their customers with quick, simple and secure payments.
May 7, 2018--Generation Z (18 to 24 years old) are spending more time in physical retail stores but the reasons why may surprise you. Beyond the traditional focus on shopping for their favourite products, this generation is using the retail experience to socialize, interact, and be entertained, according to PwC Canada's Canadian Consumer Insights: Retail Evolution Report.
April 6, 2018--Canada's banking industry is facing increased competition from financial technology firms and weakening demand for mortgages and other consumer debt as interest rates continue to rise. Despite these challenges, pre-tax profits in Canada's banking sector continue to trend upward and are expected to climb to over $95 billion this year, according to The Conference Board of Canada's latest Canadian Industrial Outlook: Banking.
April 4, 2018--Class action lawsuits were brought in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Québec against Visa, Mastercard and a number of banks that issue their credit cards on behalf of all merchants in Canada who accept those credit cards. The lawsuits allege a conspiracy in setting higher interchange fees paid by merchants to accept Visa and Mastercard credit cards, and other restrictions. The allegations are denied.
March 15, 2018--Small businesses in Canada are ready for more payment options, according to a new Payments Canada survey. Businesses want more choice for their customers at point-of-sale and more options for their back-office payments to suppliers and vendors, such as e-transfers, e-wallets and digital currencies. Most importantly, small businesses want their payments to be safe and secure.
March 15, 2018-- TruRating, a technology company specializing in point-of-payment customer feedback solutions for online and brick-and-mortar businesses, announced today a partnership with Poynt, the maker of the world’s first smart terminal. TruRating will join Poynt’s Apps Marketplace, where merchants can select innovative solutions that enhance business operations beyond payments.
March 13, 2018---NetCents Technology Inc is working with Loyalty & Co., a Toronto based advisory firm to launch a new and innovative loyalty program for NetCents. The launch of the loyalty rewards program ties into the Company's imminent merchant release. With the integration of the first round of merchants nearing completion, the loyalty program will be used to reward consumers for activation, activity, and referrals in the NetCents platform and incentivize merchants for participating in the system.
March 12, 2018 --The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) and Chase Merchant Services (Chase) announced today they have reached an agreement to further support Canadian small business. CFIB members will benefit from exclusive rates on American Express (Amex) transactions.
March 7, 2018 --With more than 9 in 10 Canadian Millennials owning a smartphone, this generation may be the most smartphone--savvy, but that doesn't mean they are doing everything they can to minimize their fraud risk when it comes to their mobile devices.
February 28, 2018--NACHA, The Electronic Payments Association and the Interactive Financial eXchange (IFX) Forum today jointly announced their intention to pursue a strategic combination of their organizations to accelerate and strengthen the development of standardized Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) in support of the diverse global financial services industry.
February 27, 2018--Ingenico Group, the global leader in seamless payment, today launched Axium, its next-generation point-of-sale platform designed with acquirers’ clients in mind. It gives access to a complete cloud ecosystem for commerce, which builds on the open Android and Ingenico's Telium Tetra operating systems to converge business and payment.
February 22, 2018---The popularity of the Interac e-Transfer service continues to grow dramatically, as consumers and businesses used the platform in record numbers in 2017, making more than 241 million transactions, worth a total of more than $92 billion. Data released today by Interac Corp. show this is a 52-per-cent increase in volume and a 44-per-cent increase in total value over last year’s figures. Interac Corp. says three-quarters of people using online banking in Canada are registered to use its Interac e-Transfer service, with 7.4 million unique active users every month.
February 22, 2018---Shakepay, a Montreal-based fintech startup connecting users with their digital money, today announced the beta launch of its latest platform, a multi-currency, peer-to-peer mobile wallet that allows Canadians to buy and sell Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Shakepay users can now purchase Bitcoin directly from their phones with just one click.
February 22, 2018--Walmart Canada and Sustainable Produce Urban Delivery (SPUD) have an agreement to offer SPUD's food delivery platform, Food-X Urban Delivery Inc. (Food-X), to Walmart.ca customers in Metro Vancouver. Food-X helps Walmart fulfill last mile home delivery and — through shared warehousing and consolidation of orders — reduces waste, truck trips and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
February 22, 2018--Fit Pay, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of NXT-ID, Inc. is now accepting pre-orders for Flip, a new contactless payment device that will enable cryptocurrency holders to use the value of their currency to make purchases at millions of retail locations. The new device, which was announced earlier this month, uses value exchanged from cryptocurrency to make traditional payment transactions.
February 20, 2018---EmployeeAssist Inc. launched PayTickr Time Tracking with Payroll SaaS software, including direct deposit ePayment integration with partner Telpay, out of Winnipeg, Canada. PayTickr is a solution for business with mobile workforces who are frustrated with manually tracking hours, incorrect payroll calculations, or hate their complex, expensive software.
February 6, 2018--The way Canadian businesses process payments costs them $2.9 to $6.5 billion annually, according to a new study by Payments Canada and Ernst and Young LLP (EY Canada). According to the report, delays in payments processing and a lack of data and transparency in payment messaging create a number of inefficiencies for small, medium and large enterprises.
February 5, 2018--Interac Association and Acxsys Corporation announced that they have completed a reorganization of their corporate structure resulting in an amalgamated entity called Interac Corp. Operating as a single corporate entity will give Interac Corp. the ability to better fund innovation and leverage resources, while at the same time reducing certain business, operating and legal complexities.
January 29, 2018--The emergence of Fintech startups and voice-powered artificial intelligence (AI) have altered people's expectations for banking. As a result, financial services organizations will leverage advancements in security and predictive technology as a means to improve their efficiency, agility and ultimately deliver a better customer experience, particularly beneficial for smaller and mid-size banks looking to transform how they go to market, according to a new set of predictions from experts at Unisys Corporation.
January 28, 2018--As Canada marks its 10th annual Data Privacy Day, Environics Analytics (EA), this country’s leading analytical and marketing services provider, believes this is an ideal time for all organizations to review their data governance practices. Strong privacy policies are expected by the public and benefit organizations too. Making it safe and easy for individuals to provide their information to marketers will result in better marketing—and improve people’s lives. And yet there is still more to do to ensure that data and analytics work being done by companies is based on the highest standards of data governance and that these practices are clear, accessible and transparent.
January 24, 2018 -- Ingenico Group today announced that Small World Financial Services has selected Ingenico as its trusted payment processing partner to help expand its global footprint. By leveraging Ingenico’s comprehensive suite of online and mobile payment processing technology, Small World is well-positioned to further grow its operations and offer its services to consumers in previously untapped markets. In addition, Ingenico’s omnichannel solutions, such as biometric terminals and unattended Kiosk solutions, will provide an even more convenient and seamless payments experience for Small World’s customers.
January 23, 2018 -- NetCents Technology Inc. is pleased to announce that the integration into the Poynt Smart Terminals has been completed and beta testing will be finalized over the next week. As of February 1, 2018, the NetCents Technology platform will be available to all Poynt Terminal retail merchants.
January 19, 2018 -- TransferWise has announced a partnership with Flinks, a FinTech startup from Montreal. Flinks is the only financial data aggregator dedicated to the Canadian market. As a partner application programming interface (API), it syncs financial apps with customers’ banks to verify account information, transactions, and balances in real-time.
January 16, 2018 -- First Global Data is very pleased to announce that it has entered into a Definitive Agreement with China Smartpay to deliver cross border payment solutions for Chinese vacation travelers and students studying overseas.
January 15, 2018 -- Today, Graft, a global, open sourced, payment gateway blockchain network designed for point-of-sale, announced that it would launch an Initial Coin Offering, or ICO, program to raise funds for the growth of its groundbreaking blockchain-based payments business. The ICO is scheduled to begin on January 18, 2018.
January 15, 2018--Moneris Solutions Corporation, Canada's largest processor of debit and credit payments, has joined with Kount to advance their online fraud protection platform that assesses customer transactions in real time. The Moneris Kount partnership will allow large businesses using the Moneris Gateway to reduce fraud exposure and chargeback risks from online and in-app transactions. Card-not-present (CNP) transactions are the highest risk for fraudulent payments that affect businesses today – specifically those that do mail order, telephone order or ecommerce transactions. Since Canada's shift to chip and PIN card transactions in 2011, CNP fraud has increased by 130 per cent.
January 15, 2018--After recording its strongest peak season in recent history, Purolator is already seeing high volumes of shipping activity continue into January. This increase in shipping volume over the holidays saw Purolator deliver over 12 million packages during its peak shipping period, in line with its projections. In its Retail locations, Purolator experienced a 24 percent increase in shipment and pickup activity during the same time period.
January 10, 2018 -- A new Visa survey of 1,000 Canadians exploring awareness and perceptions of biometric authentication confirms that consumers continue to have a strong interest in new biometric technologies that make their lives easier. New forms of authentication, such as fingerprint, facial, and voice recognition, can make unlocking accounts and payments much easier and more convenient than traditional passwords or PINs---which are difficult to type onto tiny keyboards, easy to forget, and can be stolen.
January 10, 2018 -- CGI has released a new report, Today's Financial Consumer: Open for Business, covering the results of its 2017 Global Financial Consumer Survey. Now in its fourth year, the survey assesses and provides insights into how consumers view their primary financial service providers, along with what consumers want and expect from their providers in the future. This year's survey includes the views of 2,250 respondents across nine countries.
January 4, 2018 -- Glance Technologies Inc. is proud to announce another milestone: since Glance launched the current version of its proprietary fraud prevention technology more than one year ago, its platform has experienced zero fraud across all of its live locations and all Glance Pay Anywhere remote payments. Glance intends to apply elements of its fraud prevention technology to its upcoming rewards and loyalty based cryptocurrency platform.
January 3, 2018 -- Mogo Finance Technology Inc. today announced that it plans to bring a new level of convenience and transparency to bitcoin ownership for all Canadians. With the planned launch of MogoCrypto in the first quarter of 2018, MogoMembers will be able to easily buy and sell bitcoin through their MogoAccount.
January 2, 2018 -- Telpay Incorporated announced a new venture and a new partner, whose services are designed to add value to customers of its all-in-one electronic payment system, Telpay for Business.The new venture, TelpayFX Inc., includes a new partnership with AFEX, one of the world's largest international payments providers. The global currency exchange provider for Telpay for Business customers, TelpayFX Inc. enables Canadian businesses to process currency conversions at ultra-competitive exchange rates. It also enables the purchase of "forwards", which can be used to minimize the impact of currency uctuations for up to 12 months.
November 19, 2018 --The Bank of Canada today issued the new vertical $10 bank note featuring the portrait of social justice icon Viola Desmond, during a ceremony at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) in Winnipeg. Canadians will start to see this new note over the coming weeks and months as it gradually enters into circulation alongside existing $10 notes.
Bank of Canada Governor Stephen S. Poloz and Wanda Robson, Viola Desmond's sister, spoke about Desmond's legacy and the ongoing pursuit of human rights and social justice in Canada. They spent the first new bank notes at the CMHR, which itself is featured on the back of the new note.
