INTERAC® Merchant Customer Service FAQ

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Contacting PayDirect Support
PayDirect is Paramount’s consumer-facing brand for INTERAC payments. The PayDirect customer support team will support Consumers using the product. However, Paramount’s Account Management, Operations, and Business Customer Support teams will support Merchants and Partners with the product.
Consumers can contact PayDirect support at [email protected] or through our live chat at pay-direct.ca. Consumers should not contact INTERAC support for any issues they may have while using Paramount Commerce payment products.

INTERAC Payments

I have a problem with my INTERAC payment. Who should I contact for help?

Contact PayDirect support at [email protected] or through our live chat at pay-direct.ca for help with your INTERAC payment.

Do not contact INTERAC support for any issues you may have while using Paramount Commerce payment products.

What's the difference between the INTERAC e-Transfer Request Money (previously called INTERAC via Online Banking) flow and the INTERAC e-Transfer Send Money flow?

The INTERAC e-Transfer Request Money flow and the INTERAC e-Transfer Send Money flow both involve logging in to online banking and sending funds through the transfer channel. With the INTERAC e-Transfer Request Money flow, you'll be automatically redirected to your bank and accept the request for money from the merchant. You’ll get immediate access to the sent funds as soon as you've approved the request.

The INTERAC e-Transfer Send Money flow more closely resembles the process of sending a person an INTERAC e-Transfer that you might be familiar with. You are given recipient details during the payment process and need to log into your bank on a desktop or via the bank's app to send the funds.

How does it work?

The INTERAC payment method is easy to use. Select INTERAC on the merchant's cashier and follow the instructions to send funds using INTERAC via Online Banking (Request Money) or send an INTERAC e-Transfer. Depending on your choice, you’ll either log in to your bank to accept a funds request from the merchant, or generate your unique payment details and then log in to your online banking app to send an INTERAC e-Transfer.

What currencies are supported?

The INTERAC payment method only supports CAD.

What countries are supported?

The INTERAC payment method is only available in Canada.

Who can use INTERAC?

To use the INTERAC payment method, you must be in Canada, 18 or older, and have a bank account at one of the supported banks.

Do I need an account to use INTERAC?

You do not have to sign up for a new account to use INTERAC. You will send funds from your existing bank account.

Which banks are supported?

INTERAC e-Transfer supports all banks.

How will the payment appear on my bank statement?

Exact descriptions vary by bank but always include PAYDIRECT, ETRANSFER and, in most cases, INTERAC. They also include a reference number.

How much time do I have to send the INTERAC e-Transfer?

With the INTERAC e-Transfer flow, your unique payment details are valid for two hours after they are generated.

For the INTERAC via Online Banking flow, the transaction can be completed right away. A reminder email is sent after 5 minutes if the request hasn’t been accepted. Unaccepted requests expire between 24 and 48 hours after they are initiated.

Are there any fees to use INTERAC?

There are no fees to use the INTERAC payment method, however some banks charge a small fee for using INTERAC.

I have used INTERAC before. Do I have to register the recipient again?

You need to register the recipient once for your bank, however you will need to provide a new unique code in the Message field every time.

I selected INTERAC Request Money. How do I complete my payment?

To complete a payment with the INTERAC Request Money flow, select your financial institution and follow the instructions to log in to your banking app or your bank’s online banking website. Your payment details will be prefilled. Choose the account to send funds from, then accept the request to send the selected amount to the merchant. After your first payment, your financial institution will be pre-selected, and you will be redirected to your bank's app to log in and accept.

I sent money using INTERAC but my account isn't updated.

It typically takes 5-10 minutes for payments to be received. If it has been more than 5-10 minutes, please check your email. PayDirect will send you an email if there was an issue with your payment. In rare cases, the INTERAC network may perform additional checks on that transaction (out of PayDirect's control), which may delay the transfer of funds up to 30 minutes.

What is my INTERAC limit?

Per-transaction limits vary and are dependent on your limit with your bank. The maximum allowable limits are:

$99,999 for payments
$25,000 for withdrawals

How can I increase my INTERAC payment limit?

INTERAC limits are the same as the limits imposed by your bank. You'll need to contact your bank directly to change your limit. You can also pay from an account with a different bank.

INTERAC Withdrawals

I have a problem with my INTERAC withdrawal. Who should I contact for help?

Contact PayDirect support at [email protected] or through our live chat at pay-direct.ca for help with your INTERAC withdrawal.

Do not contact INTERAC support for any issues you may have while using Paramount Commerce payment products.

How do I make a withdrawal with INTERAC?

The INTERAC withdrawal method is easy to use:

Select INTERAC on the withdrawal page.
Provide the email and phone number associated with your bank account.
Set up a security question and answer.

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The security question and answer can be provided by the merchant based on their withdraw rules.

I have provided an incorrect email. How do I cancel?

If you provide an invalid email address for the withdrawal, you'll receive a rejection message and you'll need to initiate a new withdrawal to proceed with the withdrawal. If you provide an incorrect email, contact PayDirect customer support to attempt to determine the status of your withdrawal.

My withdrawal expired before I could accept it. What should I do?

If your INTERAC withdrawal has expired, you will have to initiate a new withdrawal.

How long do I have to accept my withdrawal?

Please refer to your email notice to determine the exact expiry date of your withdrawal.

I forgot my security password to accept my withdrawal. What should I do?

Customer support - Please reach out to internal merchant operations with the customer’s INTERAC withdrawal reference number and transaction number for assistance.

How will the withdrawal appear on my bank statement?

Exact descriptions vary by bank but always include PAYDIRECT, ETRANSFER and, in most cases, INTERAC. It may also include a reference number.

How long does it take to receive funds into my bank account?

After we approve the withdrawal, the funds will be sent to your account. If you have registered for auto-deposit with your bank, waiting for approval isn't required and the funds can be deposited right away. Otherwise, check your email for notification of your withdrawal and follow the instructions to accept the funds.

I requested a withdrawal and it was rejected. Can you explain why?

Customer support - Please check with your internal merchant operations for the reason for the rejection.

I requested a withdrawal and the funds did not appear in my bank account.

Please ensure to check your bank statement carefully. Exact descriptions vary by bank but always include PAYDIRECT, ETRANSFER and, in most cases, INTERAC.