How Interac works online
Interac Debit is Canada’s own debit network. In a store, the customer taps or inserts a debit card. Online, there is no card reader, so Interac works in other ways.
Interac’s business page lists, for websites and apps: “Digital wallets (Apple Pay / Google Pay).” The customer adds their debit card to the wallet, then pays with the wallet at checkout. Interac’s fee page calls this “Interac Debit for eCommerce (InApp/InBrowser) with Apple Pay and Google Pay.”
Interac also describes Interac Direct, “exclusively available with the KONEK e‑commerce payment solution.” Interac says customers “can pay online directly from an eligible bank account,” such as a chequing account or a line of credit, “without having to enter their card details on your website.”
Interac’s business FAQ also describes “Interac Debit for online payments,” where “a new browser window will open directing the customer to their online banking account,” and says customers “must be registered for online banking to use” it.
The fees Interac publishes
Interac’s fee page lists these network fees. Banks and processors pay them; a business pays its processor’s price.
Interac Debit in Apple Pay and Google Pay (online and in-app):
| Fee | Amount | Who pays whom |
|---|---|---|
| Interchange, Tier 1 (default) | 0.60% per transaction, capped at $1.80 on a $300 sale | Acquirer to the customer’s bank |
| Interchange, Tiers 2 and 3 | 0.575% and 0.55%, for merchants in listed categories with over 500,000 or over 1,000,000 transactions a year | Acquirer to the customer’s bank |
| Interchange, Tier 4 | $0.35 per transaction, for tax payments | Acquirer to the customer’s bank |
| Acquirer Service Fee | $0.025 | Acquirer to Interac |
| Issuer Switch Fee | $0.013985, rising to $0.014438 from Nov. 1, 2026 | Customer’s bank to Interac |
An acquirer is the processor that connects a business to the Interac network. Interchange is the fee the acquirer pays the customer’s bank.
Interac Direct:
| Fee | Amount | Who pays whom |
|---|---|---|
| Interchange | 55 to 70 basis points (0.55% to 0.70%) | Acquirer to the customer’s bank |
| Interac Brand Fee | 10 basis points (0.10%) | Acquirer to Interac |
A basis point is one hundredth of a percent.
Online versus in person
In person, Interac’s interchange on contactless sales is a flat amount. On sales up to $100 it is $0.035 for merchants outside Interac’s lower tiers ($0.020 and $0.025 for listed categories). From $100.01 to $250 it is $0.055 for all merchants. Online wallet interchange is a percentage with a cap. See Interac Debit: How It Is Priced.
What processors publish
| Provider | Interac online | Interac in person, for comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Square Canada | 2.8% + 30¢ for Square Online, “including Interac Debit via Apple Pay or Google Pay” | 0.75% + 7¢ |
| Stripe Canada | 2.9% + CA$0.30 (card-not-present), per Stripe’s Canadian regulatory disclosure | CA$0.15 per transaction |
| Helcim | Interac rates listed for card-present only (“n/a” for card-not-present) | 9.0¢ chip and PIN; 12.5¢ tap (Tier 1) |
Network fee and merchant price, side by side. Interac’s interchange is a network fee the processor pays the customer’s bank. The processor’s rate is what the merchant pays.
| On a $100 online Interac sale | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Interac interchange, Tier 1 | 0.60% = $0.60 (capped at $1.80) | Network fee: paid by the acquirer to the customer’s bank |
| Stripe’s Interac Debit card-not-present rate | 2.9% + CA$0.30 = $3.20 | What Stripe charges the merchant |
The $100 sale is made up for the example. Stripe’s disclosure says “Rates may vary based on the pricing set forth in your Stripe Agreement.” Stripe’s pricing page lists Interac only for in-person sales.
Interac’s February 10, 2026 announcement says Stripe “can now offer its customers Interac Debit for online and in-app purchases through participating digital wallets,” and that “Previously, Stripe customers could only offer Interac Debit for in-person payments at physical stores.”
Chargebacks and timing
Interac’s security page says Interac Debit “transfers funds instantly from customers’ accounts to yours using a ‘good funds’ model — which means there’s no risk of chargebacks.” It describes Interac Debit in general, not online sales alone. When the money reaches the business’s own account depends on the processor’s deposit schedule. See When You Get Paid.
Where to go from here
More on selling online: Card Processing for Online Stores and Gateway Fees and Online Payment Costs. More on Canada: card processing in Canada.
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