Canada Compliance Guide

As a registered Payment Facilitator in Canada, Payrix must comply with the requirements of the Code of Conduct for the Credit and Debit Card Industry in Canada (referred to as “The Code”). As a Partner to Payrix, you will be required to help us comply with some of the Code requirements as you are the Merchant-facing entity that directly communicates with the Merchant.

These requirements include:

  • Providing Monthly Merchant Statements - You will be required to provide a Code Compliant Monthly Merchant Statement that displays the rates and fees associated with each card brand and type accepted by the Merchant;

  • Fee Change/Introduction of New Fee Notice - You will be required to provide Merchants with a minimum of 90 days' notice of any new fees or fee increases related to credit or debit card transactions, or of a reduction in applicable interchange rates; and

  • Complaints Handling Process - You must establish a complaints intake process including the escalation process to Payrix for Code-related complaints.

Further guidance on how to meet these requirements is outlined below.

If you have any issues or general compliance requirement questions, contact support or call +1 (855) 672-9749.

See supporting documentation here:


Providing Monthly Merchant Statements

As a part of Partners serving Canadian Merchants, it is also your responsibility to provide each Merchant with a monthly statement showing the following information:

Data

Required

Description

Data

Required

Description

Card Type

Required

MasterCard Credit, Visa Credit, MasterCard Debit or Visa Debit.

American Express & Discover are not currently supported.

Number of Sales

Required

Total number of sale transactions for the Merchant.

Gross Sales

Required

The gross sales amount in dollars for all Merchant transactions.

Service Rate

Required

Either a flat rate charged or applicable interchange percentage rates for each card type.

Rate Fee

Required

Rate Fee is calculated from multiplying the Service Rate (%) x Gross Sales Amount ($)

Per Transaction Fee

Required

Per Transaction Fee is calculated from multiplying the flat-rate transaction fee ($X.XX) x Total Sales ($)

Total Fees

Optional

Effective Merchant Discount Rate

Required

It is recommended that you provide this information in a .CSV format so that your Merchants can easily view the information in Excel.

Please download the example below for a sample of what your Monthly Merchant Statement information should look like:


Introduction of New Fee or Fee Change Notice

As Payrix would only increase fees directly applicable to its Partners, Payrix will provide a minimum of 120 days’ notice of any fee increases, the introduction of a new fee related to any credit or debit card transactions, or a reduction in applicable interchange rates. If Partners of Payrix decide to make changes to fees due to this notice, they must provide their Merchants with a minimum of 90 days’ notice of any fee increases, the introduction of a new fee related to any credit or debit card transactions, or a reduction in applicable interchange rates.

Notification Requirements

  • Advance Notice - Payrix requires all Canadian partners to notify all impacted Merchants of your fee increases or when introduce a new fee at least 90-days before the change takes effect.

  • Communication Retention - You must retain these notifications for your records should Payrix request a copy for compliance testing purposes.

Sample Fee Increase Notification Email

Sample Fee Increase Notification Email

Hello,

We are reaching out to notify you that we will be increasing the following fees related to your billing integration service effective (insert date – MUST be at least 90 days out from notification).

(INSERT FEE TABLE THAT SHOWS CURRENT FEE RATE vs. NEW FEE RATE and NATURE OF THE FEE INCREASE)

No action is required on your end if you accept these fee increases, and the changes will be reflected on your (insert billing statement that will reflect the change).

Should you choose not to accept these fee increases, you have the right to opt-out of your agreement with (platform name), by calling (platform name) at (insert platform phone number), via email at (insert platform email) or by visiting (insert platform website).  

If you have any questions regarding this notification, feel free to contact us at (SaaS Partner Contact Info).

Sample Introduction of New Fee Notification Email

Sample Introduction of New Fee Notification Email

Hello,

We are reaching out to notify you that we will be introducing the following fees related to your billing integration service effective (insert date – MUST be at least 90 days out from notification).

(INSERT FEE TABLE THAT SHOWS CURRENT FEE RATE vs. NEW FEE RATE and NATURE OF THE FEE INCREASE)

No action is required on your end if you accept the introduction of new fees, and the changes will be reflected on your (insert billing statement that will reflect the change).

Should you choose not to accept these fee increases, you have the right to opt-out of your agreement with (platform name), by calling (platform name) at (insert platform phone number), via email at (insert platform email) or by visiting (insert platform website).

If you have any questions regarding this notification, feel free to contact us at (SaaS Partner Contact Info).


Complaints Handling Process & Requirements

As a Payrix Partner servicing Merchants in Canada, you are the first point of contact for your Merchants should they have any issues or complaints regarding the billing integration services we provide. As such, you are required to establish a complaint intake and handling process.

  1. Set up your Online Complaint Intake Form.

  2. Establish your Internal Complaint Handling Process.

  3. Understand how to identify a Code-related complaint.

  4. Learn how to submit any Code-related complaints to Payrix

Step 1: Set up your Online Complaint Intake Form

An online complaint intake form is required for your Merchants/sub-Merchants to submit potential Code-Related Complaints with the service or platform.

As a minimum, the complaint intake form must include the following information:

  • Name of submitter.

  • The business name.

  • Contact Info (phone number & email).

  • Box where Merchant can type in a summary of the complaint & all helpful details.

  • Place to attach copies of any supporting documentation (i.e. agreements, statements, correspondences).

Step 2: Establish Internal Complaint Handling Process

An internal process must be established explaining how the initial complaint review will be handled (including timeframes) to determine if it is a general complaint or Code related complaint.

Process explaining how Merchants will be sent an acknowledgment and escalation notice within 5-business days of receipt of the complaint and process explain the escalation of the complaint to Payrix if the complaint is determined to be Code related.

Step 3: Identifying a Code-Related Complaint

What is a Complaint? 

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction with a product, service, policy, or an employee related to the Platform (except those made by cardholders who are also employees of your company).  

General customer service complaints are your responsibility, while Payrix is responsible for managing and resolving Code-Related Complaints.

What is a Code-Related Complaint?

It is important to distinguish between customer communications that you should resolve, versus those that you should forward to Payrix for resolution.

  • Code-Related Complaints – Refer to issues or conduct identified with the platform that Merchant believes is contrary to the Code.

Step 4: Submit Code-Related Complaints to Payrix

When a Code-Related Complaint is identified, it must be submitted to Payrix support to manage any potential Code violations. All required information must be provided so that Payrix can properly investigate the matter.

After submitting the code-related complaint to Payrix, you must send an acknowledgement email within 5 business days to your Merchant/sub-Merchant notifying them that their complaint has been received and escalated to Payrix Support.

Sample Acknowledgement Email

Sample Acknowledgement Email

Dear (Merchant Contact Name),

We are reaching out to let you know that we have received your issue/complaint made on (date complaint made) regarding our billing integration services.  Upon our initial review of your issue/complaint, we have determined that it pertains to our billing integration partner Payrix and qualifies as a Code-related issue/complaint as defined by the Code of Conduct for the Credit and Debit Card Industry in Canada.

As such, we have escalated your issue/complaint to Payrix for investigation and resolution. For additional information on Payrix’s Code Complaints Handling process or if you have questions regarding your issue/complaint, please visit https://payrix.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/portal/5/article/22954442810?src=-2044964234.

Further communication regarding your complaint/issue will come directly from Payrix.

Thank you for contacting us.


Payrix Complaint Handling for Merchants

As a Canadian Merchant you must be provided with access to a clear dispute-resolution process for resolving complaints related to the Code of Conduct for the Credit and Debit Card Industry in Canada.

If you believe that we have acted in a way that is contrary to the Code and would like to file a complaint directly with us regarding our billing integration services, please visit our online complaint intake portal and complete the form.

Information Required for Submission

Please include any information that may help us resolve your concerns to the best of our ability by including:

  • A summary of your concerns

  • All details, such as the name(s) of any individuals involved in or know about the issue.

  • The date of the incident or on which the matter began.

  • Copies of any supporting documentation (i.e., agreements, statements, correspondence).

Submission Response

Upon receipt of your complaint, Payrix will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within five (5) business days. Following the completion of our investigation, Payrix will provide you with our final decision in writing within ninety (90) days of receiving your complaint, along with:

  • A summary of the complaint.

  • The final result of the investigation.

  • Explanation of the final decision.

  • Information on how to further escalate your complaint in the event of an unsatisfactory outcome.

If your complaint has not been resolved after following the above process, you have the right to refer your complaint to the following

Worldpay (Processor)

Peoples Trust Company (Acquirer)

Visa Canada

Mastercard Canada

Financial Consumer Agency of Canada

  • Emailinfo@fcac-acfc.gc.ca

  • Phone: 1-866-461-3222

  • Mail: Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) 6th Floor, Enterprise Building 427 Laurier Ave. WestOttawa, ON K1R 1B9


Code-Related Complaints

Amendments made in April 2015 to the Code of Conduct for the Credit and Debit Card Industry​, Element 13, now state that payment card network rules require Merchants to have access to a clear dispute resolution process.

This provides relevant information for an investigation and a timely response to Code-Related Complaints.

As Payrix Partner serving Canadian Merchants, you will be the first point of contact for your Merchants/sub-Merchants. Payrix will conduct an investigation, remediation if there is an error, and notify the Merchant/sub-Merchant of our investigation response within the required 90 days' time frame since receipt of a complaint.  

Below is a quick summary of Complaint Element Codes:

Element

Summary

Element 1*

Transparency and Disclosure Element

  • Complaints about Payrix sub-Merchant agreement(s) not being clear or failure to disclose all fees in the summary/disclosure boxes.

  • Complaints about issues showing all card fees on monthly billing statements.

Element 2*

Notice of Fee Increase or New Fee Element

  • Complaints about card processing or integrated billing fee increases being implemented without a 90-day notification

Element 3

Contract Cancellation

  • Complaints about account cancellation issues with Payrix due to a fee increase that they wish to decline.

Element 4

No Obligation Acceptance

  • Complaints about Payrix requiring a Merchant to accept credit & debit from a card network if they only want to accept debit or vise versa.

Element 5

Payment Method Discount Element

  • Complaints about Payrix restricting a Merchant from offering discounts on different payment methods.

Element 10

Negative Option Acceptance

  • Complaints where Payrix automatically enrolls a Merchant in a new product or service

Element 11

Contactless Payments

  • N/A for Payrix at this time.

Element 12

Renewal and Cancellation Disclosure

  • Complaints about Payrix contract renewals and cancellations. (Outside of the fee change cancellation)

Element 13*

Complaint Handling Process

  • Complaints about Payrix either:

    • Mishandling a complaint,

    • Lacking punctual and appropriate response timelines,

    • Not offering a website you could refer to, or;

    • Weren’t provided with a path for escalation.

* = Required, Payrix will work with you to resolve this type of complaint.