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Code of Conduct for the Credit and Debit Card Industry in Canada (in effect from April 2015 to October 29, 2024)

Version of document from April 2015 to October 29, 2024. Read the current version.

Purpose

The purpose of the Code is to demonstrate the industry’s commitment to:
  1. Ensuring that merchants are fully aware of the costs associated with accepting credit and debit card payments, thereby allowing merchants to reasonably forecast their monthly costs related to accepting such payments.
  2. Providing merchants with increased pricing flexibility to encourage consumers to choose the lowest-cost payment option.
  3. Allowing merchants to freely choose which payment options they will accept.

Disclosure

All disclosures to merchants provided under the Code must be presented in a clear, simple and non-misleading manner.

Scope

The Code applies to credit and debit card networks (referred to herein as payment card networks) and their participants (e.g. card issuers and acquirersFootnote 1 ).

The payment card networks that choose to adopt the Code will abide by the policies outlined below and ensure compliance by their participants (e.g. issuers, acquirers, and their downstream participants). The Code will be incorporated, in its entirety, into the payment card networks’ contracts, governing rules and regulations. The Code will apply within 90 days of being adopted by the payment card networks and their participants.

Enhancements to the Code announced on April 13, 2015 will apply within 9 months of being adopted by the payment card networks and their participants and will apply to all new merchant-acquirer agreements and all new or reissued premium cards after that 9-month period, with the following exceptions:

To assist entities in adhering to elements of the Code, the following definitions are provided for clarification:

Contactless payment: a payment card-based and/or mobile device enabled payment transaction that is initiated at the payment terminal at a point-of-sale and that does not require contact with the payment terminal at the point-of-sale.

Mobile device: a portable electronic device that may be used by a consumer to facilitate the storage and/or transmission of data electronically for enabling a contactless payment.

Mobile wallet: a graphic user interface (software application) that presents one or more payment applets to a consumer for the purposes of enabling a contactless payment.

Payment applet: a software application on a mobile device, or within a mobile wallet, that enables a contactless payment by linking a single payment credential (e.g. credit or debit) through a specific payment card network.

Payment credential: the data that is required to complete a contactless payment (e.g. identifying information for the specific payment network, issuer and cardholder) that is stored securely and accessed by a payment applet or token associated with a payment applet.

This Code is overseen by the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, which is responsible for monitoring the compliance of signatories. 

Requirements for payment card networks

By adopting the Code, payment card networks agree to provide any requested information regarding actions taken by themselves or participants to the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, for the purpose of monitoring compliance with the Code. In addition, payment card networks agree to pay for the fees associated with monitoring compliance with the Code, as determined by the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada.

Payment card networks will regularly review, no less than every three years, market conduct practices of all merchant focused agents, registered by acquirers with the payment card networks, in the context of the Code.Footnote 2  The payment card networks will report the results of these reviews to the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada. 

Policy elements

1. Increased Transparency and Disclosure by Payment Card Networks and Acquirers to Merchants.

The payment card networks and their participants will work with merchants, either directly or through merchant associations, to ensure that merchant-acquirer agreements and monthly statements include a sufficient level of detail and are easy to understand.

All merchant-acquirer agreements will include a cover page containing an information summary box that provides key elements of the contract in a consolidated fashion and a fee disclosure box, using the templates in Addendum I.

Acquirers must also disclose all other fees (e.g. monthly minimums, administration fees, etc.) charged to the merchant.

Payment card networks will make all applicable standard interchange rates and acquiring network assessment fees easily available on their websites. In addition, payment card networks will post any upcoming changes to these rates and fees on their websites once they have been provided to acquirers. Payment card network rules will ensure that merchant statements include the following information:

2. Payment card network rules will ensure that merchants will receive a minimum of 90 days’ notice of any fee increases or the introduction of a new fee related to any credit or debit card transactions, or a reduction in applicable interchange rates.Footnote 4  Payment card networks will provide at least 90 days’ notice to acquirers for rate and/or fee changes and at least 180 days’ notice for structural changes.Footnote 5

The notice to merchants must describe the nature of the fee change and the change must be clearly identifiable on the merchant’s subsequent monthly statement, to help merchants better understand the impact of the fee change.

Acquirers will also provide an updated fee disclosure box reflecting the impact, upon written request from the merchant, following a new fee or fee increase.

Notification is not required for fee changes made in accordance with pre-determined fee schedules, such as those based on merchant sales volume, provided that the schedules are included in the merchant’s contract.

3. Payment card network rules will ensure that following notification of a fee increase or the introduction of a new fee, or a reduction in applicable interchange rates not passed on to merchants, merchants will be allowed to cancel their contracts without penalty.

By signing a contract with an acquirer, a merchant will have the right to cost certainty over the course of their contract. As a result, in the event of a fee increase or the introduction of a new fee, merchants will be allowed to opt out of their contracts, without facing any form of penalty, within 90 days of receiving notice of the fee increase or the introduction of a new fee.

Merchants will also have the right to provide 90 days’ notice to exit their contracts without penalty in the event that acquirers do not pass-through the full savings from any reduction to payment card networks’ posted interchange rates that are applicable to that merchant, within 90 days of receiving notice of the interchange reduction.

This right includes relief from the application of any penalties on all related service contracts (e.g. terminal lessors, third-party processors) brokered by the acquirer and/or its registered agents, processors or other agents.Footnote 6

Merchants may not cancel their contracts in relation to fee increases made in accordance with pre-determined fee schedules, such as those based on merchant sales volume, provided that the schedules are included in the merchant’s contract.

4. Payment card network rules will ensure that merchants who accept credit card payments from a particular network will not be obligated to accept debit card payments from that same payment card network, and vice versa.

Payment card networks will not require merchants to accept both credit and debit payments from their payment card network. A merchant can choose to accept only credit or debit payments from a network without having to accept both.

The same principle applies to credit or debit payment credentials accessed by consumers through a mobile wallet or mobile device. Merchants who accept a credit payment credential from a particular network, which are accessed by consumers through a mobile wallet or mobile device, will not be obligated to accept debit payment credentials from that network or vice versa.

5. Payment card network rules will ensure that merchants will be allowed to provide discounts for different methods of payment (e.g. cash, debit card, credit card). Merchants will also be allowed to provide differential discounts among different payment card networks.

Discounts will be allowed for any payment method. As well, differential discounting will be permitted between payment card networks.

Any discounts must be clearly marked at the point-of-sale.

6. Competing domestic applications from different networks shall not be offered on the same debit card. However, non-competing complementary domestic applications from different networks may exist on the same debit card. In mobile wallets or mobile devices, debit payment credentials from payment card networks must be represented as separate payment applets.

A debit card may contain multiple applications, such as PIN-based and contactless. A card may not have applications from more than one network to process each type of domestic transaction, such as point-of-sale, Internet, telephone, etc. This limitation does not apply to ABM or international transactions.

7. Payment card networks will ensure that co-badged debit cards are equally branded. All representations of payment applets in a mobile wallet or mobile device, and the payment card network brands associated with them, must be clearly identifiable and equally prominent.

Payment card network rules shall ensure that the payment networks available on payment cards will be clearly indicated. Payment card networks will not include rules that require that issuers give preferential branding to their brand over others. To ensure equal branding, brand logos must be the same size, located on the same side of the card, and both brand logos must be either in colour or black and white.

8. Payment card network rules will ensure that debit and credit card functions shall not co-reside on the same payment card, and that consumers shall have full and unrestricted control over default settings on mobile devices and mobile wallets to select such debit or credit payment applets.

Debit and credit cards have very distinct characteristics, such as providing access to a deposit account or a credit card account. These accounts have specific provisions and fees attached to them. Given the specific features associated with debit and credit cards, and their corresponding accounts, such cards shall be issued as separate payment cards. Consumer confusion would be minimized by not allowing debit and credit card functions to co-reside on the same payment card.

Credit and debit payment credentials can be stored on, or accessed by, the same mobile device or mobile wallet, provided that they are clearly separate payment applets, and consumers can select which payment applet shall be used for contactless payments.

Credit and debit payment credentials will only be issued to mobile devices or mobile wallets that do not have pre-set default preferences that cannot be changed and that provide consumers with full and unrestricted discretion to establish any default preference(s) for payment options. Selecting default preferences shall only be done by consumers based on a clear and transparent process, clearly accessible through the mobile user interface, and consumers should be able to easily change default settings in a timely manner.

9. Payment card network rules will require that premium credit and debit cards may only be given to consumers who apply for or consent to such cards. Premium cards, and the payment applets that link to premium card payment credentials, should clearly indicate that they are premium products (e.g. display clear and prominent branding used by the payment card networks to identify them as premium products). In addition, premium payment cards shall only be given to a well-defined class of cardholders based on individual spending, assets under management, and/or income thresholds and not on the average of an issuer’s portfolio.

Premium payment cards have a higher than average interchange rate. They must be targeted at individuals who meet specific spending, assets under management and/or income levels.

For payment card networks that have differential acceptance costs for premium cards, payment card network rules will require issuers to include a statement on all cardholder applications for premium cards disclosing that these premium cards can impose higher card acceptance costs on merchants. This disclosure should be featured prominently on the cardholder application.

10. Payment card network rules will ensure that negative option acceptance is not allowed.

If payment card networks introduce new products or services, merchants shall not be obligated to accept those new products or services. Merchants must provide their express consent to accept the new products or services.

11. Payment card network rules will not require that merchants accept contactless payments at the point-of-sale, or to upgrade point-of-sale terminals to enable contactless payments.

If a merchant chooses to accept contactless payments at the point-of-sale, the merchant shall be able to cancel the contactless acceptance on their terminal for each payment card network, with thirty days’ notice, while maintaining all other aspects of their existing contract without penalty.

Should fees set by a payment card network in respect of contactless payments made from a mobile wallet or mobile device increase relative to card-based contactless payments, the payment card network will develop the technical specifications to ensure that merchant acceptance of contactless payments made from a mobile wallet or mobile device can be cancelled at the point-of-sale without disabling other forms of contactless payment acceptance. Merchants shall be able to opt out of accepting contactless payments made from a mobile wallet or mobile device by giving 30 days’ notice to their acquirer (or applicable registered agent), while maintaining all other aspects of their existing contract without penalty.

12. Payment card network rules will require that information about merchant-acquirer agreements, including cancellation and renewal terms and conditions, will be disclosed in a way that is clear, simple and not misleading.Footnote 7

Merchants may provide notice of non-renewal at any point during the contract period up to ninety days prior to contract expiry.

Fixed-term contracts will not be automatically renewed for the full initial term, but may convert to automatically renewable contract extensions of no longer than six months. Merchants may provide notice of non-renewal at any point during the extension period, up to ninety days prior to the end of each term.

This element applies to both the merchant-acquirer agreement and to any related service contracts with service providers. In situations where there is a business connection between the participant and the service providers, services are considered related and as a single service package.Footnote 8

13. Payment card network rules will require that merchants have access to a clear dispute resolution procedure that provides for an investigation and timely response of complaints pertaining to the Code.

If a merchant believes that its service providers’ conduct is contrary to the Code, they may report the issue to their acquirer.Footnote 9  Service providers include, but are not limited to, acquirers, processors, independent sales organizations and referral agents.

The acquirer will review the issue with the merchant, undertake an investigation and respond to the merchant within ninety days.

If the acquirer’s complaint procedure is exhausted and a satisfactory resolution not achieved, the merchant may submit the complaint to the payment card networks.

To facilitate the exchange of information, payment card networks will develop a common template and information requirements to facilitate the submission of a complaint by a merchant.

Payment card networks will investigate any complaints received from the acquirer, from FCAC or directly from a merchant, and will work with their participants to find an appropriate resolution and communicate the outcome of its investigation directly to the merchant, with a copy to the acquirer, within 45 days of receiving the complaint.

Acquirers will establish an internal complaints-handling procedure and make information on their procedure easily available to merchants.Footnote 10  At a minimum, the complaints-handling procedure must adhere to the following standards:

With the exception of the response time, each of these standards also applies to the payment card networks for investigating and responding to merchant complaints.

Payment card networks must be informed in writing of the aggregate number of any Code-related complaints received by acquirers, the nature of the merchant complaints, and the outcomes on a semi-annual basis. The payment card networks will also share the above information with the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, as well as aggregate information on complaints resolved by the payment card networks.

Nothing in the above process restricts the merchant from directly filing complaints with the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, or a payment card network, to investigate non-compliance with the Code. 

Addendum I – Information summary and fee disclosure boxes

Information summary box​​ ​
​Date of contract(s)​ Effective start date and length of initial term, including the renewal date of the initial term of each contract.​
​Acquirer ​Name of acquirer and contact information.
​Cancellation of contract(s) and any applicable penalties ​Date that the contract can be cancelled without penalty; page in contract with information on cancellation procedures (including who to contact to cancel contract).

Information on any cancellation fees that could apply.

Information on how and when the contract(s) may be renewed, including the right for a merchant to provide notice of non-renewal at any point up to 90 days prior to the renewal date.

Information on whether separate terms, conditions, fees apply for point-of-sale terminal equipment.

Complaint-handling procedures​ ​Information on the complaints-handling process, including contact information for the acquirer’s complaints department and a link to the complaints-handling process on the acquirer’s website.

In instances where multiple service providers are involved (e.g. separate processors for debit and credit), information on each of their respective complaints-handling processes.

Information about payment terminal​ ​If point-of-sale equipment is offered to a merchant, general information on buying, leasing or renting options of point-of-sale hardware, including:
  • Name and contact information regarding the terminal leasing company and whether terminal is rented, leased or purchased
  • Information on all rental/lease rates and other service charges related to the terminal
  • Details about the expiry of the contract with the provider and early termination fees
​This provision does not create an obligation for all of these options (buy, lease or rent) to be offered to a merchant.
​Contactless payments acceptance ​For each payment card network, whether contactless payments have been enabled at the point-of-sale.
Transaction return policy​ ​Information about whether, and how, card acceptance fees will be applied to transaction returns.
Independent sales organization or referral agent (where applicable)​ ​The name of the independent sales organization or referral agent and their contact information.

Information on the relationship between the acquirer and independent sales organization or agent.

Information about credit and debit card service providers (if different from the acquirer)

Name and contact information for each debit and credit service provider and a brief description of services provided.

Expiry date and cancellation terms of contract with each service provider.

Code of Conduct​ ​Link to the Code of Conduct.
Statements​ ​Information on how to access statements (e.g. paper or online) and whether there is a charge for paper statements.
​Fee disclosure box​​​ ​

​​​​​Each rate disclosed below is the sum of the network's interchange rate + network assessment fee + per-transaction processing fees. A single rate is to be displayed for domestic payment card transactions, regardless of the pricing methodology used.

Acquirers must disclose prices for processing methods for domestic cards that attract differentiated rates (e.g. electronic, swiped, manually keyed, card not present, etc.). Include as many columns as needed. A short definition, in plain language, must be provided for each type of processing method.

This table is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to capture all possible payment card types or processing methods. It is intended to present price information for the most common type of domestic card transactions and processing methods available to merchants. An industry working group will be convened to resolve any outstanding challenges associated with implementing this requirement.

Payment card type​ ​Processing method A (definition) Processing method B (definition)​ Proc​essing method C (definition)​
​Visa Classic [$X / X %]​ [$X / X %]​ ​[$X / X %]
​Visa Infinite [$X / X %]​ ​[$X / X %] ​[$X / X %]
​Visa Infinite Privilege [$X / X %]​ ​[$X / X %] [$X / X %]​
Visa Business​ [$X / X %]​ ​[$X / X %] [$X / X %]​
​MasterCard Classic ​[$X / X %] ​[$X / X %] ​[$X / X %]
MasterCard World​ ​[$X / X %] [$X / X %]​ [$X / X %]​
MasterCard World Elite​ ​[$X / X %] ​[$X / X %] ​[$X / X %]
MasterCard Business ​[$X / X %] ​[$X / X %] ​[$X / X %]
Discover ​[$X / X %] ​[$X / X %] ​[$X / X %]
MasterCard Debit ​[$X / X %] ​[$X / X %] ​[$X / X %]
Visa Debit ​[$X / X %] ​[$X / X %] ​[$X / X %]
Interac Debit ​[$X / X %] ​[$X / X %] ​[$X / X %]

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