QR codes that request money: the till upgrade Canada has barely deployed

A QR code that starts a real payment

Interac provides a product named Business Request Money. This tool sends a payment request to a customer through the Interac e-Transfer system. According to Interac's own solution page, any business application can trigger the API. These applications include websites, mobile apps, or QR codes. That same page mentions a storefront use case. A customer may pay for goods and services at a small business or storefront using a Request Money transaction driven by a QR code. Interac's main business page also lists this storefront QR use case. This reflects actual Interac product positioning rather than an interpretation of the text.

How the flow works

The business never sees the customer's banking credentials. The customer's own bank handles the authorization.

1. The customer uses their phone to scan the QR code at the counter.
2. Their banking app opens with the recipient and amount already filled in.
3. They sign in to their bank as they usually do.
4. Once they approve the request, funds move to the business via e-Transfer.

Access is gated, not open

Developers cannot call this as a public API. Interac instructs organizations to contact their own financial institution. Interac says eligibility depends on businesses having an existing Interac e-Transfer relationship. As of our 2026-08-31 check, 5 financial institutions distribute Business Request Money: BMO, CIBC, Scotiabank, Digital Commerce Bank and Peoples Trust. RBC is not included in that list.

Businesses can access the API through an aggregator or a payment service provider using those institutions. Peoples Payment Solutions released a Request Money API on January 19, 2021. Paramount Commerce lists a QR request money endpoint where QR codes expire after 4 hours. Their documentation targets desktop to mobile handoff rather than tills. Paybilt offers in-person, in-store QR e-Transfer for merchants. VoPay lists email and embedded iFrame request money but does not list a QR mode. QR support differs by provider. You should confirm this in writing before making any commitment.

Canada has barely deployed it

Payments Canada describes QR payments as nascent in Canada. An article from October 18, 2023, states that these payments have not yet seen significant uptake here. No domestic QR standard is mandated. EY published a Canadian QR standard called CANQR in 2020, but it is not in force. Our research found no major live Canadian retail deployment of QR request money at checkout. The closest live offerings are the niche provider products named above. Marketing is ahead of the tills.

The trade-off at the till

The process involves scanning, opening a banking app, authenticating, and approving. This takes longer than tapping a contactless card. Payments Canada says the popularity of tap-and-go cards is the main reason QR code adoption is low in Canada. On the other hand, money moves through the e-Transfer system instead of card networks. There are no card-processing fees. Banks usually charge a flat fee per transaction for Business Request Money. Aggregator pricing is based on quotes and is not published. Per-transaction e-Transfer limits also exist, which limits larger sales at a counter.

Money scams create another problem. Some banks warn users or slow down unexpected requests for money to protect customers. This can also delay a legitimate request at a till.

What map.ca plans to do

map.ca is based in Owen Sound, Ontario. We intend to pilot QR money requests at a physical counter and publish the timings. The first planned lane requires no code. It will use a small business account at one of the 5 distributor institutions with QR-driven requests enabled through business online banking. This will test the till experience and per-transaction fees at the bank. We plan to time the entire scan-to-paid flow and publish the numbers, including slow parts. None of this is live yet; it is a plan.