Start with the payment experience you actually have.
Describe the current journey from order to shipment. Does the customer copy an email address and send money through their bank? Does your team match the deposit to an order manually? Or does your store use an integrated payment request? Those are different workflows, even when the checkout says e-Transfer.
Interac offers business payment services through participating financial institutions. Available features, limits and fees depend on the institution and account. An e-Transfer arrangement does not establish eligibility for a separate card-processing account. Ask each provider about the products and transaction types it can support.
What a Canadian card-processing review should cover.
Give a potential provider your legal business location, settlement-bank country, product catalog, customer destinations and store platform. Identify which sales are domestic and which are cross-border. Request written confirmation of the exact catalog before paying for integration work.
Hemp, research products, functional mushrooms and supplements need different product-level questions. A category appearing on a provider website is a starting point for discussion, not approval of your ingredients, claims or destinations.
- Which Canadian entity will contract with the processor?
- Can customers pay in CAD, and in what currency will the business receive settlement?
- Are US customers and any other intended destinations supported?
- Which gateway, checkout and recurring-payment features are included?
- What fees, reserves, payout schedule and cancellation conditions apply?
Keep transfer and card orders clearly separated.
You may be able to keep both payment methods enabled, subject to the relevant service agreements. Label them clearly and explain when an order is considered paid. Keep the original payment method attached to the order so support staff can find the correct transaction and refund workflow.
For WooCommerce stores using the built-in Direct Bank Transfer method, WooCommerce documents that payment happens outside the store and requires confirmation before fulfillment. An integrated card gateway should provide its own payment status updates. Adding that gateway does not automatically reconcile old transfer orders.
| Test order | What to confirm |
|---|---|
| Successful card payment | One payment record, correct order status and a customer receipt. |
| Declined or abandoned card payment | Clear retry options and no shipment marked as paid. |
| Transfer selected but not yet received | Order remains awaiting verified payment. |
| Buyer switches from transfer to card | One paid order; staff can detect and resolve a duplicate payment. |
| Refund requested | Team uses the original payment method and records the result. |
Measure whether the added option helps.
Before launch, record how many customers start checkout, choose transfers, complete payment and need help. After introducing cards, review those same steps by payment method. Keep declines, refunds and support requests in the picture rather than looking only at order count. There is no universal conversion increase to assume.
Alderwell helps organize these requirements and arrange processing-partner introductions. We do not process transactions or hold funds. The assessment creates a downloadable preparation brief; the processing partner handles its own application and approval process.
Your preparation checklist
- Export a sample of current transfer orders and their payment-confirmation steps.
- Prepare business registration, store URL and a complete product list for a secure provider review.
- Separate desired sales currency from desired settlement currency.
- Get the gateway name and full written account terms.
- Test mixed payment methods, failed payments and refunds before live use.
Common questions
Can I keep Interac e-Transfer after adding credit cards?
Yes. Keep Interac e-Transfer and add cards in the same store. Each method keeps its own record, so a customer cannot pay the same order twice.
Does an e-Transfer history count as card-processing history?
It can help explain your trading activity, but it is not a card-processing statement. Share sales, refunds and fulfillment records accurately and ask what evidence the prospective card provider accepts.
Do I need a US company to accept cards from US customers?
Do not assume that you do. Ask prospective providers to evaluate your actual Canadian entity, banking arrangements, products and customer locations. A US company or bank account should not be represented as a universal requirement or shortcut.
Is Interac e-Transfer the same as ACH?
No. They are different payment services and arrangements. Describe which one you actually use when requesting a provider review instead of treating all bank transfers as interchangeable.