Interac® Debit on Android Pay launches in Canada

Consumers with debit cards issued by participating financial institutions can pay with Android Pay starting on Monday

TORONTO, May 31, 2017 – Interac Association/Acxsys Corporation (“Interac”) announced today the launch of Interac Debit on Android Pay. As part of Google’s rolling deployment, consumers with debit cards issued by BMO Financial Group*, CIBC*, Desjardins* and Scotiabank* will be able to pay using Android Pay starting on Monday, June 5, 2017. Interac Debit on Android Pay allows consumers to use their eligible Android device to make fast, secure and convenient mobile contactless transactions at hundreds of thousands of merchant locations across Canada where Interac Flash® contactless payments are already accepted.

“We’re excited to team up with Google, as well as our participating financial institution partners, to bring Interac Debit on Android Pay to Canadians,” said Mark O’Connell, President and CEO, Interac Association and Acxsys Corporation. “As the payment landscape evolves, we strive to offer Canadians innovative and seamless payment experiences that are fast, secure and increasingly more digital. The launch of Android Pay in Canada will give Interac debit cardholders yet another way to pay using their own money.”

“We’re excited to bring the simplicity and security of mobile payments to Interac Debit customers with Android Pay, starting on Monday,” said Pali Bhat, Global Head of Payments, Google. “People will be able to use their Android device to pay at hundreds of thousands of contactless payment terminals in Canada.”

Interac Debit on Android Pay is the latest example of how Interac is working with its partners in the payments space to provide innovative payment solutions and great user experiences to consumers and merchants alike.

Security

Interac is a world-class debit payment network with one of the lowest fraud rates globally in debit or credit. All Interac payment solutions use multiple layers of security, including encryption, passcode verification, transaction limits, and offer consumer protections through the Interac Zero Liability Policy**.

When a cardholder adds Interac Debit to Android Pay, a Device Account Number is created for that debit card which is unique to the device and distinct from the physical card number. All transactions go through the Interac Token Service Provider (TSP), a proprietary token platform that generates a sequence of numbers valid for a single transaction only. The Interac TSP service was developed in collaboration with IBM, a cognitive solutions and cloud platform company and world leader in mobile, Rambus, a global provider of tokenization software and solutions for mobile payments, and Everlink, a leading provider of comprehensive, innovative and integrated payment solutions and services.

Availability

Interac Debit on Android Pay will be available to all active debit cards issued to consumers by BMO Financial Group, CIBC, Desjardins and Scotiabank, including cards that are not Interac Flash enabled. Starting Monday, consumers with eligible Android Devices running KitKat (4.4) or higher can pay using Interac Debit on Android Pay at hundreds of thousands of merchant locations across Canada, virtually anywhere contactless payments are accepted. Just look for the contactless symbol on the payment terminal at checkout.

Convenience

Using Interac Debit on Android Pay is as simple as holding an eligible Android device in front of a contactless terminal, and if necessary, authenticating by unlocking the device. Interac Debit on Android Pay leverages the trusted Interac brand, which means widespread payment acceptance, an economical payment acceptance choice for merchants, and world-leading fraud detection and protection policies.

About Interac Association and Acxsys Corporation

Together, Interac Association and Acxsys Corporation operate an economical, world-class debit payments system with broad-based acceptance, 24/7/365 reliability, security, and efficiency. The organization is Canada’s leading payments brand and is chosen an average of 16 million times daily to pay and exchange money. For more than 30 years, it has facilitated secure financial transactions through the development of innovative and convenient digital debit and money transfer solutions. A leader in the prevention and detection of fraud, the organization has one of the lowest rates of fraud globally. Visit interac.ca or follow us @INTERAC.