Ask a Canadian trade owner how they like to get paid and most will say the same thing: e-Transfer. No fees, money in the account the same day, everybody knows how to send one.
Then ask how long they spend every week working out which e-Transfer was for which invoice. That answer is usually longer.
Both ways of getting paid have a cost. One shows up on a statement. The other shows up in your evenings.
The short version
- Card: about 2.9% + $0.30 online with Stripe in Canada. On a $500 invoice, that is about $14.80. In return the client pays in two taps and the payment is tied to the invoice automatically.
- Interac e-Transfer: usually free to receive at the big banks. But matching transfers to invoices by hand takes time, and clients have to remember to send them.
- The best answer for most shops: offer both on every invoice, and let software do the matching.
What a card payment costs
Online card payments in Canada through Stripe cost 2.9% + CA$0.30 for domestic cards, with 0.8% more for international cards. In person on a card reader it is 2.7% + CA$0.05; Stripe's Tap to Pay on a phone adds CA$0.15. Interac debit in person is CA$0.15 per transaction.
| Invoice | Online card fee (2.9% + $0.30) |
|---|---|
| $150 | $4.65 |
| $500 | $14.80 |
| $2,000 | $58.30 |
| $8,000 | $232.30 |
On small and medium invoices, that is a few dollars. On a large install, it adds up, which is why many shops take cards for service calls and nudge large jobs towards e-Transfer or a cheque.
What an e-Transfer costs
Receiving Interac e-Transfers is generally free at Canada's big banks; the fees usually apply to sending from a business account (often around $1.50 each, depending on your plan). So for getting paid, the bank fee is usually zero.
But "free" leaves out three things:
The matching. An e-Transfer arrives as "Payment from J SMITH, $485.00". Which invoice? Was it the full amount? Is it for Smith on Maple or Smith on Oak? Somebody has to work it out, and that somebody is usually you, on Sunday night.
The reminding. Nothing about an e-Transfer happens on its own. The client has to open their banking app, add you as a payee, type the amount and remember the message. That is why "I'll send it tonight" becomes next week.
The mistakes. Wrong amounts, a missing security answer, a transfer that bounces back after 30 days because nobody accepted it. Each one is a conversation.
The real comparison
Here is an example month for a small shop: 60 invoices, averaging $350.
| All card | All e-Transfer | |
|---|---|---|
| Fees | about $627 | $0 |
| Time matching payments (by hand) | none | ~5 min each = 5 hours |
| Time chasing "I'll send it" clients | less: the pay link is on the invoice | more |
| When the money is tied to the invoice | instantly | when someone matches it |
At a $100 hourly rate, five hours of matching is $500. The gap is smaller than it looks, and that is before counting the late payments that a two-tap card link prevents.
Why you should offer both
You do not have to choose. Clients have their own habits: some will only e-Transfer, some want to put a big repair on a credit card for the points or the time to pay. If the invoice offers both, you get paid the way the client already wants to pay, which is the fastest way to get paid at all.
What makes "offer both" work is software that takes the hand work out of each:
- A pay link on every invoice, so card payments take two taps and record themselves
- Your e-Transfer details printed on the invoice, so clients do not have to ask
- Transfers matched to the right invoice automatically, instead of by you
- Automatic reminders for anything overdue, whichever way the client pays
A few practical tips
- Large jobs: take the deposit by card for speed, and invite e-Transfer for the balance.
- Recurring clients: offer autopay on a card. Seasonal contracts and maintenance plans then pay themselves.
- Do not add a surcharge without checking the rules. Card surcharging in Canada has conditions set by the card networks and, in some provinces, consumer law. Many businesses simply price the fee into their rates.
- Put the invoice number in the e-Transfer message. Ask for it on the invoice. It makes matching easier, whether you do it or software does.
How crewduo handles it
- Every invoice carries a pay link for card, and the client can also pay from their portal or set up autopay.
- Your Interac e-Transfer details appear on the invoice, and incoming transfers are matched to the invoice for you.
- Take payments in person with tap to pay on your phone or a card reader (Crew plan).
- Overdue invoices are chased automatically, on your rules.
- Card payments go to your own Stripe account, at Stripe's rates.
See how payments work, or compare plans on the pricing page.
Quick answers
Is Interac debit the same as an e-Transfer? No. Interac debit is tapping or inserting a bank card at a reader, in person. An e-Transfer is sent from the client's online banking.
Can clients pay by cheque? Yes. Record the payment against the invoice by hand, as with cash.
Which gets me paid faster? Whichever the client finds easiest. A two-tap card link usually beats "I'll send an e-Transfer tonight", which is why offering both matters.
Sources
- Stripe, Pricing in Canada: online and in-person card fees.
- Wise, Interac e-Transfers for Canadian businesses: e-Transfer fees at major banks. Check your own bank's fee schedule.