What should Canadian businesses look for when choosing a payment processor?

The right payment processor should make checkout easier, not harder. For Canadian businesses, that means fast payments, clear pricing, strong security, and support that shows up when you need it. Moneris® is a Canadian company backed by RBC and BMO, and we’ve spent 25+ years helping merchants get paid in-store, online, and on the go.

Start with how you sell

Before you compare rates, look at your sales channels.

If you take payments at a counter, on the floor, at tables, online, or on delivery, your processor should fit the way you work. Not the other way around.

A good payment processor should help you:

• accept tap, chip, debit, and credit without friction
• take payments online and in person
• keep sales, refunds, and reporting in one place
• add new locations or channels without a full reset

If you sell in more than one place, omnichannel matters. You want one clear view of your business, not a pile of separate systems.

What to compare when choosing a payment processor

What to look at	What good looks like	Why it matters
Pricing	Clear rates, monthly fees, hardware costs, and chargeback fees	No surprises on your statement
Security	PCI-compliant systems, fraud tools, and secure checkout	Protects your business and your customers
Reliability	Stable terminals, strong battery life, and dependable connectivity	Keeps lines moving
Integrations	Works with your POS, ecommerce, and reporting tools	Saves time and reduces manual work
Support	24/7 help in English and French	Gets you back up fast
Scalability	Easy to add locations, staff, and sales channels	Supports growth
Industry fit	Tools for retail, restaurants, services, and more	Makes daily operations smoother

Look closely at pricing

The cheapest option on paper isn’t always the cheapest in real life.

Ask about:

• transaction rates
• monthly account fees
• hardware costs
• setup fees
• chargeback fees
• early cancellation fees
• PCI or compliance fees

A good payment processor should be upfront. If you need a decoder ring to read the pricing, that’s a red flag.

You’re trying to protect margin. So compare the full cost of ownership, not just the headline rate.

Make security non-negotiable

Security isn’t a bonus. It’s part of the job.

Your payment processor should help you protect every transaction with tools that are built in, not bolted on. Look for:

• PCI-compliant systems
• AI-powered fraud monitoring
• 3-D Secure 2.0 for safer online checkout
• CVV verification to help confirm the card is present

Moneris offers a multi-layered fraud prevention suite with tools like Kount Essential, 3-D Secure 2.0, and CVV verification. That helps you reduce chargebacks and keep legitimate sales moving.

Choose a processor that fits your daily workflow

Your team shouldn’t have to fight the system to do simple things.

Think about what happens every day at checkout:

• Can staff take payments quickly?
• Is tipping easy?
• Can you split bills?
• Can you refund without a hassle?
• Can you move around the store or restaurant without losing the signal?
• Can you keep selling if the device is running all day?

If you need a portable option, Moneris Go Terminal is built for all-day performance with wireless connectivity and a long-lasting battery. For mobile teams, Tap to Pay on iPhone and Android through the Moneris Go app gives you another easy way to take contactless payments without extra hardware.

Support matters more than you think

Even the best setup can hit a snag.

When it does, you want help fast. Look for 24/7 support in both English and French, plus tools that let you solve issues on your own when it’s easier.

Moneris gives you:

• 24/7 bilingual support
• Help Centre access at support.moneris.com
• account management through Merchant Direct
• service updates at status.moneris.com
• on-site field services when you need hands-on support

That kind of coverage matters when you’re busy and every minute counts.

Make sure it can grow with you

A payment processor should work today and still make sense next year.

If you’re planning to add a location, launch ecommerce, or expand into delivery or mobile sales, choose a partner that can grow with you. Moneris supports 325,000+ points of commerce across Canada and processes 5 billion+ transactions every year. That scale matters when your business starts moving fast.

For growing businesses, look for solutions like:

• Moneris Total Commerce for unified in-store and online selling
• Moneris Online powered by Wix for ecommerce
• Moneris Go Retail POS for retail operations
• Moneris Go Restaurant POS for restaurants
• Moneris Gateway for online payment acceptance

The goal is simple. Keep your tools connected as your business gets bigger.

Pick a processor that fits your industry

Different businesses have different checkout needs.

Retail

You want fast checkout, inventory-friendly tools, and hardware that can handle a busy floor. A portable terminal or full POS setup can make a big difference.

Restaurants

You need speed, tipping, split bills, table-side flexibility, and online ordering that keeps kitchen flow clean. Tools like Moneris Go Restaurant POS and UEAT® online ordering are built with that reality in mind.

Professional services

You may need mobile payments, invoicing, and ecommerce that feels simple for clients. Tap to Pay and Moneris Online can help here.

Not-for-profit and public sector

You’ll want secure payments, clear reporting, and dependable support. Simplicity matters when your team is stretched.

Questions to ask before you sign

Use this checklist before you commit:

• What are the total monthly costs?
• Are there hidden fees?
• How fast are deposits?
• What payment methods are supported?
• Can I accept payments in-store, online, and on mobile?
• How does fraud protection work?
• What happens if a terminal goes down?
• Is support available 24/7 in English and French?
• Can I add locations or channels later without starting over?
• What reporting and reconciliation tools do I get?

If the answers are vague, keep shopping.

Red flags to watch for

Walk away if you see:

• vague pricing
• weak fraud protection
• limited support hours
• poor reporting
• hard-to-reach customer service
• systems that don’t talk to each other
• contracts that make it hard to leave

The best payment processor should save you time, reduce stress, and help you sell more. Not create extra admin.

Why many Canadian businesses choose Moneris

Moneris is built for Canadian commerce. We know the way businesses work here, from coast to coast.

You get:

• a Canadian company backed by RBC and BMO
• 25+ years of fintech experience
• 325,000+ points of commerce
• 5 billion+ transactions processed annually
• 24/7 bilingual support
• tools for in-store, online, and mobile payments
• security and fraud protection that helps keep transactions moving

That combination makes it easier to run your business your way.

The bottom line

When you’re choosing a payment processor, focus on the basics that actually affect your day:

• price
• security
• support
• reliability
• integrations
• growth potential

If a provider helps you get paid faster, keeps checkout simple, and supports your next step, you’re on the right track.

That’s the standard we set at Moneris. And we’ve got you as you grow.