said by TypeS:said by Davesnothere:The OP did not state at which bank they bank, but START's Interac support includes BMO and the OP seems to bank elsewhere than at one of the 'Big 4'.
Not to nitpick here, but technically it's the Big 5 Canadian banks
, not sure why they wouldn't accept from CIBC....
said by rocca:We support pre-authorized payments [PAPs] from any bank or credit union in Canada.
The 'Initial Payment' page supports Interac online debit for real-time payment and the 4 banks are the only ones supported.
I don't know why CIBC isn't part of the program, but that's something between Interac and CIBC and we're a little too small to influence them to settle whatever their spat is about. ....
I had not reviewed exactly which 4 banks those were, but now that you mention it, I can tell you most likely why CIBC in particular is not listed.
It would appear that they have opted out, and I will update this post in a few moments with a possible reason....
UPDATE :If you go HERE »
www.start.ca/services/payment , and click on 'Debit', which is where you would go to make an online payment which is NOT the Initial one, it seems that
CIBC is missing there TOO.
"Why is that important ?", some may ask.
Because I submit that it is 'the thin end of the wedge', regarding changes to online payment systems.
Here is my experience :
Recently, TD intro'd a new customer 'Access' card which bragged about 'VISA Debit' capabilities.
I was briefly influenced to get one at my branch, because the chip in my current card had mysteriously failed.
The local TD teller assured me that EVERYTHING ELSE about this new card which supported 'VISA Debit' would work the same.
She was WRONG.
First, the VISA number part of it (which is really an alias for an attached bank account where you must first put money) was not accepted by START's page which I linked above, and second, when I tried to use the Interac Online method, it sent me to the TD online banking site when I clicked thru, but the TD site rejected the new card.
"And why does any of that matter ?", you may wonder.
OK, when I called START's accounting dept to tell them that, and to try to run the card over the phone, they explained that this new TD card had already been giving START some issues.
START's rep also said to me that they had had THE SAME ISSUES with a CIBC 'chameleon' banking card which functioned similarly to my new TD card (and which had been offered as far back as 2010, I later discovered).
Next, I called TD's CS number, and they explained to me that in order for their new card to support the VISA Debit payment network, that they had to remove the Interac Online payment network functionality, due to some 'banking association' regulation.
It is likely that CIBC ran into these same issues earlier on, and chose to handle them by eventually advising merchants and POS providers that their cards would not work for Interac Online any more (though at one point in the past, I recall that CIBC's bank cards DID work for that), and
THAT is why you do not see their logo on online payment pages such as START's.
OTOH,
a preauthorized payment (PAP) does not use Interac Online, as it is a direct arrangement between a customer, a payee, and their two respective banks, and that is why it can be more flexible, as Mr. Rocca commented earlier.
BTW, that same START rep advised me to consider the BMO card, as it had caused them no grief so far. - It was good advice, IMNSHO.
Also, I was able to get another of the older TD customer cards again, by pleading my case to our branch manager (she still had some left, unknown to the other local employees and the TD call centre), though she told me that at some point, that ALL of TD's customers would be forced to make the change. - I'm not holding my breath on THAT.
And fine print on TD's website DOES explain that the new card behaves as it does/doesn't, though of course does not present the change as a negative thing.
PREDICTION :IF this US-based payment system called 'VISA Debit' catches on (as TD assured me that it will
), soon THEIR logo will ALSO vanish from the INTERAC part of online payment pages, as they will not want to have folks 'going thru the motions' in a futile manner as I explained above that I had.