Glossary of terms about retail payments supervision

Publication date: December 12, 2023
Last updated: February 21, 2024

Read the definitions of terms about retail payments supervision used in Bank of Canada supervisory policies and guidelines.

See also terms defined in:

• the Retail Payment Activities Act (RPAA)
• the Retail Payment Activities Regulations (RPAR)

A-C

A

activity-based exclusion

Exclusion for an activity that falls outside the scope of the Retail Payment Activities Act (RPAA). (In contrast, other activities performed by the individual or entity might be captured by the RPAA.)

agent (also known as mandatary)

An individual or entity that performs retail payment activities within the scope of its authority as the representative of a payment service provider (PSP). This relationship is arranged by the principal of a PSP. Agents and mandataries are, for all intents and purposes, considered the same under the Retail Payment Activities Act (RPAA).

anomalous event

An event or activity that deviates from standard or normal operations.

authorized person

A person authorized—for verifying compliance with the Retail Payment Activities Act—to examine the records and inquire into the business and affairs of a payment service provider that performs retail payment activities.

availability

Services being accessible and usable on demand by an authorized entity; ensuring timely and reliable access to and use of a payment service, system, data or information.

C

confidentiality

Ensuring that data or information is neither made available nor disclosed to unauthorised individuals, entities, processes or systems; preserving authorized restrictions on data and information access and disclosure.

D–F

E

end-user funds

Funds that a payment service provider holds on behalf of an end user.

end-user funds held

The total amount of funds held on behalf of end users (i.e., the ledger balance).

end-user funds safeguarded

The total amount of end-user funds placed in a safeguarding account.

end-user fund safeguarding requirements

The regulatory obligations of a payment service provider set out in section 20 of the Retail Payment Activities Act, sections 13 to 17 of the Retail Payment Activities Regulations.

end-user funds to be safeguarded

The total amount of end-user funds that must be placed in a safeguarding account (i.e., at a minimum, the amount of end-user funds held by the payment service provider by the end of the business day following the day of receipt).

entity-based exclusion

Exclusion for an individual or entity entirely out of scope of the Retail Payment Activities Act (RPAA) and not needing to register with the Bank of Canada (see RPAA, section 9).

F

follow-up notice

An order from the Bank of Canada to a payment service provider, requiring further information about a previously reported incident, in line with section 19 of the Retail Payment Activities Act.

G–I

I

integrity

Accuracy and completeness; no improper modification or destruction of a system, data or information.

J–L

M–O

M

mandatary

See “agent”

P–R

P

payee

An individual or entity that is the intended recipient of funds from an electronic funds transfer.

payer

An individual or entity that consents to the initiation of an electronic funds transfer and provides the funds.

proportionality

Alignment of risk management rigour with the impact that a reduction, deterioration or breakdown of the payment service provider's (PSP’s) retail payment activities could have on end users and other PSPs, indicated by factors including but not limited to the PSP’s ubiquity and interconnectedness.

protective elements

Framework elements including systems, policies, procedures, processes, controls and other means that are implemented to mitigate operational risks and protect assets and business processes.

R

registration application fee

A fee paid by all registration applicants prior to their application being evaluated. In the Retail Payment Activities Act (RPAA), this is referred to as the “registration fee.”

registration refusal

Determination by the Bank of Canada that an applicant does not meet the criteria in the Retail Payment Activities Act (RPAA) for registration and is not in scope of the Bank’s ongoing supervision, or should otherwise be refused registration at the Bank’s discretion in certain circumstances.

The Bank’s authority to refuse to register an applicant is set out in:

• paragraphs 48(1)(a)–(g) and subsection 48(2) of the RPAA, and
• subparagraphs 30(b)(i)–(ii) of the Retail Payment Activities Regulations (RPAR).

The Minister of Finance may also issue a directive to the Bank to refuse to register an applicant for any of the reasons cited in section 40 of the RPAA. Where such a directive is issued, the Bank must refuse the applicant pursuant to section 49 of the RPAA.

Such applicants are listed as a refused entity and explicitly notified by the Bank not to perform payment services as they are not registered. The Bank monitors these individuals and entities to ensure their compliance with the registration requirements under section 23 of the RPAA.

registration revocation

Revoking of a payment service provider’s (PSP’s) registration with the Bank of Canada under the Retail Payment Activities Act (RPAA). This action is taken by the Bank for reasons set out in section 52 of the RPAA and section 33 of the Retail Payment Activities Regulations (RPAR) or by the Minister of Finance for reasons set out in subsection 45(1) the RPAA.

The Bank’s authority to revoke a PSP’s registration is set out in subsection 53(2), section 54, subsection 55(1) and subsection 56(1) of the RPAA.

Such applicants are listed as a revoked entity and explicitly notified by the Bank not to perform payment services as they are not registered. The Bank monitors these individuals and entities to ensure their compliance with the registration requirements under section 23 of the RPAA.

registration status

The current status of a payment service provider's (PSP’s) registration: registered, refused or revoked (which also includes ceased). A PSP can have only one registration status. The Bank of Canada sends the PSP a notification of their registration status

registry

A list that the Bank of Canada maintains of registered payment service providers (PSPs). The Bank must make public:

• the name and address of each registered PSP
• any prescribed information in relation to the PSP, the activities it performs or its registration status (as set out in the Retail Payment Activities Act, section 26)

reliability target

Quantifiable measures of the performance level used to assess compliance with a payment service provider’s availability objectives.

Retail Payments Advisory Committee

A forum established by the Bank of Canada to gather industry expertise about the retail payment services landscape, composed of members who perform payment-related activities. Refer to the Retail Payments Advisory Committee's webpage.

risk-based approach

Alignment of supervisory rigour with the nature and amount of risk posed by the payment service provider (PSP) and that PSP’s particular circumstances.

S–U

S

s. 71 compliance agreement

A formal agreement between the Bank of Canada and a payment service provider (PSP) to implement measures to further the PSP’s compliance with the Retail Payment Activities Act and Retail Payment Activities Regulations. This agreement does not involve issuing a notice of violation or an administrative monetary penalty.

safeguarding account

An account that is not used for any other purpose than the safeguarding of end-user funds, as referred to in subsection 20(1) of the Retail Payment Activities Act.

safeguarding-of-funds framework

A written framework that must be established, implemented and maintained by payment service providers (PSPs) to achieve the following objectives, set out in subsection 15(1) of the Retail Payment Activities Regulations:

• end users have reliable access without delay to the end-user funds that are being held by the PSP; and
• end-user funds, or proceeds of the PSP’s insurance or guarantee, are paid to end users as soon as feasible in the event of the PSP's insolvency.

secure and liquid assets

Assets that can be easily and immediately converted into cash at little or no loss of value.

supervisory guideline

Document that clarifies the standards and practices the Bank of Canada expects payment service providers to incorporate into their business operations to meet requirements on:

• managing operational risks
• safeguarding end-user funds
• reporting on incidents and significant changes

supervisory policy

Document that clarifies what the Bank of Canada will do to carry out its supervisory role, including registration and enforcement activities.

T

third party

Parties that a payment service provider (PSP) has a contract with, as well as those that it does not, depending on the PSP’s business arrangements and organizational structure. Examples include:

• third-party service providers
• agents and mandataries
• affiliated entities
• other PSPs
• financial market infrastructures (also known as clearing and settlement systems)

three certainties of trust

Certainty of intention: the person (the payment service provider) transferring the trust property (the end-user funds) does so with the intention that the property be held in trust for a third party (its end users);

Certainty of subject matter: the property that is subject to the trust (the end-users’ funds) is known, and the amount of such property that each end user is entitled to is also known; and

Certainty of objects: it is clear who the beneficiaries of the trust arrangement are (the payment service provider’s end users).

trust account

Any safeguarding account where the use of that account does not compromise the trust arrangement established between the payment service provider and its end users.

trust arrangement

An arrangement between a payment service provider and its end users that establishes and documents in writing a valid express trust, established under Canadian law.

U

ubiquity and interconnectedness

Indicators of the impact that a reduction, deterioration or breakdown of a payment service provider’s (PSP’s) retail payment activities could have on end users and on other PSPs. Information the Bank of Canada would use to establish a PSP’s ubiquity and interconnectedness includes:

• the number of end users to which the PSP provides retail payment activities;
• the value of end-user funds held by the PSP;
• the value of electronic funds transfers in relation to which the PSP performed a retail payment activity;
• the number of electronic funds transfers in relation to which the PSP performed a retail payment activity; and
• the number of PSPs to which the PSP provides retail payment activities.

V–Z

V

valid express trust

A trust arrangement that satisfies the three certainties of trust.