Technology refresh of Canada’s retail batch payments system is now complete

Payments Canada has completed a refresh to the technology that underpins Canada’s retail batch payments system, also known as the Automated Clearing Settlement System (ACSS), in collaboration with IBM Canada, our technology partner. This refresh also includes the US Bulk Exchange (USBE), which runs parallel to the retail system. 

The upgrades to the ACSS and USBE applications ensure the retail system continues to remain safe, sound and efficient while delivering to our members a more streamlined and simplified user experience. This work is in addition to Payments Canada’s implementation of our multi-system payments Modernization initiative aimed at transforming Canada's payments ecosystem.

About Canada’s retail batch payments system 

Built in 1984, the retail system -- one of Canada’s Prominent Payment Systems -- clears close to 33 million transactions on an average business day. This includes the vast majority of Payments Canada payment items (both paper-based and electronic). 

To learn more about our systems, visit the systems and rules section of our website.