The same cross-border fees are assessed for Canada-US traffic. For cardholders who travel heavily in both the US and Canada, the best option may be dual accounts using separate cards for each country.
Yes, our Canadian agreements have significant differences, including:
- BIN sponsorship is with National Bank of Canada, or NBC (physical BIN 556344; virtual BIN 556345).
- Negotiation of Canadian agreements must be limited compared to US accounts (e.g., the bank must approve all changes and it is unlikely that the bank will approve significant changes regarding liability or compliance).
- Rebates in Canada are much lower due to the significantly lower interchange structure.
Some key differences include:
- The Canadian dollar is the base currency for settlement, invoices, billing, rebate payments, etc.
- Comdata’s rebate structure is not the same as with US accounts [See #7].
- Credit limits for Canadian accounts are defined at the account code (no global credit limits).
- As an added value for Canadian accounts, we perform tax filtering for GST (Goods and
Services Tax), PST (Provincial Sales Tax), and HST (Harmonized Sales Tax). - The fuel and prompt data is limited in Canada [See #9].
- The card delivery may or may not be delayed by customs, which could add a day to shipping.
- Our capabilities in Fuel Management are limited in Canada. Please discuss options with your Comdata Customer Relations Representative before making commitments.
As stated earlier, this product requires a new agreement specific to Canada and NBC. Also, the Credit Application has been updated to include the requirements for a Canadian customer. For example, if you’re a Canadian business, you must provide your business license and articles of incorporation, if applicable. If you’re a US company seeking to utilize the Comdata Mastercard in Canada, you must provide your Canadian Extra-Provincial License. Also, if you have custom cards, a Canada-specific Affinity Agreement is required.
Mastercard insurance of any kind is not available in Canada. This includes MasterCoverage and the traveler and extended warranty insurance (Guide to Benefits).
No, the Mastercard Easy Savings program in Canada is typically extended to small businesses (companies with 50 or fewer employees and revenue under $10 million).
Canadian fuel merchants typically set high preauthorization amounts (over $100). Some Canadian merchants keep a “domestic BIN list,” in which case they must be contacted directly to add our BIN to their list. If our BIN has not been added to a merchant’s domestic BIN list, drivers will be declined at the pump and must pay inside.
See the table below for interchange rate fees as they apply to enhanced data (level 3 data), Fleet and Large Ticket transactions ($10,000 and above). These rates lower the cost of acceptance for certain transactions on the Mastercard Corporate Card, Purchasing Card and Fleet Card. Rates are applicable by product and will exclude many T&E Merchant Category Codes (MCCs).
| Transaction | Interchange Rate |
|---|---|
| Commercial | 2.00% |
| No enhanced data | 2.00% |
| Data Rate 1 | 1.80% |
| Data Rate 2 | 1.40% |
| Large Ticket | 1.20% |
Data is limited in Canada. Merchants currently do not consistently provide level 3 data as it is still relatively new. Also, see question above.
Yes, virtual card programs are also an option. The Canadian virtual card BIN is 556345.
Yes, Canadian rebates are paid in Canadian dollars.
Yes, our standard for Canada is to issue EMV Chip cards with PIN as the cardholder validation method. Be aware that if the cardholder loses their PIN or enters an incorrect PIN nine times over the lifetime of the card, a new card will be required with a new PIN.
Cardholders at fuel dispensing POS devices may be prompted in English or French, and receipts could be printed in either language. Here are some common French prompts and their translations:
- Pistolet. A gun/fuel pump
- Chit. A signed receipt/note
- Appuyez ici pour un reçu. Press here for a receipt
- Soulever et pistolet. Lift and pump.
Payment terms offered can be the same as those in the US. Customer repayment methods, however, do differ. You can send Comdata a direct deposit or wire funds. We also support Comdata-initiated ACH, but cheque payments are not allowed.
No, not at this time.
Yes, and the only notable difference is that cardholders can request Help and Stop messages in French in addition to English.