As of Oct. 30, 2024, the Financial Consumer Agency of
Canada's (FCAC) updated Code of Conduct for the Payment Card
Industry in Canada (the Code) is in effect. The Code is a set of
policies that govern payment card network operators (PCNOs) that
have agreed to adopt it, which include Visa, Mastercard, Interac,
Amex, Discover, and UnionPay.
The federal government announced on Oct. 1, 2024 that the Code,
originally published in 2015, has been revised to include several
substantive changes intended to promote transparency, strengthen
merchant rights, and increase fairness in the payment card
industry.
What you need to know
1. Expanded scope
The new Code has an expanded scope that now requires downstream
participants, in addition to issuers and acquirers, to comply with
the Code. Downstream participants are defined in the Code as a
person or entity that that (1) has a direct or indirect
relationship with an acquirer; (2) is directly or indirectly
covered by a