Canada finally about to get real-time payments, open banking

Core Insights - The Canadian government is implementing a ban on using screen-scraping interfaces for accessing customer data to provide financial services, with a timeline for enforcement to be determined after the Consumer Driven Banking Framework is operational [1] - Canada is set to introduce real-time payments alongside an open banking regime, allowing consumers to share banking information with fintechs and initiate payment transactions from their bank accounts [2] - The Real-Time Rail (RTR) payment system is expected to launch in 2026, following comprehensive testing, and will support faster, irrevocable payments using the ISO 20022 messaging standard [4][6] Regulatory Developments - The Retail Payment Activities Act (RPAA) was introduced to regulate fintechs participating in the payment network, with 1,500 payment service providers (PSPs) supervised by the Bank of Canada as of September 2025 [7] - Amendments to the Canadian Payments Act have expanded membership eligibility for Payments Canada to include registered PSPs, credit unions, and clearing houses, facilitating broader participation in national payment systems [9][11] Industry Impact - The RTR will enable fintechs to access payment rails directly, allowing for competition with traditional financial institutions and enhancing the overall payment ecosystem [10] - Compliance with the RPAA is expected to enhance the credibility of fintechs, enabling them to form partnerships with financial institutions and innovate faster [15][16] Technological Advancements - The RTR will utilize the ISO 20022 financial messaging standard, which is anticipated to improve data accuracy, fraud prevention, and efficiency in payment processing [23][24] - The government is developing a consumer-driven banking framework to allow secure data transfer through APIs, expected to be fully operational by early 2026 [22]