Interac Flash®
Whether it’s a quick trip to the grocery store or your morning cup of coffee, Interac Flash® offers a fast, convenient, and safe way to use your credit union debit card to tap and pay for everyday purchases up to $250 – no PIN required.
How it works
- Look for the Interac Flash® logo or contactless symbol when making a debit purchase
- Hold your card within 4cm of the front of the debit terminal
- Wait for a beep or approval message, letting you know your purchase is complete
The amount of your purchase will be debited from your credit union account.
Benefits for you
- Fast and convenient. Tap and pay on purchases up to $250 (up to a combined maximum of $400) before needing to enter your PIN
- Secure. Purchases are backed by Interac’s Zero Liability Policy, meaning your transactions are protected
Frequently Asked Questions
Have a question about Interac Flash®? Check here for the answer. Don’t see your question? We’re here to help! Contact us for more informationInterac Flash® New Limits
To make it easier to make a wider range of purchases, tap limits are increasing. With the new limits you can now use your credit union debit card to make purchases up to $250, and up to a combined maximum of $400 without needing to enter your PIN.
Before you can tap and pay on purchases up to $250, you will need to make three consecutive debit transactions by inserting your chip and entering your PIN. These can be made at an ATM or POS terminal of your choice.
General Questions
Interac Flash® is a payment technology that allows you to make smaller, everyday purchases simply by holding your credit union debit up to an Interac Flash-enabled POS terminal – no PIN required.
Many retailers accept Interac Flash®. POS terminals will display a contactless symbol to let you know you can tap and pay using your debit card.
Paying with Interac Flash® is easy! When making a payment, simply hold your debit card within a few centimetres of a POS terminal displaying the contactless symbol. You should then hear a beep or see an approval message letting you know your purchase is complete.
Purchases made using Interac Flash® will come from the chequing or savings account that’s designated as primary on your credit union debit card. By default, this is set up as your chequing account. If you don’t have a chequing account, your primary account would be savings.
When it comes to fees, each purchase you make using Interac Flash® is counted the same as a debit transaction, which is important to keep in mind if you pay debit transaction fees on your credit union account. We encourage you to keep track of your transactions and any associated fees by reviewing your account activity regularly and to contact us if you would like to discuss your account package options.
Yes. With Interac Flash®, you can tap and pay to make single purchases up to $250 without needing to enter your PIN. For purchases over $250, you will still be able to insert your debit card and enter your PIN to complete your payment. As an added safeguard, Interac Flash® also has a $400 combined spending limit. This is the sum of all the contactless payments that you’ve made with your card since entering your PIN. When this limit is reached, you will be asked to insert your card and enter your PIN. Entering your PIN will reset your limit so you can continue to use Interac Flash®.
If you experience a situation where a retailer has imposed limits other than the transaction limits listed above, please let us know.
Yes. Interac Flash® uses the latest chip technology and has unique security features that protects each transaction. Payments made using Interac Flash® are covered under Interac’s Zero Liability Policy, which protects you from unauthorized use of your card.
For Interac Flash® to work, a POS terminal would need to be ready to receive a debit transaction and your card would need to be within 4 centimetres of the front of the machine. So, while it’s good to be aware of where your credit union debit card is, it’s very unlikely you could make an accidental payment.
No. Your credit union debit card has security features built into the chip to prevent fraudulent activity like skimming and counterfeiting.