Payment cost comparison
Card, Interac e-Transfer, EFT, wire, a USD stablecoin and a native crypto-asset, compared on the same volume: fees, FX spread, settlement time, money in transit and dispute exposure. Every assumption is editable.
Your business
Rails to compare
Assumptions
Illustrative defaults reviewed October 30, 2026. Replace them with your processor statement, bank fee schedule or provider quote.
Credit card (online)
Blended processor rate for card-not-present sales. Eligible small businesses may see lower interchange since October 19, 2024; your statement shows what you actually pay.
Interac e-Transfer for business
Per-transfer business fee varies by bank and plan. Domestic payers with Canadian bank accounts only.
EFT / pre-authorized debit
Batch bank payments. Returns (NSF, stopped payments) behave like disputes in this model.
Wire transfer
Incoming wire fee charged to the recipient; intermediary bank deductions can add more on international wires.
USD stablecoin (self-hosted wallet)
A USD-referenced token: a CAD business converts every payment to CAD. On-chain transfer is fast; the bank withdrawal sets settlement.
Native crypto-asset via payment processor
Price moves between payment and conversion create exposure unless the processor converts instantly.
BlockchainPayments.ca payment cost comparison, assumptions reviewed October 30, 2026. Illustrative planning inputs, not quotes.
All-in rate by rail
All-in rate = cash costs plus the carrying cost of money in transit, divided by monthly volume.
Monthly ledger
| Rail | Fees | FX / conversion | Network + off-ramp | Disputes | Cash cost | Effective | Settles in | In transit | Float cost | Price exposure* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stablecoin | $0 | $500 | $271 | $0 | $771 | 1.54% | 1.4 days | $2,333 | $16 | $2 |
| EFT† | $416 | $188 | $0 | $154 | $758 | 1.52% | 4 days | $6,650 | $44 | — |
| e-Transfer† | $745 | $188 | $0 | $52 | $984 | 1.97% | 0.4 days | $700 | $5 | — |
| On-chain | $500 | $0 | $1,000 | $0 | $1,500 | 3.00% | 1.4 days | $2,333 | $16 | $136 |
| Card | $1,425 | $188 | $0 | $202 | $1,815 | 3.63% | 2.8 days | $4,667 | $31 | — |
| Wire | $7,292 | $150 | $0 | $0 | $7,442 | 14.88% | 2.8 days | $4,667 | $31 | — |
* One-sided 95% price move on assets awaiting conversion, from the daily volatility assumption. It is a risk measure, not a cost, and is excluded from totals. † Domestic-only rail: payers outside Canada are costed on the fallback rail (Card).
One payment, every rail
Excludes monthly fees, disputes and float. Domestic-only rails are shown at their domestic cost even when the payer is abroad; check they can pay that way at all.
A low effective rate is only half the story. Irreversible rails remove chargebacks but also your customers’ dispute rights; stablecoin and crypto receipts add CRA record-keeping and, depending on your model, FINTRAC questions. See stablecoins vs cards, FINTRAC MSB rules and GST/HST on crypto payments.
How to use it
- Enter monthly volume, average payment and the share of payers outside Canada.
- Open each rail’s assumptions and replace them with your statements or quotes.
- Read the ledger: cash cost, effective rate, money in transit and float cost.
- Export the table as CSV, or print to PDF for your records.
Default values are illustrative planning inputs reviewed October 30, 2026, not market data or any provider’s pricing. Replace them with your own statements. This tool is educational and is not financial, legal or tax advice.
Keep going
Want a second look at your numbers?
Describe your scenario and MITEY will review it with you by email. Free and educational; we do not sell or process payments.
Request a scenario review