RBC Interac e-Transfers: Everything you need to know

Individuals with a Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) account have several ways to send and receive money. One of these is Interac e-Transfer, which allows users to send funds quickly and securely without giving out sensitive banking details.

Read on to learn how to use this method with your RBC account. We will also take a look at Wise and how you can use it to send and manage your e-transfers.

Table of Contents

Interac e-Transfer fees at RBC How to send an Interac e-Transfer from RBC New to RBC’s online banking? Sending money to someone who uses online banking Sending money to someone who does not bank online Sending money abroad with Interac e-Transfers How to resend an Interac e-Transfer notice How to cancel an Interac e-Transfer at RBC How to receive an Interac e-Transfer at RBC Receiving an e-Transfer through Autodeposit Receive an e-Transfer through Request Money How to decline an e-Transfer? How to retrieve funds from declined or expired e-Transfers What is RBC’s Interac e-Transfer limit? In conclusion

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Interac e-Transfer fees at RBC

The fees for an Interac e-Transfer depend on your account type. An e-Transfer from a personal chequing account is free, while a personal savings account charges 1 CAD per e-Transfer.

If you own an RBC business deposit account, the bank will charge 1.50 CAD per e-transfer plus an account debit fee if applicable.²

How to send an Interac e-Transfer from RBC

You can easily send an Interac e-Transfer from your RBC account with Online Banking enabled.

New to RBC’s online banking?

If you’re new to RBC’s online banking methods, you can get yourself registered by phone, in person or even online! North American customers can call 1-800-769-2511 or 1-800-661-1275 (TTY) to enroll. If you prefer an in-person setup, visit the nearest RBC branch.

Here are the steps to sign up for Online Banking through RBC’s website.¹ Before you start, have your RBC account number or credit card handy.

1. Visit rbc.com/enrol and pick Myself for the question, “Who do you want to enroll today?” then click Enroll Now.
2. Fill in the information needed, whether it’s your credit card number or account number. Then request an Activation Code via phone or text message.
3. Once you’ve received your code, type it in the box and click Submit.
4. Set your password and username.
5. Click on Continue, then review the Electronic Access Agreement.
6. Continue further to set your Personal Verification Questions. Make sure to enable them as an extra security layer each time you sign in.
7. Lastly, confirm your email address, and click Continue.

Your Online Banking is all set!

Sending money to someone who uses online banking

Now that you’re ready to start sending money, you'll only need the receiver's email address or mobile phone number to start.

1. Log in to your RBC account and access Quick Payments and Transfers on the Accounts Summary page.
2. Click on Interac e-Transfer.
3. Enter your amount and click Submit.
4. Review the terms and conditions, then click Continue.
5. Follow the onscreen instructions and enter the receiver’s information.
6. Click Confirm.

Your recipient will be notified of the e-Transfer by either email or SMS, depending on what information you give.³

Sending money to someone who does not bank online

There are additional steps and an extra service fee for a recipient without online banking. Still, the process is straightforward. Here’s what to do:

1. Go to the Banking tab and select Pay bills and transfer funds.
2. Enter the amount, select the account, and choose Interac e-Transfer from the To: drop-down list.
3. Select the payment date, then Submit.
4. Type in your receiver’s name and email address. Then provide a security question only the recipient can answer.
5. An email confirmation will be automatically sent to the recipient.
6. The email contains instructions on how the recipient will get the funds. They should select Deposit for me and then complete the CertaPay deposit form.

Once they complete the form, the funds will be sent via international wire transfer to a Canadian Financial Institution. This may take 3 to 5 days.⁴

Sending money abroad with Interac e-Transfers

While RBC offers an International Money Transfer service, it’s not available to recipients in Canada. However, you can still send money abroad through Interac e-Transfer.

The process involves initiating payment through online banking and then having the recipient collect it in cash at Western Union. This method can be done in 30 minutes, but Western Union and the SWIFT network will levy fees. These fees include not only transfer fees but also exchange rates which are higher than what you see online.¹³

To avoid these costs, consider using Wise for international Interac e-transfers. Wise saves on international costs using a clever local bank account network. Let’s say you want to send 1,000 CAD to USD. Wise will only charge a nominal fee⁶ for international Interac e-Transfers, while providing you with the mid-market rate you see online!

So, can you e-transfer from Canada to the US with RBC? It is possible through Wise. Instead of sending money to Western Union, Wise allows a sender to transfer money directly to a recipient’s bank account.

Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

How to resend an Interac e-Transfer notice

RBC Royal allows you to send another Interac e-Transfer notice In case your recipient did not receive the e-Transfer confirmation.⁵ Just follow these steps:

1. Access Pay bills and transfer funds from the Banking tab.
2. Go to Payment Historyand cancel the confirmation code of the Interac e-Transfer.
3. Click Resend on the Interac e-Transfer detail page.

How to cancel an Interac e-Transfer at RBC

If you change your mind and want to cancel an Interac e-Transfer, you can do so through Online Banking. Follow these steps⁷:

1. Go to Payment History under Pay Bills and Transfer Funds.
2. Under the history list, select the confirmation code for the e-Transfer.
3. Click Cancel Payment.

Here’s how to cancel an Interac e-Transfer through the RBC app⁸:

1. Tap Move Money.
2. Click Send Interac e-Transfer, then select the History tab.
3. Select the transfer to be canceled, and tap Cancel Transfer.
4. Follow the onscreen instructions from there.

How to receive an Interac e-Transfer at RBC

If sending an e-Transfer is easy, receiving one through your RBC account is almost effortless. You just need to wait for the sender to send you an email or text notification with instructions.

Receiving an e-Transfer through Autodeposit

You can hasten the process with RBC autodeposit e-Transfer. This feature allows e-Transfer funds to be automatically deposited into your account without you needing to answer a security question.

You only need to register an email address or mobile number for an autodeposit. Here’s a brief guide on setting it up⁹:

1. Select Pay bills and transfer funds from the Accounts Summary page.
2. On the left side, click Register for Interac e-Transfer Autodeposit.
3. Follow the instructions from there.

Receive an e-Transfer through Request Money

Another way to accept an e-Transfer automatically is through Request Money. This lets you send a request to someone on your list of Interac e-Transfer recipients. If they accept this request, the funds will be deposited into your account without further steps.

Here’s how to request money through RBC Online Banking¹⁰:

1. Access Pay bills and transfer funds from the Accounts Summary page.
2. Click Request Money, found on the left side of the page.
3. Follow the steps from there.

If you have a Wise account, you can also use the Request Money service. The fees may be lower than if you transfer via RBC.

How to decline an e-Transfer?

Interac e-Transfers are a safe way to send money, but what happens if you don't want the money being sent to you? It's easy enough to decline an e-Transfer.

Just follow the instructions indicated in the email or text notification you received. Once you've successfully answered the security question, you'll find the option to decline the e-Transfer.

If you don’t have online banking, you can contact the sender and inform them that you won’t be accepting the e-Transfer.¹¹

How to retrieve funds from declined or expired e-Transfers

If a receiver declines or fails to accept an e-Transfer, you can still recover the funds by canceling the transaction. See the section on How to cancel an Interac e-Transfer at RBC.

You have 15 days to cancel the transfer after RBC has notified you of its expiry. If you fail to cancel it within that period, RBC will still return the funds to your account but will charge a 5 CAD reclaim fee.⁷

What is RBC’s Interac e-Transfer limit?

Your maximum Interac e-Transfer limit will depend on the Daily Transaction Limits set for your RBC account. RBC doesn’t explicitly reveal the maximum daily limit they offer. Instead, they direct the user to check via Online Banking.

To find out your account’s daily limits for transfers, follow these steps:

1. Access Online Banking.
2. Go to the Account Summary Page, and choose Daily Transaction Limits. Your limits for each transaction will appear in a table.

If you are of legal age, you can also make 3 temporary limit changes in a year. But if you want to change your daily limits permanently, you’d have to contact an RBC Advisor at 1-800-769-2555.¹²

Meanwhile 0.01 CAD is the minimum for RBC e-Transfer limits.²

💡In contrast, Wise’s CAD transfer limits* allow you to send up to 25,000 CAD via Interac e-Transfer.

In conclusion

RBC account owners can send money via Interac e-Transfers for quick, secure transfers. The service allows users to send funds without going through many steps.

To use the feature, you must log into your online or mobile banking and follow the steps provided. Several fees may be associated with international transfers, but using an alternative like Wise can help users save on these fees.

Send money at mid-market rates

Sources:

*Last updated on 27.03.2023

1. Royal Bank of Canada online banking tutorial
2. RBC Interac e-Transfer help center
3. RBC How to Send Interac e-Transfer to someone with online banking
4. RBC Send Interac e-Transfer to someone who doesn’t bank online
5. RBC Resend Interac e-Transfer tutorial
6. Wise Interac e-Transfer CAD to USD
7. RBC Cancel Interac e-Transfer tutorial
8. RBC Mobile App Cancel Interac e-Transfer tutorial
9. RBC Autodeposit tutorial
10. RBC Request Money tutorial
11. Interac e-Transfer help topics
12. RBC Daily Transaction Limits FAQs
13. Western Union additional costs
    Sources last checked on: 30 March 2023