2. FOREWORD
Financial services are changing dramatically and so are payments.
Technology and innovative thinking are enabling tremendous opportunities,
especially in retail payments. Cash and cheques are declining, but more
slowly than we would expect. This is because our payment systems in
Canada have served us relatively well, but our core national payments
infrastructure still needs to be modernized.
In 2016 we developed a vision for a modern payment system that is fast,
flexible and secure, promotes innovation and strengthens Canada's
competitive position. We also published a roadmap for change, and are well
into its implementation. Financial institutions, governments and
stakeholders are all engaged and motivated to make this a success for
Canada.
As we progress through Modernization, it is important to regularly take the
pulse on the attitudes and behaviours of Canadians regarding the increasing
digitization of payment transactions. What is their level of adoption to date?
How do they feel about moving towards a more “paperless” payments
system? In the context of wider technological innovations, how safe and
secure do they feel about new innovations in payments?
As the following Payments Pulse Survey reveals, adoption rates of new
technologies may remain low, but endorsement from early adopters,
openness to change and high anticipation suggest a shift is on the way.
Gerry Gaetz
CEO, Payments Canada
3. METHODOLOGY
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
INSTRUMENT
A survey of 1507 Canadianswas completed online
between March 23rd to April 2nd, 2017 using Leger’s
online panel, LegerWeb.
A probability sample of the same size would yield a
margin of error of +/-2.5%, 19 times out of 20.
ABOUT LEGER’S ONLINE PANEL
Leger’s online panel has approximately 475,000
members nationally – with between 10,000 and
20,000 new members added each month, and has a
retention rate of 90%.
QUALITY CONTROL
Stringent quality assurance measures allow Leger
to achieve the high-quality standards set by the
company. As a result, its methods of data
collection and storage outperform the norms set
by WAPOR (The World Association for Public
Opinion Research). These measures are applied
at every stage of the project: from data collection
to processing, through to analysis. We aim to
answer our clients’ needs with honesty, total
confidentiality, and integrity.
5. KEY FINDINGS
61%
of Canadians like the idea of
change
42%
Of Canadiansare excited about
the future of e-walletsand e-
payments
Have already deposited a cheque using camera or mobile
app:
Yes
27%
No
72% find this to be convenient
97%
Have already uploaded e wallet since it launched in Canada:
Yes
13%No
86% find e-wallet convenient83%
Already store credit card information with app or ecommerce
site:
Yes
41%
No
56%
Are confident that their
credit card information is
secure90%
48% Willing to give up privacy for more
convenient payment methods
Canadians want highly convenient electronic payments
accessible through the internet or your mobile device:
50%
66%
willing to give up cash and coins
willing to give up cheques
27% Willing to pay for more convenient
payment methods
7. When it comes to openness to change, six-in-ten (61%) Canadians like change when
it comes to their daily routine.
Which of the following best describes your
openness to change when it comes to your
daily routine?
11%
50%
34%
4%
2%
I strongly like change
I somewhat like change
I somewhat dislike
change
I strongly dislike change
I don’t know /
I prefer not to answer
Like
change:
61%
55%
58%
66%
University-
Educated
College
High School
Education
Dislike
change:
38%
OPENNESS TO CHANGE
8. FEELING ANXIOUS OR EXCITED ABOUT FUTURE INNOVATIONS
To what extent to do you feel excited or
anxious when it comes to the following:
22%
25%
26%
18%
14%
7%
35%
31%
29%
34%
36%
20%
28%
25%
27%
32%
29%
45%
7%
12%
13%
9%
12%
18%
Very anxious
Somewhat anxious
Don’t know / Prefer not to answer
Somewhat excited
Very excited
Artificially intelligent robotic
workforce
Driverless cities and
highways
Self-driving cars
Artificially intelligent robots
e-wallets and e-payments
Connecting via virtual or
augmented reality to friends
and loved ones
57%
56%
55%
52%
50%
27%
35%
37%
41%
41%
42%
63%
% Excited
%
Anxious
47% vs 31%
49% vs 39%
77% vs 59%
Quebec vs rest of Canada
9. STORING PERSONAL CREDIT CARD INFORMATION WITH A
MOBILE APP OR ONLINE ECOMMERCE SITE
Four-in-ten (41%) Canadians store personal credit card information on a mobile app
or an online ecommerce site. Nearly all (90%) feel confident that the app or service
provider they use will ensure the security of their credit card information.
Do you store personal credit card information
with a mobile app or online ecommerce site?
90%
Yes 37%
38%
48%
Education
Age
University-
Educated
College
High School
Yes
41%
No
56%
57%
51%
37%
31%
22%
18-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+
feel confident that the
app or service provider
you used will ensure
the security and privacy
of your personal credit
card information
10. UPLOADING E-WALLET APP SINCE CANADIAN LAUNCH
More than one-in-ten (13%) Canadians have uploaded an e-wallet app since it has
launched in Canada.
Do you store personal credit card
information with a mobile app or online
ecommerce site?
Yes
13%No
86%
83%
Yes
12%
Find the
e-wallet
convenient
Find the
e-wallet
inconvenient
51%
45%
33%
22%
11%
3%
Not able to make a payment
successfully with e-wallet
/Option wasn’t available
Having to get the app
ready for purchases
Easier to just use
contactless cards
The e-wallet is frequently
unable to complete my
payment
Managing cards on
the e-wallet
Don't know /
Prefer not to answer
What do you find inconvenient about the
e-wallet experience?*
19% 19%
12% 8% 4%
18-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+
Yes
Age
11. DEPOSITING CHEQUES WITH SMARTPHONE CAMERA AND
BANKING APP
Roughly one-quarter (27%) of Canadians have deposited a cheque using their
smartphone’s camera and mobile banking app. Nearly all (97%) find it to be
convenient.
Yes
27%
No
72%
Yes
18-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+
Age
Yes
97%
find depositing a cheque
using their smartphone’s
camera and mobile banking
app to be convenient
44%
34%
25%
16%
10%
24% vs 31%
Have you deposited a cheque using your
smartphone’s camera and mobile banking
app?
12. WILLINGNESS TO GIVE UP PRIVACY FOR MORE CONVENIENT
PAYMENT METHODS
How willing are you to give up some degree
of privacy for more convenient payment
methods?
Canadians have been willing to give up some level of privacy for convenience.
We’ve done it with the growth of smartphones, tablets and mobile apps.
Canadians are split when it comes to their willingness to
give up some level of privacy for convenient payment
systems, with 48% say they are willing and 49% say they
are not willing to give up privacy.
6%
42%
35%
14%
3%
Very willing
Somewhat willing
Not very willing
Not at all willing
I don’t know /
I prefer not to answer
Willing:
48%
Not
willing:
49%
18-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+
Age
Age
40% vs 51%
<$40K $40K-
$59K
$60K-
$79K
$80K-
$99K
$100K
+
56% vs 45%
Income
Willing
62%
54%
40% 46%
34%
47% 48% 47% 45%
60%
13. CASH USED IN A TYPICAL MONTH
On average Canadians use cash roughly 20 times a month totaling slightly more than
$200 per month. Canadians, who do use cash transactions, are split on whether they
would move away from cash to use a more convenient electronic payment method,
with 50% saying they would be willing to do this.
Approximately how much cash do you
use in a typical month?
15%
35%
32%
17%
1%
Very willing
Somewhat willing
Not very willing
Not at all willing
I don’t know /
I prefer not to answer
Willing:
50%
Not
willing:
49%
How willing are you to move completely away from using cash
and coins to highly convenient electronic payments accessible
through your mobile device?
Number of cash
transactions per
month:
Value of cash
transactions per
month:
Average
22
Transactions/
month
$220
/month
14. NUMBER OF CHEQUES WRITTEN IN A MONTH
On average, Canadians are writing 3 cheques a month, totaling roughly $250.
However, four-in-ten (43%) are writing zero cheques a month.
Approximately how much cash do you
use in a typical month?
Number of
cheques written
per month:
Value of cheques
written per
month:
Average
3
cheques/
month
$245
/month
26%
40%
18%
14%
2%
Very willing
Somewhat willing
Not very willing
Not at all willing
I don’t know /
I prefer not to answer
Willing:
66%
Not
willing:
32%
How willing are you to move completely away from using
cheques for highly convenient electronic payments
accessible through the internet or your mobile device?
15. WILLINGNESS TO PAY PER TRANSACTION AND NOT USE
CASH OR CHEQUES FOR ELECTRONIC PAYMENTS
Roughly one-quarter (27%) of Canadians would be willing to pay per transaction to
not have to use cash or cheques, and use an electronic payment that is accessible
through the internet or mobile advice.
To what extent would you be willing to pay per transaction to not
have to use cash or cheques, and use an electronic payment
accessible through the internet or your mobile device?
8%
19%
30%
40%
3%
Not
willing:
70%
Willing:
27%
41% vs 23%25% vs 30% 33% vs 25%
I would be very willing to
pay for that convenience
I would be somewhat
willing to pay for that
convenience
I would not be very
willing to pay for that
convenience
I would not be at all
willing to pay for that
convenience
I don’t know / I prefer not
to answer
16. PERCENTAGE OF SHOPPING DONE ONLINE
On average, Canadians do one-fifth (19%) of their shopping online.
What percentage of your shopping do
you do online?
% of shopping
done online:
Average
19% 18-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+
Age
Age
18% vs 21%
25% vs 17%
<$40K $40K-
$59K
$60K-
$79K
$80K-
$99K
$100K
+
Income
18% 16% 20% 20% 24%
30% 25%
17% 12% 8%
17. COMFORTABLENESS WITH SOMEONE ELSE DEPOSITING
MONEY INTO YOUR ACCOUNT WITHOUT A CONFIRMATION
17%
33%
26%
22%
3%
I would be very comfortable
with such a service
I would be somewhat
comfortable with such a
service
I would not be very
comfortable with such a
service
I would not be comfortable
at all be with such a
service
I don’t know / I prefer not to
answer
Comfortable:
50%
Not
Comfortable:
47%
39% vs 58%
Canadians are split on whether
they would be comfortable with a
person / company depositing
money into their account without
consent, with 50% saying they
would be comfortable and 47%
saying they would not be
comfortable.
Men are significantly more likely
than women (58% vs 39%) to be
comfortable.
Would you be comfortable with a person or company
depositing money into your account without the need
for you to confirm or consent to the transaction?
19. ABOUT PAYMENTS CANADA
Payments Canada ensures that financial transactions in Canada are carried out safely and
securely each day. The organization underpins the Canadian financial system and
economy by owning and operating Canada's payment clearing and settlement
infrastructure, including associated technologies, bylaws, rules and standards. The value of
payments cleared and settled by Payments Canada in 2016 was C$51 trillion, or C$201
billion every business day. These encompass a wide range of payments made by
Canadians and businesses involving inter-bank transactions, including those made with
debit cards, pre-authorized debits, direct deposits, bill payments, wire payments and
cheques.
