Interac e-Transfer Requests are subject to amount limits that are set outside ATB Invoicing. This article explains what happens when an invoice is above your business's Interac request limit, and how to make sure your customer can still pay.
Where the limits come from
Two kinds of limits can affect an Interac e-Transfer Request:
- Your business's request limit. Your business can only request up to a certain amount per Interac e-Transfer Request. This limit is set by your account terms, not by ATB Invoicing.
- Your customer's sending limits. Your customer's bank sets how much they can send by Interac e-Transfer, per transfer and per day. ATB Invoicing cannot see these limits.
ATB Invoicing does not set or display a dollar limit. It finds out that an amount is too high only when it tries to create the request.
What happens when you send a high-value invoice
ATB Invoicing creates the Interac request at the moment you send the invoice. If the amount is above your business's request limit, one of two things happens.
The invoice has other payment methods attached
The invoice is sent without Interac e-Transfer. ATB Invoicing removes the Interac option from the invoice and shows the message Sent without Interac e-Transfer. Your customer can pay with the other methods on the invoice, such as EFT or cheque.
Interac e-Transfer is the only payment method
The invoice is not sent. ATB Invoicing shows the message: "This amount is above your business's Interac e-Transfer request limit. Add another payment option, then send." Edit the invoice, select Edit payment options, add another method, and send again.
Tip. For large invoices, attach EFT (Direct Deposit) alongside Interac e-Transfer. If Interac cannot be used, the invoice still goes out with a working payment method.
When the customer's bank declines the transfer
An invoice can be within your business's limit but still above what your customer is allowed to send. In this case, the request is created, but the customer's bank declines the transfer. After you select Refresh on the invoice, the Interac status shows Declined.
ATB Invoicing does not receive the reason for a decline. Ask your customer to check with their bank. Their options usually include:
- Asking their bank to raise their Interac e-Transfer limit, then paying again.
- Paying with another method on the invoice, such as EFT or cheque.
If the customer raises their limit, select Issue new payment request in the Interac e-Transfer panel, then resend the invoice so they have a fresh link. See What to do if you're not receiving a client's payment.
