Rules for the Automated Clearing and Settlement System (ACSS) updated, effective April 28, 2025
Updates enhance clarity, reflect current practices and support ongoing modernization.
Payments Canada's latest updates to ACSS rules support several key initiatives including improvements to bill payment incident management, tracing facilities and the treatment of funds transfer pre-authorized debits (PADs). Specifically, amendments to ACSS Rules E3, F1 and F4 enhance the handling of bill payment errors by clarifying participant responsibilities when responding to error correction debit requests and improve overall consistency in incident resolution processes.
Rules F1 and F4 have also been updated to support more efficient tracing of payment transactions, which will help participants locate and investigate payments more effectively.
Rule H1 had been revised to reflect current operational practices related to funds transfer PADs and to maintain consistency across the broader rule set.
The next batch of comprehensive refinements of the ACSS rules will also come into effect. This initiative includes editorial amendments to a wide range of rules (E1, E2, E3, E4, E5, F1, F4, F8, G2, G3, G4, G7, G8, G9, G12, H1, H2, H3, H5 and H6). These changes aim to modernize language used throughout the ACSS rules and improve overall clarity and consistency. These updates are considered administrative in nature.
Lastly, Payments Canada received a request from Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) late in 2024 to add a new AFT Transaction Code Standard 007 to support the distribution of Canada Disability Payments to Canadians. This amendment and new code will take effect July 1, 2025.
Rules, standards and by-laws are reviewed and, if necessary, amended through processes that involve Payments Canada members, the Bank of Canada, the Payments Canada Board of Directors, the Department of Finance and the Department of Justice, as required.
For full versions of amendments and rules and to learn more about Payments Canada’s rules, by-laws and the amendment or development process, please visit our Rules and documentation webpage.
