Commercial Payments and Accounts
Centralization of Commercial Payments

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is phasing in central payment processing to improve the accuracy and reconciliation of client accounts. The Agency is also encouraging customs brokers and importers to remit their payments electronically, either by online banking or electronic data interchange (EDI). Electronic payment will reduce complex manual adjustment activities, and ensure that your payments to the CBSA are received on time and error free.

Centralizing commercial payments will impact customs brokers and importers who make monthly account payments, i.e. those with Account Security (ASEC), those under the GST Direct Payment Option, or those securing their own goods under the Importer Direct Security Option.

Only interim and monthly payments by customs brokers and importers are being centralized. Payment processes remain unchanged for all other payment types, and Importers' Cash B3 payments and B2 adjustment payments will continue to be accepted at all ports of entry.

Phase Approach

The centralization of payment is being implemented in phases:

  • Phase 1, effective February 25, 2017 (March 2, 2017 payment due date)
    Payments and allocations for a pre-defined list of 31 customs brokers.
  • Phase 2, effective March 25, 2017 (March 31, 2017 payment due date)
    An additional 90 customs brokers began central payments and allocations.
  • Phase 3a, effective April 25, 2017 (May 1, 2017 payment due date)
    An additional 90 customs brokers began central payments and allocations.
  • Phase 3b, effective May 25, 2017 (May 31, 2017 payment due date)
    All remaining customs brokers will begin central payments and allocations
  • Phase 3c, effective June 25, 2017 (June 30, 2017 payment due date)
    All importers making direct payments on their SOA will begin central payments

Payment Instructions

These instructions outline the requirements for sending payments for monthly Statements of Account (SOA) as well as interim payments to the new CBSA Central Payment Processing Centre. It includes instructions relating to:

Section 1 - Sending physical payment packages to the Central Payment Processing Centre

Questions: Please send your questions regarding the centralized payment process to the CARM mailbox using the subject line: Information request / Centralization of Payments Question.

Section 2 – Setting up Electronic Payment

Electronic payment provides a convenient automated solution to ensure that your payments to the CBSA are received on time and error free. This facilitates seamless payment processing and the accuracy of your account by reducing complex manual adjustment activities requiring intervention by both the CBSA and payers.

Note, electronic payments are applied to the account balance and not specific transactions.

The CBSA offers two electronic payment options: 

  1. Online banking
    • Importers making their own monthly payments are able to do so online or by phone through participating financial institutions (FIs). This includes importers making payments for GST under the GST Direct Payment Option or importers who have their own account security and pay their own duties and taxes.
    • To use this option, importers are to visit their FI's web bill payment portal and select:  "CBSA Duties Taxes Fees" or "CBSA Duties, Taxes and Fees" or "Canada Border Services Agency" or "Agence des Services Frontaliers du Canada" as a payee, using their business number (BN15, e.g. 123456789RM0001) as the account number (not the Canada Revenue Agency RT account number). To access the phone option, importers are to contact their FI for initial set-up.
    • Online banking is currently offered by Scotiabank, TD, Banque Nationale, RBC, CIBC and BMO (which includes BMO, Citibank, Bank of America and Tangerine).
    • The CBSA is currently in discussions with other financial institutions regarding EDI and online banking.
  2. Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
    • Clients can use EDI to send their payment and payment instructions to the CBSA.
    • Clients should contact their FI client relationship manager to inquire about setting up and testing the CBSA EDI payment capability.
    • Only CBSA EDI certified FIs are able to offer CBSA EDI payment. This service is currently offered by Scotiabank, TD, Banque Nationale, RBC and BMO (which includes BMO, Citibank, Bank of America and Tangerine).
    • The CBSA is currently in discussions with other financial institutions regarding EDI and online banking.
    • To participate, the client must have a valid Business Number and have tested their data transmission with the participating FI.
    • The EDI Payment Process:
      • The process works through the sending of an EDI 820 remittance advice message. This message is originated by the client and transmitted to their partner FI.
      • The FI withdraws the payment amount in the transmitted EDI 820 from the customs broker bank account and deposits it in the CBSA EPAY account at that particular FI (this is considered the date and time of payment).
      • The FI then sends the EDI 820 remittance advice to the CBSA who confirms receipt.
      • The CBSA system posts the payment in the remittance advice to the accounts specified (CBSA payment allocation rules apply).

Payment cut-off times are determined by each FI. Clients using the EDI payment method are responsible for knowing and adhering to their FI's EDI cut-off time in order to avoid late payment. If you have concerns about the cut-off times for your FI contact the CARM mailbox.

Payment Confirmation

There are five sources of information to confirm that the CBSA has received your payment:

CBSA Payee Name on Internet Bank Sites

The following are the confirmed names that appear on internet banking sites:

Contacts

Clients paying centrally can send enquiries related to Daily Notices (DN) and monthly Statements of Account (SOA) to Client support contact form: Canada Border Services Agency.

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