Online payment services in Canada are third-party services that you can use to pay bills like your utilities or rent. These services can make the bill-paying process easy, convenient, and even rewarding.
Below is a study of the top online payment services, providing all the information required to choose and use the one that works best for you.
The top online payment services in Canada
The main providers in Canada are Plastiq, Chexy, and PaySimply.
How we picked the best online payment services
To evaluate payment services, we analyze over 20 data points to generate a trustworthy Genius Rating. We consider all aspects of an online payment service, including fees, variety of payment options, variety of bills that can be paid, customer satisfaction, and extra perks, to assess its overall value. Then, the payment service’s features are rated based on how they stack up against other available options.
Best online payment service 2025 winner – Plastiq
Credit Card Fee
2.9%
Paypal Fee
N/A
Desktop App?
Mobile App?
Have you ever wanted to pay a bill using a credit card to maximize on some sweet rewards, but find yourself unable to do it directly? Some examples of bills that usually don't have credit card support are income taxes, mortgages, and some utility bills, among others.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Wide variety of accepted payees
- Easy to set up recurring payments
Cons
- Many Canadian payees are not in their system
- Only accepts debit and credit cards as a payment method
- No welcome bonus or rewards program
Provinces
ALL
Eligibility
- Canadian citizen
Why You Want It
Earn your favourite credit card rewards on all purchases + Zero merchant fees.
Special Features
See Issuer for Details
Pay Utilities?
Pay Mobile Bill?
Pay Other Bills?
Pay Income Taxes?
Pay Property Taxes?
Pay Mortgage?
Pay Insurance?
Pay Tuition?
Pay With Credit Card?
Pay With Debit Card?
Pay By Interac E-Transfer?
Pay With Paypal?
Pay In Person?
Credit Card Fee
2.9%
Debit Card Fee Minimum
2.9%
Debit Card Fee Maximum
N/A
Interac E-Transfer Fee
N/A
Paypal Fee
N/A
Security Features
- You have to enter the 3-digit number from the back of your credit card the first time you use it to make a payment
- You can set up optional 2 factor authentication
- You can set a PIN for account recovery in case you ever get locked out
Desktop App?
Mobile App?
Our pick for the best online payment service of 2025 is Plastiq. This service allows you to pay nearly any type of bill with your credit card, enabling you to earn credit card rewards on bill payments.
Plastiq stands out for its ease of use and variety of bills that can be paid with the service.
- Credit cards
- Debit cards
- Bank-to-bank transfers with ACH (Automated Clearing House Network)
- Wire transfers
Fees for these payment types range from 2.9% for debit and credit to $39 for international wire transfers.
Plastiq is especially useful if you need to make recurring payments like rent or insurance. The platform allows you to organize the payment in advance in only a few minutes.
Chexy
Credit Card Fee
1.75%
Paypal Fee
N/A
Desktop App?
Mobile App?
Tired of throwing away your money at ever-growing bill costs every single month? Wish you could get a little something back on the biggest slice of your budget by using your credit card to earn cash back or travel rewards? Thanks to Chexy, now you finally can.
Pros
- Earn credit card rewards on your bills
- No need for your landlord to sign up
- Credit building service
Cons
- Credit card fees can get high (depending how expensive your bills are)
- No option for paying with PayPal
- Lack of a mobile app
- Doesn't accept Canadian Mastercards
Provinces
ALL
Eligibility
N/A
Why You Want It
$10 GeniusCash + Earn cashback or credit card points by paying your rent, bills and taxes + Referral bonuses.Special Features
- Earn cash back or travel rewards, and Aeroplan points on rent, bills, and taxes
- Automated payments & landlord-friendly
- Low fees compared to other services
- Exclusive offers and partnerships (Aeroplan offers)
- Credit-building service add-on
Pay Utilities?
Pay Mobile Bill?
Pay Other Bills?
Pay Income Taxes?
Pay Property Taxes?
Pay Mortgage?
Pay Insurance?
Pay Tuition?
Pay With Credit Card?
Pay With Debit Card?
Pay By Interac E-Transfer?
Pay With Paypal?
Pay In Person?
Credit Card Fee
1.75%
Debit Card Fee Minimum
N/A
Debit Card Fee Maximum
N/A
Interac E-Transfer Fee
N/A
Paypal Fee
N/A
Security Features
See Issuer for Details
Desktop App?
Mobile App?
$10 GeniusCash + Earn cashback or credit card points by paying your rent, bills and taxes + Referral bonuses.Chexy is a payment service where you can pay your rent using a debit or credit card, allowing you to earn rewards on one of your biggest monthly expenses.
It has other perks as well, including a cash back program and referral bonuses.
All you need to do is sign up and connect your chosen card, and Chexy will send an Interac e-Transfer to your landlord, who doesn’t even need to be signed up.
The costs for using Chexy are 1.75% fee for credit card, and $0 for a debit card.
PaySimply
Credit Card Fee
2.5%
Paypal Fee
2.5%
Desktop App?
Mobile App?
PaySimply is a third-party payment processor that allows you to pay things like your income tax with a credit card.
Pros
- Wide variety of payment options
- Able to use PaySimply to pay almost any bill, including your taxes
- Relatively high transaction limits
- Reasonable fees for using the service
- Secure and trusted system
- Both desktop and mobile support
- Designed for and by Canadians
Cons
- Fees for all payment types
- No rewards or other incentives to use the service
Provinces
ALL
Eligibility
- Canadian citizen
Why You Want It
Earn credit card rewards on your bills + Keep all your expenses in one place.
Special Features
- Can pay with Alipay
- Can pay with PayBright Installments
Pay Utilities?
Pay Mobile Bill?
Pay Other Bills?
Pay Income Taxes?
Pay Property Taxes?
Pay Mortgage?
Pay Insurance?
Pay Tuition?
Pay With Credit Card?
Pay With Debit Card?
Pay By Interac E-Transfer?
Pay With Paypal?
Pay In Person?
Credit Card Fee
2.5%
Debit Card Fee Minimum
$3.95
Debit Card Fee Maximum
$7.95
Interac E-Transfer Fee
1%
Paypal Fee
2.5%
Security Features
- You don't have to make an account
- None of your payment information is stored
- All traffic is encrypted
Desktop App?
Mobile App?
PaySimply is a Canadian payment service that offers several options to take care of recurring bills including income taxes and property taxes.
Their payment options include:
- Credit cards
- Interac e-Transfers
- Paypal
- Cash
The fees for such transactions are usually between 1% and 2.5%, with debit card fees ranging from $3.95 to a max of $7.95.
You can easily access PaySimply from your desktop or a mobile device, making it a more convenient, seamless experience. However you access it, the platform is user-friendly and secure, with a wide range of Canadian payees.
If you're concerned about security, you can rest assured that you don't even need to create an account with PaySimply, and as such none of your payment information will be saved in their databases.
What are online payment services?
Payment services allow you to make a payment to a company via a third party rather than directly to the company.
The main benefit: You have multiple payment type choices for paying your bills, instead of the limited options typically offered by the company/site you’re paying. For instance, credit cards, debit cards, Interac e-Transfer, and even PayPal are options available through most payment services.
Other benefits: Using payment services can help you max your credit card rewards since it opens the door for using your credit cards more often. Depending on the card you use, you can earn significant, valuable reward points this way.
The main providers of such services in Canada are PaySimply and Plastiq. These 2 services are even mentioned on this government page as options when making payments to the CRA: Pay through a third-party service provider.
The benefits (and drawbacks) of online payment services in Canada
Payment services can help you earn extra credit card rewards by paying your income and property taxes, but their fees and the lack of Canadian payees are worth consideration.
Let's take a closer look at the pros and cons of these online payment services.
3 pros of payment services
So what are the advantages of using a payment service? Take a look:
1. You can use your credit card to pay for things that usually don't allow it
The main benefit of payment services is that you can use your credit card for recurring bills that usually don't allow it.
Here are some common examples:
- Rent
- Income taxes
- Business taxes
- Various provincial taxes and levies
- Property taxes
- Sewer and water bills
- Tuition
- Student residence fees
- Other student fees
- Electricity bills
2. Max your credit card rewards
Instead of just paying a bill, you can now use your credit card to pay a bill that will earn you rewards in return.
Card types: Most payment services allow all Visa, Mastercard, and Amex credit cards, giving you plenty of choice – but you’ll still have to pay attention to which entities accept Amex payments.
If you really want to maximize your spending, use a credit card that offers rewards with a high flat earn rate.
3. Some let you earn extra rewards on your payments
You can even earn extra rewards from some of these payment services themselves, on top of the rewards your credit or debit card offers.
For example, Plastiq offers "Fee-Free Dollars" through various promotions and referral offers. These can be converted at a one-to-one ratio and used as regular funds when paying bills. This allows you to bypass the transaction fee too.
3 cons of payment services
Here are the things you have to look out for with payment services:
1. Most payments will incur a fee
Fees for payment services usually fall between 2% and 2.85%, which can get pretty costly for some people.
Example: Your credit card offers 2% cash back on every transaction and the payment service has a 2.5% fee. That is a net loss.
Make sure whatever you're earning is worth it for the fees you have to pay.
2. May be a delay before payments go through
You may have to wait a few days before your payment is processed. That’s because you're essentially adding a middleman between you and whatever bill you're paying.
Payment processing times could take between 3 and 5 days, so it's important to make a plan with this timeline in mind. The support can also be deficient at times – for instance, Plastiq doesn't have a support option available through its mobile app.
Since you're usually making important payments, you'll need to put a lot of trust in these companies to get things processed on time.
3. Trusting your money and info to a third party
You're giving sensitive information to these payment services, including credit card numbers, 3-digit CVV security codes, and expiration dates.
Each service has various levels of security to ensure your information's safety, you may not be super comfortable sharing your personal data with a third party.
Editorial Disclaimer: The content here reflects the author's opinion alone, and is not endorsed or sponsored by a bank, credit card issuer, rewards program or other entity. For complete and updated product information please visit the product issuer's website.
FAQ
What is a payment service?
A payment service is a way to pay for something through a third-party service. They can be used for one-time payments or recurring bills and have multiple payment type options. The top 3 in Canada are Plastiq, Chexy, and PaySimply.
Why would I want to use a payment service?
The main appeal is that you can use these services to buy something with your credit card – even if the entity you're paying doesn't normally accept credit cards, like when paying utilitiy bills or the CRA.
Can I earn rewards by using a payment service?
Yes, if you choose to pay via credit card with your payment service, you'll earn whatever points are associated with your card. Other payment types may offer rewards too, but credit cards are the most valuable method.
Are there options for PayPal online payment services?
Yes, many payment services list PayPal as one of the payment type options. This means you can use your PayPal account to pay for bills and services that might not otherwise accept this payment method.
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