Where to Complain About a Transfer in Canada

Who handles a transfer complaint in Canada

There is no single federal office that handles every complaint about an international money transfer from Canada. The correct route depends on the provider you used and the problem you have. A fee dispute, a delayed payment, and a suspected scam each follow a different path.

Federal responsibilities are split. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada supervises consumer protection rules for federally regulated financial institutions. FINTRAC registers money services businesses and enforces anti-money-laundering obligations. The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions supervises financial soundness. None of these bodies recovers money for an individual customer.

Suspected fraud goes to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. Some services fall under provincial consumer protection law instead, and the relevant provincial consumer affairs office can confirm which rules apply.

Step one: complain to the provider

Start with the provider. Every licensed money services business and federally regulated bank should have a written complaint procedure. Ask for it or find it on the provider's website, then follow the steps it sets out. Using the official channel creates a reference number and a dated record.

Put the complaint in writing. Include the transfer date, amount and currencies, the exchange rate applied, all fees, the payment reference number, and the outcome you want. Attach receipts, statements, and copies of any messages exchanged with the provider.

Complaint policies set their own filing deadlines and response targets, so read the policy for exact periods. If the answer does not resolve the issue, request a final response letter, because external bodies normally require one before they will review a complaint.

• Transfer receipt and payment reference number
• Exchange rate and fees as charged
• Emails, chat logs, or call notes
• The provider's final response letter

Step two: escalate to an external complaints body

Federally regulated banks in Canada must belong to an external complaints body approved by the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada. If the bank's internal process does not resolve your complaint, that body can review it independently. The service is free to consumers, and decisions can be binding on the bank.

Deadlines apply. You must usually bring the complaint to the external body within a set period after the bank's final response. The body and the bank both publish that period, so confirm it before filing. Missing the deadline can end the process.

The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada does not resolve individual disputes. It supervises how federally regulated institutions follow consumer protection rules and can act on patterns of problems. The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions supervises safety and soundness, not customer service.

Where FINTRAC fits, and where it does not

FINTRAC is Canada's financial intelligence unit and anti-money-laundering regulator. It registers money services businesses, including foreign businesses with agents in Canada, and requires them to verify clients, keep records, and report certain transactions and suspicious activity.

FINTRAC does not order refunds, reverse transfers, or settle fee disputes between a customer and a business. Reporting a business to FINTRAC is about compliance with the law. You can check whether a business is registered on FINTRAC's money services business pages.

Reporting suspected fraud

If you sent money to a scammer, report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. The centre collects reports and shares intelligence with police, but it is not a recovery service and does not return funds to victims.

Act quickly, and tell your bank or provider and your local police. If you paid by card, ask the card issuer about a chargeback. Completed bank transfers and cash-based transfers are generally final, which is why the provider's complaint process matters. Be wary of anyone who offers to recover lost money for an upfront fee.

Complaints about a postal money order

Some international payments from Canada are sent as money orders bought at a post office. If the complaint concerns the money order itself, such as a lost, stolen, or uncashed order, the postal operator's money services process applies.

Keep the purchase receipt and the money order number. They prove the purchase and speed up a trace or refund request. Replacement rules, refunds, and time limits are set out on the postal operator's money services pages.

How to verify current rules and figures

Rules, deadlines, and rates change over time. Read the current page at the source instead of relying on a summary. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada's sending money page covers consumer rights and complaint routes. FINTRAC's money services business section covers registration and reporting duties.

For exchange rates, the Bank of Canada publishes daily reference rates and a currency converter that anyone can check. Regulator pages usually show a last-updated date. If that date is old, or a rule is unclear, contact the regulator or the external complaints body directly and keep a copy of the reply.