RFB for Credit and Debit Card Acquiring Services

The Province is one of the largest public sector users of credit and debit card acceptance services in Canada. Provincial Ministries collectively process more than 13.7 million card transactions annually, representing over $1.6 billion in value, across a wide range of public services including licensing, permits, registrations, court services, parks services, fines, applications, and other program fees. Card payments are accepted through a diverse set of channels including over-the-counter point of sale terminals, integrated and semi-integrated systems, internet sites, internal payment applications, mail order and telephone order, interactive voice response, kiosks, and seasonal service locations.

At present, approximately 22 Ministries operate 770+ Merchant Locations, supported by roughly 2,060 point of sale devices and more than 60 public-facing websites that accept card payments. Each Ministry operates as a distinct Merchant Chain, settling funds into its own Ministry bank account and maintaining its own Merchant IDs and reporting requirements. The Ontario Financing Authority (OFA) centrally manages the acquiring services contract, merchant configuration, policy, equipment ordering, and relationship with the Acquirer on behalf of all Ministries.

This RFB is intended to establish a long-term, modern acquiring services arrangement that can support the Province’s current scale and complexity while also accommodating future growth, modernization, and regulatory change. The selected Acquirer will be expected to work closely with the OFA, internal service providers, I&IT clusters, and Ministries to implement a phased transition from the incumbent provider and to support ongoing operational, technical, and strategic needs throughout the life of the Agreement.