We’re Here For You.
At Peoples Group, we appreciate your business and are dedicated to building long and satisfying relationships with our merchants. We understand that concerns may arise and we provide the following detailed process to assist you in reporting and resolving any concerns you may have, including concerns about a particular element of the Code of Conduct.
Code of Conduct for the Payment Industry in Canada
In August 2010, the Code of Conduct for the Payment Card Industry in Canada (Code of Conduct) was adopted by all payment card networks. The Code of Conduct sets out requirements to promote fair business practices and to ensure that merchants understand the costs and benefits associated with credit and debit cards. The FCAC supervises payment card network operators to monitor their compliance with the Code of Conduct.
Merchant Dispute Resolution Process
Step 1: Contact your Service Provider
If you are a merchant of Peoples Group and have a concern pertaining to the Code of Conduct, please contact the Service Provider named in your merchant agreement, as the Service Provider will have the necessary details and will be in the best position to address your concern. Your Service Provider will acknowledge receipt of your concern within 5 business days, review the issue and will work with you to determine a resolution within 20 business days. Please refer to your merchant statement for your Service Provider’s contact information.
Step 2: Contact Peoples Group Merchant Acquiring
If the Service Provider is unable to resolve the situation to your satisfaction, you may escalate your concern to the Merchant Acquiring Department at Peoples Group by contacting us toll-free at 877-374-9444 or by filling out the online Contact Us form. You may also download the attached Peoples Group Merchant Concern form and return it by mail, email or fax using the following contact information: (Ensure to include any supporting documents like agreements, statements, etc.)
Merchant Acquiring
Peoples Group
Suite 1310 – 95 Wellington Street W.
Toronto (Ontario) M5J 2N7
Email: [email protected]
Fax: 416-642-1550
Upon contacting Peoples Group, we will acknowledge receipt of your concern within 5 business days and open an investigation. Please provide all information that will assist us to efficiently investigate your issue. We will review your submission and do our best to resolve the issue within 20 business days.
We will provide periodic updates regarding the case until resolution. At any time during the process, you can obtain an up-to-date status of your concern, including which step in the process your concern is in and what the next step is, by calling us at 877-374-9444.
Our Merchant Acquiring department will provide a resolution within 20 business days of receiving the merchant concern, along with:
- A summary of the concern;
- The final result of the investigation;
- Explanation of the proposed resolution; and
- Information on how to further escalate the dispute in the event of an unsatisfactory outcome, along with the appropriate form(s).
We will endeavour to provide a written reply within 20 business days from the date of your concern is sent to the Service Provider. If we cannot provide a resolution within 20 business days from receiving your concern or 20 business days from the date you sent your concern from the Service Provider, you will be informed of the delay, the reason for the delay, and the expected response time.
Step 3: Escalate to Peoples Group Complaints Officer
If after step 2 your concern is not resolved to your satisfaction, you can escalate to the Peoples Group Complaints Officer. You may do so by telephone or by putting your updated concern in writing and delivering it by mail, facsimile, or e-mail to our Complaints Officer at:
Complaints Officer
Peoples Group
Suite 1400 – 888 Dunsmuir Street
Vancouver, BC
V6C 3K4
Call Toll-free: 855-683-2881
Fax: 604-331-3469
Email: [email protected]
Initially, we will write to you within 5 business days to let you know we have received your correspondence and provide you with the name of the Complaints Officer who will:
- Investigate your problem;
- Take any necessary action; and
- Ensure you receive a written reply within 20 business days along with:
- A summary of the concern;
- The final result of the investigation;
- Explanation of the proposed resolution; and
- Information on how to further escalate the concern in the event of an unsatisfactory outcome, along with the appropriate form(s).
We will endeavour to provide a written reply within 20 business days from the date of your concern is sent to the Service Provider. If we cannot provide a resolution within 20 business days from receiving your concern or 20 business days from the date you sent your concern from the Service Provider, you will be informed of the delay, the reason for the delay, and the expected response time.
Step 4: Contact Payment Card Networks and/or Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC)
If your concern relates to a potential Code violation, and you have been through steps 1 through 3 and are not satisfied with the complaint resolution provided by Peoples Group or you have not received a final response within 20 business days, you may direct your concern to the payment card network(s) (e.g. Visa*, Mastercard ®, or Interac ®) or FCAC.
–To Contact the Payment Card Network(s):
Payment card network(s) enable acceptance of credit and/or debit cards bearing the network’s brand by providing connections between merchants, acquirers and financial institutions that issue payment cards. Payment card networks that choose to adopt the Code of Conduct are required to ensure compliance by their participants, including acquirers.
To contact the payment card networks that Peoples Group participates in please visit their Code of Conduct-related web pages listed below:
Visa* – http://www.visa.ca/merchant/code-of-conduct/index.jsp
Mastercard ® – http://www.mastercard.com/ca/company/en/codeconduct.html
Interac ® – https://www.interac.ca/en/merchant-resources/complaint-handling-process
–To Contact the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada
The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) supervises federally regulated financial institutions to ensure that they comply with federal consumer protection laws. The FCAC also helps educate consumers, and it monitors industry codes of conduct and public commitments designed to protect the interests of consumers. If you have a public commitment, or an industry code of conduct, you may communicate your concern – at any time – to the FCAC, either in person, by letter, by telephone, or through its website at:
Financial Consumer Agency of Canada
6th Floor, Enterprise Building
427 Laurier Ave. West
Ottawa, ON
K1R 1B9
Call Toll-free: 866-461-3222
Email: [email protected]
Visit FCAC Website: www.fcac-acfc.gc.ca
