How Canadian MSB Can Open RPAA-Compliant Accounts: Segregated, Trust, and Fiduciary Options for FINTRAC and Bank of Canada Compliance
As of March 2025, Money Services Businesses (MSB) in Canada must navigate a dual regulatory framework enforced by the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) and the Retail Payments Activities Act (RPAA), overseen by the Bank of Canada. Under RPAA, MSB offering retail payment services—such as money transfers, currency exchange, or cryptocurrency wallets—must safeguard client funds in segregated accounts, trust accounts, or fiduciary accounts. Simultaneously, FINTRAC mandates registration and compliance with anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CTF) rules. For MSB, this means partnering with financial institutions to open RPAA-compliant accounts that align with FINTRAC obligations.
