If an Interac e-Transfer has not arrived, the sender should check the transfer record and the recipient should check the expected receiving account. If those records do not settle the question, contact the financial institution through its official app, website or number on your card. Interac directs transfer issues to your financial institution; it says it does not hold or trace the money.
First, separate the notice from the deposit
An email or text about an e-Transfer is a notification, not the money itself. Interac explains that the notification and the movement of funds are separate. Check the relevant bank account's transaction history before treating a message as confirmation that money arrived. If a notice is unexpected, verify the transfer with the person you know using a contact route you already trust, rather than a number or link in the message. RBC also recommends an independent, known channel before acting on a transfer request.
The next check depends on how the recipient receives transfers. With Autodeposit, money goes to the account designated for that email address or mobile number. Without it, the recipient follows the instructions to deposit through their financial institution. Check the designated account or the deposit step that applies to you; an inbox alone cannot answer whether the deposit is there. Interac's receiving guide describes both paths.
If you sent the transfer
Open the transfer's detail in your own banking app or online banking. Note the exact wording and time shown there, the amount, the destination email address or mobile number, and the transfer reference if one appears. Ask the recipient, through a known channel, whether they checked the account linked to that address or number. Do not infer from a generic status label that their account received the money: institutions can show different labels and screens.
If the record and the recipient's account still disagree, ask your financial institution to investigate that specific transfer. Use the details you recorded so the bank can identify it. Interac says delivery can depend on the financial institution and may take 30 minutes; that general timing does not establish what happened to your transfer.
If you expected to receive it
Check the account designated for Autodeposit, or the deposit path you normally use. If nothing appears, ask the sender to confirm the address or number they entered and to check their transfer record. If you received a notice but no deposit, tell your financial institution exactly that. Describe which account or deposit step you checked and when, and provide the transfer reference if the sender can share it. You can also ask the sender to contact their financial institution about the sending record.
When you contact a bank, bring the transfer details noted above and say what each person has checked. Share sensitive banking details only through the institution's official support route. Do not put a security answer in an email or text; Interac warns against that. These checks prepare a useful inquiry; they cannot diagnose the cause or promise when the money will arrive.
If this leaves a bill due before incoming money is available, our payday and bill calendar guide can help you put the dates in one place. Romii is coming soon in Ontario, and applications are not open. You can join the Romii waitlist for launch updates. Romii cannot trace or release an e-Transfer.