How to sell to customers in Canada

How people pay online

• Credit cards remained the most common payment method for online purchases in Canada in 2025. 1
• Credit cards accounted for 43% of total payment volume in Canada in 2025. 1
• E-commerce made up 6.1% of total retail sales in Canada in 2025, and 58% of Canadians made an online purchase in a given month. 1

Taking payments from abroad

• Stripe accounts in Canada and the US can accept Canadian pre-authorized debit (PAD) from customers with Canadian bank accounts, in CAD or USD. 2
• Stripe's Afterpay is generally available only for domestic sales (cross-border is in private preview); Canadian Pay in 4 covers CAD 1 to 2,000. 3
• On Stripe, a business outside the EEA, UK and Switzerland can accept Klarna only from customers in its own country, so Klarna for Canadian shoppers needs a Canadian Stripe account; Canadian Pay in 4 covers CAD 1 to 1,500. 4

Import tax and duty on parcels

• Courier shipments of goods not from the US or Mexico have duties and taxes remitted only when the value for duty is CAD 20 or less. 5
• Under CUSMA, qualifying goods from the US or Mexico are free of duty up to CAD 150 and free of taxes up to CAD 40. 6
• Items sent by mail worth CAD 20 or less pay no duty or tax; above that, duty, GST or HST and any PST apply to the full value. 7
• A non-resident vendor selling goods already in Canada, such as stock in a fulfillment warehouse, must register for GST/HST once those sales exceed CAD 30,000 over any 12-month period (rules in effect since July 1, 2021). 8

Where to reach buyers

• YouTube ads reached 33.0 million users in Canada in late 2025, equal to 82.1% of the population. 9
• Facebook ads reached 24.6 million users in Canada (61.2% of the population) and Instagram ads 21.0 million (52.2%) in late 2025. 9
• TikTok ads reached 16.6 million Canadian adults aged 18 and above in late 2025, 50.6% of all adults. 9

Common questions

1. How do people in Canada pay online?

   Credit cards remained the most common payment method for online purchases in Canada in 2025. More on payments

2. Can a business outside Canada accept the payment methods people there use?

   Stripe accounts in Canada and the US can accept Canadian pre-authorized debit (PAD) from customers with Canadian bank accounts, in CAD or USD. More on taking payments

3. Do customers in Canada pay import tax or duty on goods bought from abroad?

   Courier shipments of goods not from the US or Mexico have duties and taxes remitted only when the value for duty is CAD 20 or less. More on import tax

4. Where should a business advertise to reach buyers in Canada?

   YouTube ads reached 33.0 million users in Canada in late 2025, equal to 82.1% of the population. More on ads