What vSaaS leaders should know before expanding to Canada with Pamela Draper

For US-based vertical SaaS platforms, expanding into Canada can seem straightforward at the start. 

It’s English-speaking, geographically close, and a natural first international market. However, the operational reality is far more complex than most software platforms expect, particularly when it comes to payments infrastructure, compliance requirements, and regulations. 

In this episode, Pamela Draper, President of Digital Commerce Payments joined host Joshua Silver, Founder and CEO of Rainforest to break down everything platforms need to know about building payments in Canada such as navigating different payment rails, the Retail Payment Activities Act and why boots on the ground matter.

They discussed:

• Why Canada requires direct regulatory registration
• Canada's different payment rails including Interac e-Transfer, EFT, and the Real-Time Rail
• What the Retail Payment Activities Act (RPAA) means for payment service providers
• How to navigate the non-negotiable regulatory relationships and compliance requirements
• Why AI won’t replace payments, and how embedded fintech strengthens SaaS businesses

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