Receive-only is not full participation.
One fixed-scope sprint that forces the Real-Time Rail send path into the open — fraud, liquidity, Interac and hub impacts, and a 2027 cost envelope a board can fund.
3–4 weeks · Fixed fee quoted after a short scoping call
Who this is for
- Canadian banks, credit unions and PSPs already on or planning RTR receive-only
- Heads of payments, architecture or treasury who know sending is the real programme
- Teams that want a board-ready gap map before 2027, not a vendor connectivity deck
Name the send path. I map the gaps and the funded roadmap around it.
Receive-only creates a false finish line
Canada's Real-Time Rail launch bar is receive-capable. Sending is optional at first. That is useful for a controlled industry start — and dangerous as a strategy. Irrevocable credits, Lynx-linked liquidity, Interac and hub impacts, and 24/7 operations all sit on the send path. Institutions that treat receive-only as done discover those gaps under a deadline. This sprint makes the send path explicit while traffic is still light.
How full participation becomes fundable
- ControlsFraud and irrevocability design for credits you cannot reverse — velocity, beneficiary risk and operating freeze paths, not chargeback habits.
- Operating modelLiquidity and pre-funding through Lynx, Interac and hub interfaces, and honest hours for exceptions and contact centre.
- RoadmapA 2027 cost envelope with owners — receive-only as phase zero, not the finish line.
What you leave with
- Gap assessment from receive-only to sendingNamed platforms, owners and dated gaps on the send path
- Liquidity and pre-funding model through LynxTreasury-visible picture of continuous send peaks
- Fraud and irrevocability controlsControl design for irreversible credits
- Interac, payment hub and core impactsInterface and change map across the stack you already run
- 2027 roadmap and cost envelopeBoard-ready programme shape a CIO and CFO can fund together
How the engagement runs
- Week 1Lock scope, stakeholders and current receive-only posture. Leave with a shared picture of where send, fraud and liquidity break.
- Week 2Map Interac, hub and core impacts; draft fraud and liquidity models. Leave with implementable options, not a vendor brochure.
- Weeks 3–4Package the gap assessment, 2027 roadmap and cost envelope. Leave with a decision-ready readout and a clear sequel into design authority or fractional architect if you want one.
Scope fence
This is payments architecture and operating-model advisory for your institution. I am not a payments scheme operator or a core vendor.
In scope
- Gap assessment and target send-path design
- Fraud, liquidity and operating-model framing
- Interac, hub and core impact mapping
- Board-ready roadmap and cost envelope
Out of scope
- Scheme membership filing or regulatory submissions
- Building or operating payment rails
- Vendor contract negotiation as your agent
- Open-ended discovery with no named deliverables
If you need a vendor to connect a pipe, keep them. If you need the send path named and funded, start here.
What I need from you
- A named owner who can open payments, fraud, treasury and architecture
- Current RTR / Interac / hub diagrams and programme packs — under NDA
- A decision-maker present for the final readout
3–4 weeks · Fixed fee quoted after a short scoping call