Getting paid in Canada is easier than in most markets, provided you understand one thing: a small business pays you like a person, and a large company pays you like a supplier. Those are two completely different timelines.

Interac for small clients

For a neighbourhood business or a small ecommerce brand, an Interac transfer on delivery is normal and fast. Ask for it, confirm the email address in writing, and send the invoice anyway even when the payment is instant. The invoice is what makes it a business transaction.

Large clients have a circuit

A mid sized or large company will onboard you as a supplier, with forms and payment terms of thirty or sixty days from receipt of the invoice. It is not avoidance, it is their process. Ask at the start how long payment takes so you do not plan your month around money that arrives two months later.

Cross border payments

For American or European clients, agree who covers the transfer fees before starting. The sentence that solves it is simple: the agreed amount is what must land in your account. Without it, the fees quietly come out of your fee.

A deposit is normal on larger jobs

Asking for a percentage upfront on a multi video project is standard professional practice, not distrust. It also filters out the clients who were never going to pay. For a new client, delivering final quality only after payment is a reasonable protection.

What to write before filming

Amount and currency, who covers fees, payment term, revisions included, and rights with channels and duration. Five lines in a message are enough. Most unpaid work happens to creators who skipped that message, not to those who asked for too much.

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Frequently asked questions

How do small clients pay?

Usually Interac transfer on delivery.

Why is a big company slow?

Supplier terms of thirty or sixty days.

Who pays the transfer fees?

The client, if you write it down first.

Should I ask for a deposit?

On larger jobs, yes.