Frequently Asked Questions

You can use your chequing account for day-to-day transactions like making bill payments and transferring money to other people or accounts. A chequing account comes with cheques and a debit card. You can access your chequing account online, through the mobile app and by calling our telephone banking service.

A savings account is an account that earns interest. It’s a great way to save up for a specific goal, like a vacation or a new car, or to ensure you have an emergency fund available when you need it. You can access your savings account online, through the mobile app and by calling our telephone banking service.

Explore our chequing and savings accounts.

You can use our account selector to find the right bank account for you.

Yes. Find out if you're eligible for one of our exclusive offers when you open an account.

You can open a joint account for shared expenses such as groceries and mortgage payments to help simplify your household finances. You can also save for a specific goal you're working towards, like a vacation. Anyone designated as an account holder can carry out transactions in this account.

To open a joint account, make an appointment at the branch.

Interested in learning more? Check out our page about joint accounts.

National Bank is a member of the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation (CDIC). 

Find out which deposits are covered by CDIC on our Deposit Insurance webpage.

Use CDIC's calculator to find out how much of your deposit is insured.

You will receive a debit card when you open a chequing account. You'll be able to set your personal Identification number (PIN) at the branch ABM. If there is no ABM at your branch, you will receive your card and PIN by mail.

Debit card payments using your PIN

The daily limit for debit card transactions is $2,000. Contactless payments are included in the daily limit.

Interac Flash^® contactless payments

The transaction limit for contactless payments is $100.

Withdrawals using your card

You can withdraw up to the maximum limit set for you by the Bank. For more information, call 1-888-835-6281 or contact your National Bank branch.

Yes. You can change the limit for purchases and ABM withdrawals, up to the maximum permitted by the Bank. You can also set different limits for within Canada and abroad. You can also set different limits for within Canada and abroad. You can change these settings in your online bank. Find out more by reading the My online bank FAQ.

These changes will not affect the limits on any other transactions carried out in your bank account, such as money transfers and cheque payments.

If you have a joint account, you can only change the limit for your own debit card. Other account holders will not be affected.

When you receive your card, it will have a rating based on your file. This rating determines the portion of a deposit that you can immediately withdraw. To find out your rating, contact our telephone banking service at 1‑888‑483‑5628 or your National Bank branch.

A credit check is required to increase withdrawal limits. You can request a limit increase by contacting your branch, calling us at 1-888-835-6281 or fill out the form on the Help and contact page of your online bank.

Find out more by reading the My online bank FAQ. 

The $2,000 limit on purchases made with a debit card applies to most National Bank clients. For larger purchases, consider using a line of credit or Mastercard credit card (depending on the approved limit). If you have a joint account, you can also use the debit card for this account.

For purchases that exceed your daily limit, call us at 1 888 835 6281 or contact your National Bank branch to find out what other options are available to you.

Visit a National Bank branch with your card and two pieces of ID (including one photo ID).

Yes. You can change your PIN at a National Bank ABM by selecting “Change my PIN” from the main menu.

Your new debit card is equipped with Interac Flash^® technology, allowing you to pay retailers with a simple tap of your card.

Wherever the Interac Flash^® logo is displayed, simply hold your debit card up to the reader—no more entering your PIN!

Need more info? Find out more.

Effective March 5, 2018, all new debit cards will be equipped with Interac Flash^®. If you already have a National Bank debit card, you’ll receive your new card in the mail in 2020.

Your new card will be active as soon as you receive it, and all the settings on your old card will be transferred automatically to your new one. The first time you use your card to make a payment, you'll have to insert it in the terminal and enter your PIN.

The Connected^TM and The Total^TM chequing accounts offer unlimited electronic transactions, whether through online banking, the mobile app or telephone banking, in stores, or at the ABM.

All our chequing accounts and our savings account can be accessed through your online bank and the National Bank app.

Your new online bank is accessible from all your devices. To sign up, follow these steps: 

1. Go to the new sign-in page for your online bank.
2. Click Create your account.
3. Select one of your National Bank products—debit card, credit card, loan, mortgage or investment account—and follow the instructions.

Download

Find the National Bank app in the App Store or Google Play Store and tap GET (Apple) or Install (Android) to download it.

Sign up

To sign up, open the app, tap Personal, then tap I haven’t created my profile. Tap Sign up to create your profile.

Select one of your National Bank products—debit card, credit card, loan, mortgage or investment account—and follow the instructions.

Having trouble? You can also create a profile by signing in to the old version of your online bank.

Have you already signed up for the new online bank?

If you signed up for the new online bank and using the new email sign-up method, enter your email and password.

If you’re still using the old sign-in method, tap Sign in and enter your debit or credit card number and password. Please note that the new email sign-in method is being rolled out gradually.new online bank, but you’re still using the old version of the app, tap Sign in and enter your debit card number and password. If you’re using the new app, enter your sign-in email and password. 

You can use a PC or Apple Mac, Android smartphone or tablet, iPhone or iPad.

Please note that your device must use iOS 9.3 or Android 5 operating system or later.

Not sure if your browser is compatible with our National Bank online platform? Check out our browsers page.

You can do most of your day-to-day banking online, including:

• pay bills
• transfer funds between accounts
• send money to other National Bank clients
• Interac e-Transfer^®
• view account balance and transaction history
• order cheques
• view National Bank Mastercard account
• order foreign currency
  

Visit the Banking Services page for more information about online and mobile transactions.

The balances shown online for your National Bank accounts, Mastercard credit cards, loans, lines of credit and investments are updated in real time. It may take up to 15 minutes to update transactions for more complex products like accounts at other institutions.

Please note that if you pay a bill from your online bank, your online account balance will automatically reflect the payment (unless the transaction is postdated).

Your Mastercard balance is also updated automatically, but not the transaction. 

Your online bank and the National Bank app are available 24/7.

Bill payments and transfers between accounts or to another person made Monday to Friday before 9 pm (ET) will be processed the same day. 

Transactions submitted after 9 pm, on weekends or holidays will be processed the next business day.

Postdated transactions will be processed early in the morning on the specified date.

These services are free and National Bank does not charge anything to use them. Depending on your service provider, you may be charged data usage or other fees.

Wallet and Apple Pay are pre-installed on all compatible Apple devices. 

If you have an Android phone, simply download the Google Pay App from the Google Play store.

To make mobile payments using a credit card, you must install the latest version of the National bank mobile app. To make mobile payments using a debit card, you must have an email linked to your National Bank account.

Apple Pay

1. Open the Wallet app
2. Sign in to iCloud
3. Tap + in the top right-hand corner of the screen
4. Follow the instructions

Want to make your credit card or debit card your default card? Open the Wallet app, tap and drag the card to the top of the screen or select Default Card and choose the card you would like.
 

To add your card to Apple Pay for your Apple Watch:

1. Open the Watch app on your iPhone and go to the My Watch tab.
2. Tap Wallet & Apple Pay.
3. Tap Add Credit or Debit Card. If you're asked to add the card to iTunes, enter its security code.
4. Tap Next, and accept the terms and conditions.
5. The Bank may ask for additional information to verify your card. When you have the information, go back to Wallet & Apple Pay and tap your card.
6. After the Bank has verified your card, tap Next and start using Apple Pay
    

Google Pay

1. Open the Google Pay app
2. Tap + in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen
3. Follow the instructions

The first card you add to Google Pay will be your default card. If you want to change it:

1. Open the Google Pay app
2. Double-tap the card you want to be the default, then tap Set as default card.
3. Alternatively, drag the card you want to change to the default card to the top of the app's home screen

Note : Please make sure that your card is activated before adding it to your Wallet. If you have a new Flash debit card, it will not be activated until you make your first payment.

It's easy! For transactions of $100 or less, simply press your finger on the Touch ID sensor (or unlock your Android phone) and hold your phone to the terminal. For transactions over $100, you must use your plastic debit or credit card and enter your PIN.

To pay with an Apple Watch, double-click the side button and hold the watch to the terminal.

If you are having problems, we suggest manually entering the digits of your card.

If your debit or credit card or phone is lost or stolen, please call us at 1-888-835 6281.

If your credit card is lost or stolen, please call 1-888-622-2783.

Remember that you are protected by National Bank's Peace of mind Guarantee¹ and Mastercard's Zero Liability policy².

The merchant will issue the refund directly to your phone, so you'll need to bring the phone you used to make the purchase as well as your receipt.

For online purchases made through Apple Pay or Google Pay, contact the merchant's customer support directly.

When you activate your new card, the app will be updated automatically.

If your new card is a different type of card or has a different number, you will need to add it to your Apple Wallet or Google Pay.

Simply remove your Simply remove your credit and/or debit cards from the Wallet or Google Pay app on your old phone, then add them to your new one.

If you've already replaced your phone, an advisor can remove them for you. To remove your debit card, please call us at 1-888-835-6281. To remove your credit card, please dial 1-888-622-2783.

Simply delete your cards from the app. Your physical cards won't be affected.

Apple Pay

In the app, select the card you want to remove and tap Remove Card.

Google Pay

Next to the payment method you want to delete, select Remove (in red).

Google Pay is a new name and look for existing Google payment products. You’ll still be able to pay in stores and online with Google Pay, as you did with Android Pay.

You can use Google Pay or Apple Pay to make credit card purchases outside of Canada. Debit card purchases using Google Pay or Apple Pay are only authorized in Canada.

You will have to enter a one-time activation code to confirm your identity. The 5 minutes lifetime code is sent to the email address recorded in your file or the main cardholder's email address. You can ask for a new code if it expires.

The current debit cards (blue) are being gradually replaced by cards equipped with the Interac Flash^®  feature (red). That is why the cards are now red in Wallet.

We offer several options for bill payments:

1. from your online bank
2. from the National Bank mobile app
3. by phone at 1‑888‑483‑5628
4. at a branch
   

Bill payments are processed in 1 to 2 business days. Take processing times into account when paying bills to avoid any late fees from suppliers.

You can send money directly to another National Bank client or send an Interac e-Transfer^® to someone with an account at a participating Canadian bank. You can transfer money through your online bank or the National Bank mobile app. Please note that fees may apply.

Find out more by reading the My online bank FAQ.

Yes. With Interac^® e-Transfers, you can send money to anyone who has an account at a participating financial institution in Canada via National Bank online or the National Bank app. Fees may apply.

Yes. You can send money to many countries in the European Union using international transfers by Mastercard^® and Interac^®, available on National Bank online. Fees may apply.

Interac e-Transfer^®

1. Sign in to your account.
2. Tap the menu icon in the upper left-hand corner of the screen.
3. Select Transfers and payments, then Transfer to another person.
4. In the Transfer to section, tap New recipient.
5. Enter the recipient's information to add them to the list.
6. Complete the transfer.
   

Transfers to other National Bank clients

1. Sign in to your account.
2. Tap the menu icon in the upper left-hand corner of the screen.
3. Select Transfers and payments, then Transfer to another person.
4. Under Transfer to, select Add a recipient.
5. Enter the recipient's information to add them to the list.
   
6. Complete the transfer.
   

Interac e-Transfer^®

1. Sign in to your account.
2. Tap the menu icon in the upper left-hand corner of the screen.
3. Select Transfers and payments, then Transfer funds.
4. Select To another person.
5. Select Add a recipient.
6. Enter the recipient's information to add them to the list.
7. Complete the transfer.
   

Transfers to other National Bank clients

1. Sign in to your account.
2. Tap the menu icon in the upper left-hand corner of the screen.
3. Select Transfers and payments, then Transfer funds.
4. Select To another person.
5. Select Add a recipient.
6. Enter the recipient's information to add them to the list.
7. Complete the transfer.
   

The limits for sending money are:

• $3,000 per day
• $14,000 per week
• $20,000 per month
  

No, the recipient does not need to be signed up for online or mobile banking.

Interac e-Transfer^®

You can cancel an Interac e-Transfer^® up until the recipient accepts it. If the recipient is signed up for auto-deposit, the funds will be automatically deposited and you will not be able to cancel the transaction.

If you cancel a transfer, the funds will be redeposited to your account. Note that Interac e-Transfer^® fees are applied according to the terms of your account, they won’t be refunded.

Transfers to other National Bank clients

Money is sent to other National Bank clients in real-time. Unfortunately, National Bank cannot cancel nor correct payments once a transfer is sent. Please contact the recipient directly.

Interac e-Transfer^®

The recipient will receive a notification by email or text when the Interac e-Transfer^® has been sent.

Transfers to other National Bank clients

The recipient will receive a notification if you include a message with the transfer and you have entered the recipient's email.

Interac e-Transfer^®

• recipient's full name
• recipient's email and/or cellphone
  

Transfers to other National Bank clients

• recipient's full name
• recipient's account no.
• recipient's transit no.
• recipient's email (if you want them to receive a notification)
  

No. The amount of money you can withdraw from an ABM depends on your withdrawal rating. There is a $3,000 daily limit and $14,000 weekly limit on transfers to other people.

This feature lets you view and download both sides of CAD and USD cheques deposited after February 1, 2011.

 You can access this feature by signing in to your online bank. For more details, please consult the My online bank FAQ.

You can send a wire transfer from any branch. Simply provide the recipient’s bank account, transit and institution number, the address of the receiving branch and the SWIFT code.

We belong to various networks that let you use your debit card when you travel.

Within Canada

• Use your debit card at any ABM with the Interac symbol. The network charges a $2.00 fee in addition to any fees charged by the other financial institution. You can also use your debit card to pay at stores anywhere in Canada.
• You can access your accounts free of charge when you use ABMs with the symbol for THE EXCHANGE network. You will not have to pay a network fee or fees from the other financial institution.

Outside of Canada

• You can use your debit card at merchants that belong to the NYCE and Maestro networks worldwide.
• You can also make a withdrawal from your chequing or savings account at ABMs with the symbol for the Cirrus network. A $5.00 fee is applied by Cirrus, along with any fees charged by the other financial institution.
  

Smart card technology has not been adopted in every part of the world, but you will always be able to make purchases using the magnetic stripe on your card.

No. Your debit card can only be used with CAD accounts.

You can order one of the currencies below for delivery to a branch or post office near you by signing in to your online bank or by using the National Bank mobile app:

• US dollar (USD)
• Euro (EUR)
• Pound sterling (GBP)
• Swiss franc (CHF)
• Mexican peso (MXN)
• Japanese yen (JPY)
• Chinese yuan (CNY)
• Australian dollar (AUD)

For other currencies, please visit a branch to place an order. For more details, consult the My online bank FAQ.

Want to check today's exchange rates? Visit the Exchange rates page.

The daily limit for online currency orders for delivery to a branch or post office is $2,000 and the cumulative weekly limit is $5,000.

Email:

• Do you use online banking? Log in to National Bank online to send an email.
• Haven't signed up yet? Use our secure form.

Instant messaging :

Monday to Friday : 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday to Sunday : 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
m.me/banquenationale

Within Canada and the U.S.

Phone: 

Toll-free: 1-888-835-6281
Montreal area: 514-394-1427

This service is available 24/7.

Elsewhere

Place a collect call

If you are calling from a country that is not on the list of international toll-free numbers, dial an operator and place a collect call to 514-281-3159.

Due to the current situation, the National Bank VIP Lounge at Montréal-Trudeau Airport is closed, until further notice. Thank you for your understanding.