Interac ® Flash FAQs
Tap & Pay in a Flash
Interac® Flash is a secure and convenient payment feature that allows you pay with your Northern Savings MEMBER CARD debit card by simply holding your card over the contactless card reader at a cashier, this is also called “tap.”How do I use Interac Flash?
- When making a purchase in-store for up to $250, look for the Interac Flash logo on contactless terminals at check-out
- When the terminal prompts you for payment, hold your card in front of the terminal
- Wait for the approved message on the terminal
- If not approved, you may need to enter your PIN to reset the tap feature
There are security features in place that help safeguard Interac Flash transactions:
- Interac Flash uses CHIP technology which protects against skimming and fraud. The Flash technology also protects your card from being copied and counterfeited.
- There are also spending limits set on the card. The maximum amount per purchase is $250 when you use Flash. On top of that, there is a cumulative limit. When you’ve reached the $400 limit in purchases using the Tap function, you’ll need to reset this limit by using PIN for your next purchase.
- Northern Savings’ members are protected with the Interac Flash Zero Liability policy. Once you tell us your card has been lost or stolen you won’t be responsible for fraudulent transactions on your card, provided you comply with the Northern Savings Member Agreement and Direct Access Services Agreement, including safeguarding your card and PIN.
Paying for purchases up to $250 at participating retailers is quick and easy. Save time by simply holding your card over the card reader. The card reader will indicate when the transaction has been processed.
On occasion, you may see a "declined" message when tapping your card; in this case, insert your card and enter your Personal Identification Number (PIN).
The card reader at the cashier needs to be enabled for contactless payment, which means you can tap with your Member Card to pay for your purchase. Not every store offers contactless payment yet. Look for the contactless symbol on the card reader.
No, we’ve added the contactless functionality to our cards to make it quicker and easier to pay for purchases up to $250. It’s up to you whether you use contactless or stick to inserting your card and entering your PIN.
You can opt-out of having Interac Flash enabled on your Member Card. Visit or call a Northern Savings branch.
When you get your new card, you must do a PIN initiated transaction to activate the card before the Interac Flash is enabled. Once you have completed a PIN initiated transaction, you can start tapping your card.
You can use Interac Flash when your single purchase is $250 or less and the card reader is enabled for contactless; otherwise, insert your card and enter your PIN.
There is a $400 cumulative spend limit for Interac Flash transactions. This is the sum of all contactless transactions made with the card since the last time you entered your PIN. If a purchase is above the $400 cumulative limit, the card reader will prompt you to insert your card and enter your PIN. This will reset your cumulative spend limit so you can continue to use Interac Flash.
Each merchant has its own maximum limits for Interac Flash transactions and, in some cases, you may need to insert your card and enter your PIN. Some transactions within the limit may require you to insert your card and enter your PIN to protect your card.
There is a $400 cumulative spend limit for Interac Flash transactions. This is the sum of all contactless transactions made with the card since the last time you entered your PIN. If a purchase is above the $400 cumulative limit, the card reader will prompt you to insert your card and enter your PIN. This will reset your cumulative spend limit so you can continue to use Interac Flash.
Each merchant has its own maximum limits for Interac Flash transactions and, in some cases, you may need to insert your card and enter your PIN. Some transactions within the limit may require you to insert your card and enter your PIN to protect your card.
There is no difference in how your transactions appear on your statements based on whether you use Interac Flash or your PIN.
