Why an Interac e-Transfer fails or comes back

The short answer

An Interac e-Transfer comes back for a few common reasons. The security answer was typed differently. The email was wrong. Or the money came from a bank account that is not in your name. In each case, your bank gives the money back to you.

The fix is simple. Copy every detail from the Cowris screen, pay from your own bank account, and make a new transfer if a payment was returned. This guide shows how.

How an e-Transfer to Cowris works

When you send Canadian dollars to Nigeria with Cowris, you pay by Interac e-Transfer from your own bank app. The Cowris screen is called Pay by Interac e-Transfer. It gives you four things to copy:

• Amount. Send exactly this amount. Not more and not less.
• Send to email. The email address to send the e-Transfer to.
• Security answer, with the security question in brackets. Use these if your bank asks you to set a question and answer.
• Message. Your transfer code. Paste it in the Interac message box. This is how we match your payment to your transfer.

Each line has a Copy button. The screen shows how many lines you copied.

For the full payment steps, see our guide to sending money to Nigeria with Interac e-Transfer.

The common reasons a payment comes back

1. The security answer does not match

Some banks ask you to set a security question and answer for each e-Transfer. If the answer you type is different from the one on the Cowris screen, the payment can fail.

How to avoid it: tap Copy on the security answer line and paste it. Do not type it from memory. Always use what is on your screen.

2. The email address is wrong

If the e-Transfer goes to the wrong email, it does not reach us. One wrong letter is enough.

How to avoid it: copy the email from the screen. On your first transfer, the screen shows First time? Save Cowris as a contact. Add Cowris as a contact in your bank app with the email shown. Then tap Done, I've saved it. Next time, you pick Cowris from your contacts.

3. The money came from someone else's account

Send the money from your own bank account, in your own name. The name on the bank account must be the same as the name on your Cowris account.

Do not pay from a friend's, family member's or company's account. If the names do not match, we may hold your transfer while our team checks it.

How to avoid it: use your own bank account. Use your legal name when you sign up, the same name as on your ID.

If your e-Transfer was returned

Do not panic. Your bank gives the money back to you. Follow these steps.

1. Check your bank. Make sure the money is back in your account.
2. Do not tap "I've sent it" for a returned payment. That button tells us to watch for your money. A returned payment will not arrive.
3. Make a new transfer. Start again in Cowris. Copy every detail from the new screen. Pay from your own bank account.
4. If your money was taken and you do not see it back, email help@cowris.com with a screenshot of the payment from your bank.

If the payment did not come back but is not matched

Sometimes a payment leaves your bank but does not show as received. We match each payment with three things: the amount, the transfer code in the message, and the name of the sender.

1. Check that you sent exactly the amount shown.
2. Check that the transfer code was in the Interac message.
3. Check that you paid from your own bank account.
4. Tap I've sent it if you have not. We keep watching for your payment.
5. Wait a few minutes. Bank transfers can take a little time to reach us.
6. Still waiting? Email help@cowris.com with your transfer code, a screenshot or receipt of your payment, the amount and the time.

Do not pay a second time.

If you forgot the transfer code

The code in the message is how we match your money to your transfer. If you left it out, do not send the money again.

Email help@cowris.com at once. Include your transfer code, the amount, the time you paid and a screenshot of the payment from your bank. Our team will try to match your payment by hand.

To find your code again, open Transactions, tap your transfer, and tap Pay now or See payment details. The code is on the Message line. It is also in the email we sent you when you started the transfer.

A checklist before you tap send in your bank app

Use this list each time:

• The amount is exactly the amount on the Cowris screen.
• The email is copied, or you picked the saved Cowris contact.
• The security question and answer are copied exactly.
• The transfer code is pasted in the message box.
• You are paying from your own bank account, in your own name.

Then go back to Cowris and tap I've sent it. You see "We're watching for your payment".

Check your recipient too

A returned e-Transfer is about your side of the payment. The other side matters too. Before you pay, check your recipient's bank and 10-digit account number. Cowris looks up the account and shows the account name. Make sure it is the right person.

Read more: how to check a Nigerian bank account before you send money.

The rate and fees

There are zero fees on every Cowris route. See the current rate in the app. Your rate is held for up to 60 minutes once you start a transfer.