As of July 10, 2025, cheque cashing businesses are reporting entities under the PCMLTFA. If you cash cheques for clients as a business activity, you now have the same core compliance obligations as banks, MSBs, and other regulated entities.
This is a significant regulatory change. Many cheque cashing businesses have never had formal AML compliance programs. If you are in this category, you need to act now to build your compliance infrastructure before FINTRAC begins examining your operations.
If you are not already registered, you must register as a reporting entity with FINTRAC. Registration is a prerequisite for meeting your other obligations.
You must identify and verify the identity of clients using reliable, independent source documents. This applies to every transaction at or above prescribed thresholds.
Keep records of transactions, client identification, and any reports filed for at least five years.
You need a written compliance program that includes policies and procedures, a designated compliance officer, a risk assessment, and an ongoing training plan for your staff.
Cheque cashing services handle significant volumes of cash and serve clients who may not use traditional banking. This profile carries inherent AML risk:
Upload your daily transaction data. Comply+ identifies every cash transaction at or above the reporting threshold, aggregates transactions by client within 24 hours, and generates pre-filled LCTRs for direct submission to FINTRAC.
Our aiSTR technology monitors for structuring patterns, unusually large transactions, and other risk indicators that are common in cheque cashing operations.
Comply+ maintains a searchable database of client identification records linked to their transaction history. This satisfies your record-keeping obligations and simplifies FINTRAC examinations.
Start with a platform that organizes your reports, records, and audit trail from day one. Comply+ gives you the infrastructure your compliance program needs.
Your FINTRAC obligations are new, but they are not optional. Getting compliant now, before enforcement begins, is the most cost-effective approach. Comply+ helps you build that foundation quickly.
FINTRAC enforcement is intensifying. Recent penalties demonstrate that compliance failures result in significant financial consequences, with Bill C-2 increasing maximum penalties to $20 million for entities.
FINTRAC has imposed significant Administrative Monetary Penalties (AMPs) for compliance failures across multiple sectors.
December 2025 — Toronto, Ontario
Multiple compliance failures including no effective compliance regime, no proper risk assessment, and failures to submit EFT and LCT reports.
Read case studyDecember 2025 — Foreign MSB (Seychelles)
Failed to submit STRs for transactions with exposure to darknet marketplaces, sanctioned entities, and child sexual abuse material.
Read case studyOctober 2025 — British Columbia
2,593 violations including 1,068 unreported STRs, 1,518 unreported LVCTRs, and failure to comply with Ministerial Directive on Iran.
Read case studySeptember 2025 — Foreign MSB (Seychelles)
Unregistered foreign MSB, 2,952 unreported LVCTRs, and 33 unreported STRs linked to darknet marketplaces and illicit chemical trade.
Read case studyUnder Bill C-2 (tabled June 2025), maximum Administrative Monetary Penalties would increase dramatically:
Purpose-built for Canadian FINTRAC compliance. Automate reporting, reduce risk, and scale your operations.
Handle all FINTRAC transaction types with automated LCTR, LVCTR, EFTR, and STR detection and submission. Our system identifies reportable transactions across cash, virtual currency, and electronic funds transfers.
Our proprietary aiSTR™ technology automatically flags suspicious transactions and drafts FINTRAC-compliant narratives. Reduce false positives and ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
Scale your operations without increasing compliance overhead. Automate reporting workflows to handle growth from hundreds to thousands of transactions per month.
From batch uploads to direct FINTRAC submission — everything you need in one platform
Submit reports directly to FINTRAC securely. No need to log in to the FINTRAC website — everything is handled within Comply+.
For fully connected databases, enable autopilot for automatic submission of LCTRs, LVCTRs, and EFTRs. Our proprietary aiSTR™ technology handles suspicious transaction detection, requiring manual review only for STRs.
For non-connected databases, upload a CSV of transactions. Automatically detect required reports and generate draft LCTRs, LVCTRs, EFTRs, and STRs with AI-powered analysis.
Our proprietary aiSTR™ technology automatically flags high-risk transactions and drafts narratives aligned with FINTRAC risk indicators. You retain full control with manual overrides.
Maintain complete customer and location data with direct integrations to providers like SumSub. Reports auto-populate with existing records.
Create and save draft reports — including AI-generated STR narratives — for later completion. Work at your own pace with automatic data preservation.
Add STR extensions to existing reports (LCTR/LVCTR/EFTR/CDR) with one click. Fill only additional fields — no separate forms.
Risk Detection Settings
Recommended STR filing
Advanced risk flagging via AI. Machine learning flags suspicious transaction patterns — reducing false positives and helping teams act faster on STRs.
Direct Slack integration for no login STR review/submissions
Maximize risk detection with custom set, and AI-driven risk indicators
Set your risk indicator weightings, or let aiSTR optimize detection
Generate higher accuracy through reinforced learning
In 30 minutes, walk through how Comply+ helps you move from transaction data to draft reports, STR review with your team, and FINTRAC API submission without logging into the Web Reporting System (FWR) for each filing.
Upload a CSV or connect your system and see how Comply+ helps surface reportable activity for LCTR, LVCTR, EFTR, and CDR workflows.
See how aiSTR™ supports narrative drafts and how your team reviews and decides what is filed.
Follow submission through FINTRAC's API and where confirmations and status live in Comply+.
Enter your work email. We will open the calendar to schedule your demo.
Disclaimer
This page is provided for general informational purposes only and reflects our interpretation and opinions based on publicly available information at the time of writing. It does not constitute legal advice, financial advice, regulatory guidance, or a substitute for professional counsel. Reporting entities and businesses subject to FINTRAC obligations should consult qualified legal and compliance advisors before making decisions relating to FINTRAC, AML obligations, or compliance requirements.