CANADIAN B2B INVOICE GUIDE · UPDATED OCTOBER 2, 2026
Can I text customers about payment in Canada?
A text can be a useful way to ask about an overdue invoice, but the answer depends on who receives it, what it says, your relationship with that customer and the province involved.
The short answer
Yes, in appropriate circumstances. Verify the invoice and mobile contact first. A commercial text can be subject to Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL), which generally requires consent, sender identification and an unsubscribe method. There are fact-specific exceptions, including for some B2B and transaction-related messages. Provincial debt-collection rules can also matter. No app or template makes every text lawful automatically.
The CRTC confirms that commercial SMS falls within CASL and explains the exceptions. This guide concerns a business following up on its own overdue Canadian invoice; collection agencies and assigned debts may face different rules.
How CASL applies to an invoice text
CASL asks whether a message sent to an electronic address has a purpose of encouraging participation in a commercial activity. SMS can qualify. A payment link, an offer of a new plan and the rest of the text all matter; calling it a “reminder” does not settle the question. The CRTC’s FAQ says to examine content, links and contact information.
If the text is a commercial electronic message
Section 6 generally calls for consent, identification of the sender and the person on whose behalf it is sent, a way to contact them, and a working unsubscribe mechanism. Consent may be express or implied. For example, an existing business relationship can support implied consent after a purchase or while a qualifying written contract is in force, subject to the statute’s time limits and any opt-out. Keep evidence of the basis you rely on. See the CRTC’s implied-consent guidance.
A prior transaction may change the consent analysis
CASL section 6(6)(b) removes the consent requirement for a message whose sole purpose is to facilitate, complete or confirm a commercial transaction the recipient previously agreed to enter into. The section does not remove section 6’s identification and unsubscribe requirements. Whether a particular overdue-invoice request qualifies depends on its content and history; adding a new offer can change the analysis. Read section 6 of the Act.
B2B is a conditional exemption
The CRTC describes an exemption from section 6 for messages between representatives of two organizations that have a relationship, when the message concerns the recipient organization’s activities. If those conditions are met, section 6’s consent, identification and unsubscribe requirements do not apply to that message. A business phone number or an employee’s personal acquaintance alone does not establish the exemption. Check the CRTC’s B2B test.
When the classification or contact basis is uncertain, get advice about your message before sending it. The CRTC says the sender bears the burden of proving consent where consent is relied on.
A five-point check before the first text
- 01
Check the invoice
Match the legal customer, invoice number, due date, tax, deposits, credits and payments. If AP is waiting for a purchase order, vendor setup or a corrected invoice, fix that first.
- 02
Check the person and number
Confirm that this is a current mobile contact for the customer and that the person handles this invoice. A work order contact, shared office line or old phone number is not automatically an appropriate payment contact.
- 03
Record your messaging basis
For a commercial text, document the consent or the specific CASL exception you are relying on, including the relationship and dates. A phone number on an invoice is not, by itself, proof of permission for every message.
- 04
Make the text easy to trust
Name your business and any service texting on its behalf. Give a usable contact route and, where CASL section 6 applies, a simple unsubscribe method such as replying STOP. Keep the first message brief enough to avoid exposing private account details on a lock screen.
- 05
Watch replies and stop conditions
Respect an opt-out without delay. If the number is wrong, the payer says they already paid, or the work or amount is disputed, pause payment requests and have a person review the record.
The CRTC describes STOP as an acceptable SMS unsubscribe method and says a covered request must be honoured without delay, no later than 10 business days. ISED recommends clear transaction details and sparing use of texts.
Two short texts to adapt after the checks
These are human-edited examples for your own billing process, not legal-compliance templates or exact RemitRight messages. Replace the placeholders only after verifying the recipient, invoice and contact basis. If section 6 applies, the contact page linked in the text must contain the required sender information and be readily accessible at no cost; review the CRTC’s SMS identification guidance.
First ask about an AP hold
Hi [name], this is [sender] for [business] about invoice [number], due [date]. Is it in your payment queue, or is anything missing? Reach us at [contact page]. Reply STOP to end texts.
After the payer confirms the balance
Thanks for confirming invoice [number]. The agreed balance is [amount]. You can pay through [verified payment link] or tell us if you need to discuss timing. [Business] · [contact page]. Reply STOP to end texts.
Do not add an invented deadline, unagreed interest or a threat of legal action. If the reply is “already paid,” ask for a remittance reference and reconcile it. If it is a dispute, stop automated payment requests and review the work and contract.
Provincial collection rules are not interchangeable
CASL is federal, but provincial collection laws differ in who they cover. These two examples show why one nationwide “safe texting schedule” would be misleading:
Ontario
Ontario’s collection-agency regulation excludes a person collecting a debt for which that person is the original creditor. It also excludes collection of debt from a person other than an individual. Those exclusions are about that provincial collection law; they do not create a CASL exemption for a commercial SMS. See sections 19.6 and 19.7.
British Columbia
BC’s Part 7 applies even to transactions that do not involve a consumer, and defines “collector” broadly as a person attempting to collect a debt. It prohibits harassing contact. A separate regulation exempts a creditor collecting its own debt from Part 7’s section 115 written-notice requirement, not from the whole Part. Read BC’s current Act.
These examples do not determine which law applies to your customer or a third-party collector. Check the relevant province and the exact role of each sender before automating outreach.
Common questions
Do I always need express opt-in before a payment text?
No single answer fits every message. If it is a commercial electronic message, CASL generally requires consent, but valid implied consent may exist through an existing business relationship. A narrow transaction-related exception may remove the consent requirement, and some qualifying B2B messages are exempt from section 6. Check the actual recipient, relationship and message before relying on one.
Is every B2B invoice text exempt from CASL?
No. The CRTC says the B2B exemption depends on a relationship between the organizations, a message between their employees or representatives, and content concerning the recipient organization’s activities. An employee’s personal relationship with your employee is not enough by itself.
Can I text the site contact instead of accounts payable?
First confirm who is responsible for the invoice and whether that number is an appropriate channel. If the customer requires a vendor portal or AP inbox, complete that billing process there. Do not assume the person who approved the work can authorize payment.
Does an unsubscribe request stop collection of the invoice?
It stops the covered electronic messages. It does not erase an agreed invoice or settle a dispute. Record the request, stop texts, and review any other lawful billing channel separately. Under CASL, unsubscribe requests for covered messages must be acted on without delay and within 10 business days at the latest.
Does RemitRight decide whether my text is lawful?
No. RemitRight’s messages identify Remi and the business, and customers can reply STOP. The business must still verify the invoice, recipient and appropriate basis to contact them, and review provincial rules that apply to its situation.
Have one agreed invoice and the right mobile contact?
With RemitRight, you review the invoice and authorize Remi to follow up by text. The customer can pay in full or voluntarily choose a 3- or 5-month plan after seeing the plan fee. You can review the conversation and step in when the issue needs a person.
Review an overdue invoiceNo RemitRight business subscription, setup fee or collection commission. Standard card processing applies; successful payment is not guaranteed.