US Routing Number for Canadian Businesses: How to Receive US Payments

Many Canadian businesses work with US customers, marketplaces, and partners — a Toronto SaaS billing American subscribers, a Vancouver merchant shipping south of the border, a Montreal exporter invoicing US distributors. The revenue often arrives in USD, and how the business collects it shapes both cost and speed.

The friction is that Canadian bank accounts are built around CAD. A USD payment may arrive by wire with fees attached, and a US customer who wants to pay by local ACH can hit a wall because a Canadian account may not accept US domestic transfers. Having US banking details — a routing number and account number — lets those customers pay like a domestic transfer. Digital financial platforms give Canadian companies exactly that, without opening a physical US branch.

What Is a US Routing Number?

A US routing number is a nine-digit code that identifies the financial institution behind a payment within the United States. It is used for ACH transfers, direct deposits, and other domestic US payment flows. Along with the account number, it tells the sending bank exactly where funds should land.

The same number is not used for every payment type. A wire transfer may rely on different details, and an international SWIFT transfer usually does not use a US routing number at all.

Payment Type	Uses Routing Number
ACH transfer	Yes
Direct deposit	Yes
Wire transfer	Sometimes different details
International SWIFT transfer	Usually no

Routing Number vs Account Number

A routing number identifies the bank; an account number identifies the specific business at that bank. Both are needed for an ACH payment to reach the right place. On a US cheque, the routing number is the nine-digit code at the bottom left, the account number sits next to it, and a check number follows.

Routing numbers are also verifiable. The American Bankers Association assigns them, and the first two digits indicate the Federal Reserve district or type of institution. A mismatch between the routing number and the receiving bank is the most common reason an ACH payment fails or lands at the wrong institution — which is why a business should confirm details with its provider before sharing them with a customer.

For a Canadian business, the practical question is not "what is a routing number" but "how do I get US receiving details so my customers can pay me by ACH." The next sections answer that.

Can a Canadian Business Have a US Routing Number?

Yes — a Canadian business can access US banking details, including a routing number and account number, through certain financial providers. The route depends on the type of provider.

Traditional Canadian banks may offer USD accounts, but receiving US domestic ACH through them can be limited. Getting full US banking details often means establishing a US banking relationship, which can involve extra paperwork, a US presence, or additional setup steps that slow a team down.

A US bank account can still make sense when a business needs US credit, loans, or local cheque-writing — services digital platforms generally do not offer — but for the common goal of collecting USD from customers by ACH, a digital account is usually enough on its own.

Digital financial platforms take a different approach. They provide USD receiving details — including a US routing number and account number — so a Canadian company can collect USD by ACH without opening a physical US bank account. The business stays CAD-based for its books, but gains a US-facing collection point for its American customers.

How Digital Platforms Provide US Details

A digital platform does not hand a Canadian business a branch of a US bank. Instead, it provides US receiving details — a routing number and account number — that route payments into the platform's US collection rails, with the business's balance credited behind the scenes. The customer in the US sees a normal domestic transfer; the Canadian business sees USD land in its account.

To open these details, the business completes standard verification (see the setup section below) and selects USD as a receiving currency. Setup is typically a matter of days, not the weeks a US bank relationship can take, and the business keeps its CAD-based books while gaining a US-facing collection point. This is why "get a US routing number" for a Canadian company usually means "open US receiving details with a platform," not "open a US bank branch."

Why Canadian Businesses Need US Banking Details

Canadian businesses feel the gap most when a US customer is ready to pay but the only option is a slow, costly wire. US banking details close that gap — they turn an international payment into a domestic one from the payer's side. The three needs below explain why.

Receive Payments from US Customers

Canadian businesses collect from a mix of US sources: B2B customers paying invoices, online marketplaces that settle in USD, and US clients who simply expect to pay in dollars. Without US receiving details, those payments default to international wires — slower and costlier than a domestic transfer. A Toronto SaaS company billing a thousand US subscribers, for example, would rather its customers pay by ACH like any US vendor than fumble with a foreign wire instruction on every invoice.

Accept ACH Payments

Many US businesses prefer to pay by ACH transfer or other domestic US payment methods. For them, a wire is awkward and a foreign account is unfamiliar. When a Canadian supplier can present US routing and account details, the US customer pays the same way they would pay any domestic vendor — fewer questions, faster settlement.

Compared with an international wire, ACH is typically lower cost and easier for the US customer to initiate. That simplicity often translates into invoices paid on time, because the payer faces no unfamiliar rail and no surprise intermediary fees. For a Canadian exporter sending regular invoices south of the border, that reliability is part of the customer relationship, not just a back-office detail.

Reduce USD Conversion Costs

A Canadian business that receives USD and holds it avoids automatic conversion to CAD on every payment. The flow looks like this:

Receive USD into US receiving details.
Hold the USD balance.
Convert to CAD only when the business needs local currency — for example, to meet Canadian payroll or rent.

Holding USD also lets the business pay dollar-denominated costs, such as US-based suppliers or ad platforms, directly from the balance, skipping a round-trip conversion. The three-step flow — receive USD, hold it, convert when needed — keeps the business in control of both timing and cost, rather than letting the receiving bank decide the conversion on every incoming payment.

How Canadian Businesses Can Receive USD Payments from the US

Option 1: Traditional Bank Account

A Canadian USD account at a familiar bank is the default route for many businesses. It suits companies that already bank with RBC, TD, BMO, or Scotiabank and want USD holding inside that relationship.

Pros:

Familiar banking relationship with an institution the business already uses.
Regulated, established reporting and support.

Cons:

More setup requirements, and US domestic ACH receiving may be limited or unavailable.
Conversion and account fees can apply on incoming funds, and the business may still need a separate platform for US domestic collection.

Option 2: Digital Business Account - PhotonPay

Digital platforms provide a faster path. They issue USD receiving details — a routing number and account number — so US customers can pay by ACH, and they typically support multi-currency holding in one place.

PhotonPay wallet — part of its next-generation payment operating system for businesses operating across markets — helps Canadian companies manage USD collections and international payments through a unified business account solution. It gives a Canadian business US receiving details for ACH collection, holds USD alongside CAD and other currencies, and converts when needed.

USD receiving details — get US routing and account information so US customers can pay by local ACH instead of a wire.
Multi-currency holding — keep USD, CAD, and other balances in one place, reducing unnecessary conversions.
Flexible conversion — convert USD to CAD at a transparent rate when the business needs local currency.
B2B collection — receive from US customers and global partners through local receiving routes.

How to Set Up US Receiving Details as a Canadian Business

Complete Business Verification (KYB)

Opening US receiving details requires the same kind of business verification a bank performs: the company's identity, ownership information, and the nature of the business. This know-your-business (KYB) step is standard for any provider that moves money, and it is also what keeps the service aligned with Canadian anti-money-laundering rules. Having incorporation documents, proof of address, and a description of expected payment flows ready speeds up approval.

Most providers ask for the corporate registration, a director's identification, and evidence of the business address — for example a utility bill or lease. Describing expected monthly volume and customer countries also helps the provider assign the right account type. Preparing these once and reusing them across providers saves time if the business later adds another rail.

Share the Details With Your US Customers

Once details are issued, give customers a clean payment instruction: the US routing number, the account number, the beneficiary name matching your registered business, and a note to send USD (not CAD). Tell them to use ACH for routine payments and reserve wire for larger or one-off transfers. Clear instructions prevent the most common failure — a customer sending the wrong currency or using the wrong rail and triggering fees or delays.

US Routing Number vs SWIFT Code for Canadian Businesses

These two codes solve different problems, and confusing them is a common source of failed payments.

	Routing Number	SWIFT Code
Used for	Domestic US payments	International transfers
Region	US banking system	Global banking network
Common use	ACH	Wire transfer

A routing number routes money inside the United States; a SWIFT code routes it across the global banking network. For collecting from a US customer, US receiving details with a routing number are usually the right tool. For receiving from a non-US country, a SWIFT code (or local receiving details for that market) applies instead.

A practical example makes the difference clear: a Montreal company invoicing a Chicago client. If it shares US receiving details with a routing number, the client pays by ACH and the funds post the same or next business day at a low cost. If it instead only shares a SWIFT code tied to a Canadian account, the client must send an international wire, which can take two business days and carry intermediary fees. The right code depends entirely on where the payer is and which rail they use.

Best Ways for Canadian Businesses to Receive USD Payments

The right choice depends on how often a business bills US customers and how much USD it needs to hold. The table below compares the three main routes on the factors that matter most.

Solution	USD Receiving	ACH Support	Multi Currency
Canadian Bank	Limited	Depends	Limited
US Bank Account	Yes	Yes	Depends
Digital Business Account	Yes	Yes	Yes

A Canadian bank covers holding but may not handle US domestic ACH well. A US bank account does both but adds setup and a separate international banking relationship to manage. A digital business account delivers USD receiving, ACH support, and multi-currency holding from a single CAD-based starting point — which is why it fits businesses that bill US customers regularly.

Common USD Collection Mistakes to Avoid

Sharing CAD details for a USD payment — a US customer cannot always push USD into a CAD account by ACH; the payment bounces or converts at a poor rate.
Forgetting the routing number — an account number alone is not enough for ACH; the routing number tells the US system where to send the funds.
Auto-converting on receipt — accepting USD but converting to CAD automatically loses control over timing and spread.
Mixing up ACH and wire details — these can differ; sending ACH to wire-only details causes failures.

Each of these is avoidable with the right receiving setup and clear customer instructions. The goal is to make paying you feel like paying any US vendor, so the payment lands fast and in the currency you expect.

FAQs About US Routing Numbers for Canadian Businesses

Can a Canadian business get a US routing number?

Yes. A Canadian business can obtain US banking details, including a routing number and account number, through digital financial platforms that provide USD receiving details. This lets US customers pay by ACH without the business opening a physical US bank branch.

Do Canadian companies need a US bank account to receive USD?

Not necessarily. Canadian businesses can use a Canadian USD account or a digital platform that issues US receiving details. A platform that provides a US routing number and account number lets US customers pay by local transfer, avoiding the need for a separate US bank relationship.

Can Canadian businesses receive ACH payments?

Yes, if they have US receiving details. ACH is a US domestic payment method, so a Canadian account that only accepts wires cannot receive it. Digital platforms solve this by issuing local US account information, letting a US customer pay by ACH.

What is the difference between routing number and SWIFT code?

A routing number is used for domestic US payments such as ACH, while a SWIFT code is used for international transfers across the global banking network. They route money in different systems and are not interchangeable.

How can I receive USD payments from US customers in Canada?

You can receive USD through a Canadian USD account, a US bank account, or a digital business account that provides US receiving details. For regular US customers, a digital account with ACH support is usually the fastest and lowest-cost option.