The Retail Insider Podcast Network · 2025-11-14 · 19 min
Craig Patterson and Kris Zanuldin , head of KONEK at Interac Corp. (Interac) , discuss how the new Canadian e-commerce payment solution was developed to address key gaps in online checkout experiences. KONEK focuses on accessibility, trust, and convenience - factors Zanuldin says are essential for driving adoption in payments. Built to give Canadians more choice, the system aims to solve pain points around rising payment costs, fraud, and increasingly demanding customer expectations. Zanuldin outlines how KONEK benefits merchants by improving conversion rates while also reducing payment-processing expenses. By working collaboratively with major financial institutions, KONEK enables features like bank-grade fraud protection, liability shift, and a streamlined checkout flow. The platform also tackles cart abandonment by offering customers more payment options, particularly pay-by-bank methods that resonate strongly with Gen Z and trust-conscious shoppers. He also highlights the advantage of a made-in-Canada solution built for Canadian regulations, consumer behavior, and security expectations.
