Eduka generates direct debit files in the Canadian CPA-005 format accepted by Bank of Montreal (BMO), so schools can collect tuition fees directly from families’ bank accounts in Canada.

Why connect Eduka and BMO?

In Canada, pre-authorized debit (PAD) lets schools collect tuition fees directly from families’ bank accounts on each due date. The file sent to the bank follows the Payments Canada CPA-005 standard, a strict fixed-length record format. Without the right tool, it is slow and error-prone to prepare by hand. Eduka produces it directly from the debits prepared in the platform.

How does the integration work?

In the Finance module, the school selects the BMO (Canada) format for its direct debits. The screens then adapt automatically to Canadian banking rules. Eduka generates the CPA-005 file, and the school sends it to BMO through its usual channel. During setup, the school enters the values assigned by the bank, such as the originator ID and the destination data centre. It also produces the test file BMO requires before the first live submission.

What the integration covers

Canadian bank details: bank number, branch (transit) number and account number. Staff can enter or import them, and parents can add them from their portal, subject to validation by the school.
CPA-005 debit file: a file in the format BMO requires, ready to send to the bank.
Authorization form: a PDF debit authorization form generated from the school’s own document template.
Payments: once the debits are validated in Eduka, the matching payments are recorded there.
Returned items: debits returned by the bank can be tracked on a dedicated accounting account.

Built for school finance teams

The BMO integration is part of Eduka’s Finance module, which covers the full billing cycle: fee schedules, invoicing, payments, reminders and reporting. BMO joins the other direct debit formats Eduka supports: SEPA, Westpac PayWay, HSBC, GIRO, eGIRO and SIMT.