Telpay has a rich, colourful and innovative history.
Its founder and innovative pioneer, W.H. (Bill) Loewen, F.C.A., a Chartered Accountant, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, was raised in the small farming town of Elkhorn, Manitoba. He moved to Winnipeg and along with his wife, Shirley Loewen, became prominent figures in the Winnipeg Arts Community.
In 1968, Bill launched the payroll company, “Comcheq Services”. He computerized the payroll system and turned Comcheq into a national success with 22 branches and 453 workers. In 1985, Telpay was founded as the Research and Development division of Comcheq and pioneered the first telephone bill payment service; hence the name – “Telpay”. In 1990, Loewen was named Manitoba Executive of the Year for his efforts.
In 1992, Comcheq was sold to the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), but retained control of the Telpay division and used it to secure electronic bill payment contracts with many financial institutions, including the National Bank of Canada. In 2004, moving from telephones to the Internet, Telpay was named the “Innovator of the Year” by the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce. In 2005, Telpay received the ‘Distinguished Treasury Award’ from the Treasury Management Association of Canada. In 2007, Loewen was appointed to the Canadian Payments Association Bill Payment Task Force.
In 2020, Bill Loewen retires from Telpay after decades of building and improving the Canadian payments landscape. A Winnipeg Ownership Group acquires Telpay to help take it to the next chapter of growth and innovation.
Today, Telpay’s flagship product is ‘Telpay for Business’, a cloud-based payment platform that enables businesses to direct deposit funds, pay suppliers, CRA Remittances, and make international payments. Proudly based in Winnipeg, Telpay is Canada’s largest independent electronic payment company, processing over $20.2 billion in payments every year.