A new initiative called Canada Certified is being launched in the Flathead Valley to allow business owners to accept Canadian debit cards.

The integrated program, announced Wednesday by NXGEN Payment Services, the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce and The Daily Inter Lake, will enable local businesses to accept Canadian Interac PIN debit cards, print out credit-card transactions in Canadian dollars and promote participating retailers to consumers in the key Canadian markets of Lethbridge and Cranbrook, according to Deb Coulson, executive director of marketing and strategy for NXGEN.

NXGEN, headquartered in Whitefish, offers a number of business services such as credit card processing.

Flathead Valley retailers often have had to ask Canadian customers to pay in cash or with a credit card instead of letting them pay in the way many prefer — the Canadian Interac PIN Debit Card, Coulson said.

“Interac is the payment choice throughout much of Canada because it is so entrenched with major reward programs,” she said. “The truth is, when people can’t conveniently pay the way they prefer, the result is often that they choose to spend less than they might otherwise. We owe it to our retailers and our cross-border visitors to take down those hurdles and make it easy.”

Canada Certified is one of the first tangible initiatives of the Building Bridges to Canada effort sponsored by Montana West Economic Development and the Whitefish and Kalispell Convention and Visitors bureaus, said Kim Morisaki, manager of client development and resources for Montana West.

“Through our committee work, we are looking to spur initiatives that create win-wins and Canada Certified exemplifies that goal,” Morisaki said.

Building Bridges to Canada began in May following a presentation by University of Lethbridge economics instructor Donna Townley that identified the challenges Flathead businesses face in serving Canadian customers.

It’s estimated by local economic development leaders that up to 60 percent of retail revenue that flows into the Flathead Valley comes from Canadians.

“Canadian visitors are a large segment of the nonresident travelers that visit the Flathead Valley and as such are very important to our local economy particularly for hotels and retailers,” said Diane Medler, director of the Kalispell Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Anything we can do to make our Canadian visitors feel welcome will serve to increase the number of visits and length of stay.”

Retailers who choose to participate in Canada Certified will receive free window decals to display. The decals will signify that a business can accept Interac PIN debit cards, Coulson said.

Participating retailers also will have the opportunity to be part of a special advertising supplement produced by the Daily Inter Lake that will be inserted in the Lethbridge Herald in early February and delivered to 10,000 residents in Cranbrook.

Coulson said social media will be used to promote Canada Certified and further expand consumer awareness and merchant impact in the coming weeks.

Any retailer is eligible to participate in Canada Certified. For details, email bstrodtbeck@nxgen.com or call 730-7649.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.