Interac and Kijiji are teaming up to introduce verified identity to one of Canada’s largest peer-to-peer marketplaces, adding a new layer of trust to transactions between strangers.
The collaboration integrates Interac Verified® solutions directly into the Kijiji platform, allowing users to confirm their identity before messaging, posting listings, or completing purchases. The move aims to address a longstanding challenge in peer-to-peer commerce: the uncertainty that comes with transacting with unknown individuals.
Kijiji, which hosts more than four million live listings and adds over one million new listings each month, has historically relied on ratings and reviews to build user confidence. The addition of verified identity introduces a complementary trust signal—one that confirms who users are, not just how they’ve behaved in past transactions.
“Trust is the foundation of every transaction on our platform,” said Amanda Zeffiro, General Manager of Kijiji Canada. “Integrating Interac Verified solutions is how we raise that standard, giving Canadians the confidence to transact with people they’ve never met.”
The rollout begins with a verification option tied to participating Canadian financial institutions, enabling users to confirm their identity through Interac’s existing network. Later this year, Kijiji plans to introduce a second method using government-issued ID with liveness checks, offering users additional flexibility depending on their comfort level and the nature of the transaction.
For Interac, the partnership represents an expansion of its trusted payments infrastructure into digital identity. The company’s verification services leverage the same network used by financial institutions and governments, positioning it as a domestic alternative at a time when data sovereignty and privacy are growing concerns.
“Putting verified identity at the moments where millions of Canadians transact is where it makes a real difference,” said Giles Sutherland, Head of Business Development at Interac.
The integration also reflects a broader shift in fintech toward embedding identity verification into everyday digital interactions. In categories like automotive and real estate, where transactions are higher value, verified identity can provide added assurance before commitments are made. In more routine exchanges—such as buying furniture or electronics—it offers an additional layer of safety alongside existing precautions.
Rather than replacing ratings and reviews, Interac Verified is designed to work alongside them. Reputation signals how someone has behaved, while verified identity confirms who they are—together forming a more complete trust framework for online marketplaces.
As peer-to-peer commerce continues to grow in Canada, the partnership positions Kijiji at the forefront of a trend toward identity-enabled transactions, where trust is built not just through feedback, but through verified digital credentials.
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