Kris Zanuldin (Interac) Growth and Expansion of KONEK

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. With Staples as the first national launch partner, KONEK is set to showcase a smoother checkout and improved customer experience. Looking ahead, Zanuldin expects KONEK to play a major role in Canada’s shift from offline to digital commerce, providing a trusted, lower-cost payment alternative as digital wallets and online retail continue to accelerate. Merchants who are interested in learning more about KONEK can visit KONEK.ca. Interviewed this episode:Kris Zanuldin, head of KONEK at Interac Corp. (Interac),KONEKInterac Corp. (Interac), This podcast is the audio version of the The Interview Series video podcasts by Retail Insider Canada are available through our Retail Insider YouTube Channel where you can subscribe and be notified when new video episodes are available. Subscribe, Rate, and Review our Retail Insider Podcast! Follow Craig:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/CraigPattersonTorontoInstagram: @craig_patterson_torontoTwitter: @RI_EIC Follow Retail Insider:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/Retail-InsiderFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/RetailInsider/Twitter: @RetailInsider_Instagram: @Retail_Insider_Canada Share your thoughts!Drop us a line at [email protected]. You can also rate us in Apple Podcasts or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show!Background Music Credit: Hard Boiled Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/