August 21, 2023

Read All About It!

In February 2024, the next round of Public Lending Right (PLR) payments will be issued to eligible program registrants.

But now for the first time, payments from the PLR Program will be provided by direct deposit to all recipients with an active Canadian bank account. Direct deposit will replace the traditional printed PLR Program cheques and make your payment available to you without postal delays.

Between August 2023 and February 2024, the Canada Council will be sending a direct deposit sign-up email to current PLR Program registrants in order to securely collect the banking information required to provide them with direct deposit payments. To that end, program registrants must agree to provide their banking information.

Note that signing up for direct deposit does not automatically guarantee a payment in February 2024. As usual, payment is based on the results of the annual PLR survey of public library catalogues.

The new direct deposit services will not change the registration and file update procedures of the PLR Program in 2024. Your registration summary, update forms and tax slips will continue to be sent through Canada Post.

What to expect

Starting in August 2023, more than 18,000 active program registrants will receive an email from the PLR Program at the Canada Council for the Arts inviting them to sign up for direct deposit.

In order to reach all eligible registrants, invitations will be sent over several months leading up to February 2024. Please wait to receive your email invitation. We thank you in advance for your cooperation and patience.

To receive an invitation email, your contact information must be up to date. If you need to update your telephone number and email address, click Update Your Contact Information (publiclendingright.ca).

If you accept the invitation, you will be put on a list to receive our secure sign-up email.

When you receive the time-sensitive sign-up email, you will have five (5) days to create a payment account with us and submit your banking information. After successfully submitting your information, you will receive a confirmation email that your PLR account has been updated for direct deposit.

This process will require you to authenticate yourself using multi-factor authentication. Multi-factor authentication uses the home or cell phone number that the Public Lending Right Program has on file for you.

Your banking information will stay on file with the PLR program in the event you are eligible for payment in February 2024 and ensuing years.

Questions and answers

Q: I need to update my current telephone and email information. What should I do?

A: You can update your information at any time. Click Update Your Contact Information (publiclendingright.ca) for more information.

Q: What if I live outside Canada?

A: If you are a Canadian citizen who lives outside Canada, you are encouraged to maintain an active Canadian bank account in order to sign up for the PLR Program’s direct deposit service. All non-resident PLR Program registrants who do not have access to a Canadian bank account will continue to be paid by printed cheque in Canadian funds. There are no plans to provide wire transfer service for the PLR Program in 2024.

Q: What if I do not respond to the initial invitation message right away?

A: The PLR Program strongly encourages recipients to respond to their invitation email without delay, although the invitation will remain valid for weeks afterward.

Q: What about my other PLR documents, such as title earnings summaries, file update forms and tax slips?

A: In 2024, all documents other than payment will be mailed as usual. The goal of the PLR Program is to eventually replace the remaining paper documents with an electronic service delivery and online documents, but these will not be ready in time for the 2024 program payment period.