Payment schedule
The credit is paid four times a year, in January, April, July, and October. The benefit year runs from July to the following June, so the July payment is both the first payment of a new benefit year and the moment the CRA recalculates your entitlement from your most recent tax return. The October, January, and April payments then repeat the July amount, unless a change in your circumstances triggers a recalculation mid-year.
Confirmed dates
| Payment | Date | Program name shown |
|---|---|---|
| January 2026 quarter | January 5, 2026 | GST/HST credit |
| April 2026 quarter | April 2, 2026 | GST/HST credit |
| July 2026 quarter | July 3, 2026 | Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit |
| October 2026 quarter | October 5, 2026 | Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit |
The dates fall on or just before the 5th of the payment month: when the 5th is a weekend or holiday, the CRA pays on the last business day before it, which is why April 2026 landed on April 2 and July 2026 on July 3. The January and April 2027 quarters complete the July 2026 to June 2027 benefit year; the CRA publishes their exact days on its benefit payment dates page, and your own dates and amounts always appear in CRA My Account. Do not rely on a secondary website's guess for a future exact day — the CRA page is the authority, and this site deliberately does not invent days the CRA has not published.
One past one-off payment, not a fifth quarter
On June 5, 2026, the CRA issued a one-time top-up equal to 50% of the annual GST/HST credit for the July 2025 to June 2026 benefit year, to people who had been entitled to the credit in January 2026 and had filed their 2024 return. It was a transition payment ahead of the July 2026 rename and increase, not a regular quarterly payment, and it does not repeat. If you see a June 2026 deposit on an old statement, that is what it was. Anyone who qualified but had not yet filed could still receive it retroactively once the CRA assessed their 2024 return.
How the money arrives
Direct deposit is the fastest route: the money normally lands on the payment date itself. A cheque takes longer, depending on mail delivery in your area. You can set up or change direct deposit through CRA My Account or through your financial institution. If a payment has not arrived, the CRA asks you to wait 10 business days after the scheduled date before contacting them, because most "missing" payments are mail or processing delays, not lost entitlements. When you do contact the CRA, have your notice of entitlement ready: it shows the annual amount and the quarterly schedule, and it settles most disputes in one call.
The under-$50 rule
If your quarterly entitlement is less than $50, the CRA does not send four small payments. It pays the entire annual amount in a single payment in July. A household entitled to $160 a year, for example, would receive $160 in July and nothing in October, January, or April. This surprises people who expect a quarterly rhythm, and it is the most common reason for a "where is my October payment" question from households near the top of the income scale. The July lump sum is the full entitlement, not a partial payment, and it is not a penalty.
What a payment notice looks like
After your return is assessed, the CRA sends a notice only if you are entitled to the benefit. The notice shows your annual entitlement and your quarterly schedule, and it is sent to your CRA account if you have one, otherwise by mail. If you receive no notice and no payment, the usual explanations are: no return was filed, the return showed income above your household's cut-off, or the CRA does not yet have your current address or banking details. Each has a different fix, and all three are covered on the how to apply page and the FAQ and myths page.