Here are some frequently asked questions that we hope will answer many of your questions. These questions and answers are grouped into Service and Billing categories. If you still have questions related to our service, send us an email at [email protected]
Why was this service created?
Our vision for this service was to create a data platform that would make users more efficient, more compliant and reduce the number of rejections. The more time that users spend in their application without the requirement to go another website to get data, the more efficient they are. All CFIA AIRS data is at their fingertips.
Should I still use the CFIA Website?
We recommend that you continue to have the CFIA AIRS Website link handy. They are still the ultimate word on what data elements are needed for that CCI Line and Commodity. That being said, we have done our absolute best that you can rely on the data from the AirsAvs+ service. We strive for over 99% compliance.
How do I access this service?
This service is accessed through APIs. This allows your system administrators to integrate directly with the data and never have to worry about loading this information locally since this data is frequently changing. When you access the data from the API, its always going to be the latest dataset with all of the supporting tables.
What will developers need to integrate with AirsAvs+?
Your developers will need to grab a copy of the API Documentation available here on the website. With this guide they can choose the language that they need (cURL, JavaScript, NodeJS, PHP, Ruby, Phyton, Powershell just to name a few) and familiarize themselves with the many samples that are posted in the documentation. A development environment has been created so developers can test all of their integration against a subset of data.
I want to sign up for this service, so where do I start?
To begin using the service, fill out the Contact Us form and you will receive an assigned username and password. Once you have credentials, you will login to the AirsAvs+ Portal where you can manage your account and subscribe to the desired package that fits your business needs.
How much time can I expect to save using your service?
Time studies have shown, it takes an average of 30 seconds to find the CFIA AIRS data needed for any given commodity. That’s considering that you are certain that the commodity is subject to AIRS data. Our service allows you to query the harmonized code to be able to get an immediate response if AIRS data is needed. If it is required, the service guides you through all of the decisions that impact the Registration Data. These decisions include the OGD Extension, Country of Origin, Destination Province, End Use and Misc ID. Our service guides the user through the process without ever needing to leave the application.
How is this service different than the AIRS Verification Service?
This service is fundamentally different than AVS. AVS was created to support AIRS data retrieved manually from the CFIA Website. What is great about AVS is that its able to tell you if you have something wrong in your data. AirsAvs+ builds upon both of these concepts and builds them into a single service. The data validations, decisions and registration from the CFIA website, combined with real-time validation – the best of both worlds together!
Is data available in French?
Yes it is! When you request data from the service you are able to specify if you want to interact with the service in French. Canada is a bilingual country so we wanted to ensure that those companies and users that want to have French as their default language are able to do so.
How do you calculate the number of Queries or Transactions?
Great question! Not all CFIA requirements are the same. Not all Transactions are the same. Therefore, the amount of automated queries is a combination of approximately 3 API calls per CFIA line and the number of CCI lines validated over the billing period. We use this as a guide so you can choose the best package that fits your needs. In actuality, the Entry package includes 11,000 calls, Economy is 55,000, Enterprise is 185,000 and Enterprise+ 525,000. This roughly translates to our 3,000, 15,000, 60,000 and 200,000 figures respectively. Actual number of CFIA lines varies by usage since the most simple CFIA requirements may only need 1 API call while other more complicated scenarios may need up 7.
As a benchmark, the Entry package will allow you to validate 7,000 CCI lines from which 1,000 have CFIA data that the user will use the AirsAvs+ data to determine the CFIA requirements over the course of a single billing period.
What happens if we need more Queries than our package allows?
If you have more queries than what you originally subscribed to, we will automatically top up your package so that your service is never shut off. If there are multiple months that this occurs, we suggest that you subscribe to a package that better suits your actual usage.
How do you handle monthly payments?
All of our payments are handled through Stripe. Stripe sets the global standard for secure online transaction processing. For more info see stripe.com.
What if I don’t like the service, can I cancel?
Absolutely. Our service comes with a 30 day money back guarantee. This means that you can sign up for our service today and test it for the next month. You will only be billed for your usage at the end of the billing period. If you aren’t satisfied with the service you can cancel before your first billing.
What is the Multi Site Access Option?
For subscribers that desire to use this service for multiple sites, Enterprise and Enterprise+ packages give you the ability to re-use your subscription credentials per solution provider. In essence, if you have multiple installations of the same software with the same service provider, your subscription credentials can be used across multiple installations. If you have two installations utilizing two different solution providers, two separate subscriptions will be required.