MyCreds at University of Waterloo

MyCreds.ca

Quick links: Using the MyCreds Learner Portal | Share credits | Authenticity of transcripts | Digital official transcripts


The University of Waterloo has partnered with MyCredsTM, a leading digital credential expert and platform for certifying, sharing, and verifying academic credentials. MyCreds is owned by the Association of Registrars of the Universities and Colleges of Canada (ARUCC). It is a national credential wallet for post-secondary learners that has been created by Canadian higher education leadership.

The wallet provides you with access to view and share your digitized and portable post-secondary transcripts anytime, anywhere. Documents issued through the network are authentic, tamper-evident, and legally valid. Payment may be required to access certain documents (e.g., transcripts).

Below are some of the most commonly asked questions about MyCreds and digital transcripts. For further information including detailed videos on how to use the MyCreds platform, visit the MyCreds website.

If you have any further questions regarding your transcript on MyCreds, please email askthecentre@uwaterloo.ca for assistance.

Using the MyCreds Learner portal

How do I sign in?

If you have the email notification you received from MyCreds when the document was issued: Follow the link in the email notification and use your Waterloo username (email) and password.

If you no longer have the email notification you received from MyCreds please allow 1 business day for processing and then:

  1. Navigate to the MyCreds.ca sign in page.
  2. Use the Sign in with your Education Provider button and select University of Waterloo from the list. 
    Sign in with your education provider
  3. You will be prompted to use your Waterloo username (email) and password.

​​​​​​​Note if it is your first time using the MyCreds Learner portal: You will be prompted to register for a MyCreds account. You will also need to set up Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) with your mobile phone. To add or update your mobile number select Account Settings in the top right corner.

How do I share my digital transcript with a third-party recipient?

You can begin to share your digital transcript once you receive a confirmation email that your digital transcript is available. From the MyCreds Learner portal, after you have purchased share credits, you can share your digital transcript with a recipient by selecting the SHARE button.

Share

You will be asked to complete the document sharing form (details outlined below).

Once complete, the recipient will receive an email notification from MyCreds that includes your name, indicating that you have shared a document with them. The recipient will click on the link provided in this email notification to view your transcript. The recipient will also be able to download your transcript.

How do I complete the document sharing form?

There are two main sharing options:

  • Option 1: “Email”
    • Use this option to share it with employers, institutions not listed in Option 2, other third-parties, or to download a copy for your own records.
  • Option 2: “Organisation”
    • Use this option if the institution you are sending it to is listed in the Recipient field (i.e., they also use MyCreds).
    • The fields that will need to be completed will vary by institution.

To complete the form, note the following:

  • Share name (optional): The name you choose will be visible only to yourself in the Documents and Sharing tabs within the Learner portal (will not be seen by the recipient of your share).
  • Purpose of share (optional): A simple note about why you are sharing the document with this recipient.
  • Recipient email (required): The email address you want your transcript to be sent to.
  • Reference (optional): Visible to the recipient, this might be a note they’ve asked you to provide with your transcript.
  • Access PIN (optional): Creating a PIN means that the recipient will also need the PIN to view your transcript. It is your responsibility to provide the PIN to your recipient.
  • Expiry date (optional): Entering an expiry date means that the recipient can only access your document before the entered date. You can change the expiry date after the share if an extension is needed.

Can I assign an expiry date when I share my digital transcript with an employer or educational institution?

Yes. If you set an expiry date when you used a share credit to share your digital transcript with a recipient, that recipient will lose access once the expiry date passes. An expired share still counts towards the number of share credits you have used.

Need to extend the expiry date? You can do that under the Sharing tab and editing the field in the appropriate shared document

Can I disable a recipient’s access to my digital transcript after I share it with them?

Yes. You have full control over access to your documents. In the MyCreds Learner portal, go to the Sharing tab and you can view the individual share that you would like to change and disable the recipient’s access at any time. A disabled share still counts towards the number of the share credits you have used.

Can I change my display name on MyCreds?

You can change your MyCreds display name under account settings. Your display name will appear in all notifications sent to recipients you have shared your document(s) with. Your digital transcript will always display your legal name as indicated in Quest. To update your legal name, you must submit an Update Legal Name form. Once your legal name has been updated, you can request a new official transcript in Quest to be updated to MyCreds.

Share credits

What are share credits?

With the digital transcript you will purchase a specific number of share credits for that document. Each share credit will allow you to share the secure digital transcript with one recipient, such as an employer or an educational institution. At least one share credit is required to be purchased to initially access your official transcript. A new share credit must also be purchased to access an updated transcript if you do not have any available share credits. 

In the MyCreds Learner portal, you will be able to see how many share credits you purchased for your digital transcript, how many you have already used, and how many are remaining. If it is your first time on the MyCreds Portal, you must purchase share credits (see purchase information below) by selecting the desired quantity and paying for your order.

Example, first time purchasing share credits:

Example of first time purchasing share credit

Example, no share credits remaining:

Example of no share credits remaining

 Example, share credits purchased:

Example of share credits purchased

When you have used all of the share credits that you purchased for your digital transcript, you will no longer be able to share it with any further recipients. If the remaining share credits reach zero and you need to share your digital transcript with another recipient, you will need to purchase more share credits.

You have full control over how your document is shared - you designate your recipients, specify how long they can access your document, or require them to use a PIN that you set. You can also send the document to another post-secondary institution directly through the MyCreds Learner portal if the school is registered on the MyCreds network.

How many share credits do I need?

If you are accessing your digital transcript for the first time, you must purchase at least one share credit to access your transcript. A new share credit must also be purchased to access an updated transcript if you do not have any available share credits.

Each share credit will allow you to share the secure digital transcript with one recipient, such as an employer, an educational institution, or yourself.

For example, if you are applying to graduate programs at two universities (University A and University B) and need to submit a digital transcript with the application to each university, you would need to purchase two share credits in the MyCreds Learner portal. You will then use the first share credit to send your digital transcript to University A, and the second share credit to send your digital transcript to University B.

How do I purchase share credits?

To add share credits to your account, select the document you would like to share.

  • If this is the first time accessing your digital transcript, select the "PAY" button. At least one share credit is required to initially access your digital transcript. This share credit can still be used to share your transcript.
  • If you have previously purchased share credits, select the “+ SHARE CREDITS” link to purchase additional credits.

Example, first time purchasing share credits

Example of first time purchasing share credit

Example, no share credits remaining

Example of no share credits remaining

Example, share credits purchased:

Example of share credits purchased

On the payment details page, choose the number of share credits you want to purchase and enter payment information. Here is an example of the payment details page:

Payment details page for share credits

How much is a share credit and how can I pay for one?

The fee for each official transcript share credit is $15, plus tax.

The MyCredsLearner portal accepts all common credit card brands as method of payment. Payment is made directly to MyCreds and is non-refundable. After purchase, you will see a purchase confirmation notice on the screen, and you will also receive an email confirmation. MyCreds is owned by the Association of Registrars of the Universities and Colleges of Canada (ARUCC); you will see MyCreds or ARUCC on communications and credit card statements.

What if my payment fails?

Entering your residential address and the billing address associated with the credit card you use is a requirement for use of the MyCreds™ payment system. If your credit card is rejected, please double check your entries and ensure the correct billing address for that card is inputted. We recommend you also ensure the correct email is provided.

If possible, try to process your payment using another credit card. 

If a payment does fail, the payment card company may still hold funds for 24 to 72 hours on your credit card after which they will release the funds, a process they fully control. 

If you have any questions about your payment please email askthecentre@uwaterloo.ca for further assistance.

Authenticity of transcripts

How do I ensure the authenticity of Waterloo’s documents issued through the MyCreds Learner portal?

Documents issued by the University of Waterloo through MyCreds contain digital signatures that meet the legal requirements of certified digital documents in countries around the world. When students/alumni share their documents with third parties through the MyCreds portal, these digital signatures ensure their authenticity.

Digital transcripts and digital credentials are official only when bearing the Blue Ribbon Symbol and a valid digital certification issued by GlobalSign CA for Adobe.

A document is only considered official and is a trusted document if a recipient receives it in an email sent by MyCreds. The URL should start with https://learner.mycreds.ca. A transcript routed to a recipient from an individual personal email is not official.

When you view the document through the MyCreds portal, you should see that:

  • There is a cover page explaining the document features.
  • Document status says Available.
  • The document has the Certified blue-ribbon symbol.
  • You can view the certificate information.

Please see the MyCreds Verifier FAQs for more information about verifying documents issued through MyCreds.

A PIN is required to view the document, where do I find it?

Students are able to set up a PIN when they share a document and it is their responsibility to share it with the recipient. Please reach out to the individual who sent you the document.

Why do I see a document verification failure message?

A document verification failure message will display after accessing the link if:

  • A document has been revoked by Waterloo.
  • The share has expired (students/alumni are able to set expiry dates and make extensions).
  • The share has been disabled by the student/alumni.

Digital official transcripts

How do I send my transcript to someone?

The MyCreds Learner portal assumes that the document is yours, you are in full control of it, and thus you “share” access to it with others.

To share your transcript, you must pay the $15 share fee for each unique share by buying share credits (see below for more details). If you don’t have any share credits, the SHARE button will be grey. At least one share must be purchased to access your transcript initially. 

Grey share button

When you have purchased a share credit, the SHARE button will become blue.

Share

Select the SHARE button to send your transcript to your chosen destination.

Note: Should there be any updates to a document, the third-party recipient will immediately be able to access the updated version. 

Can I include a reference number or cover sheet with my digital transcript?

When sharing your official transcript through MyCreds, you have the option to include a reference number on the share screen.

MyCreds does not allow for additional cover sheets to be included with the transcript. If your recipient requires a cover sheet, request a paper copy of the transcript. When ordering a paper copy, you will have the option to upload a cover sheet to be included with your transcript.

I just want to download a PDF for myself. Can I do that?

Your digital transcript is not available for download directly from your MyCreds account. This is one of the ways that the Office of the Registrar ensures the integrity and authenticity of academic records for employers, graduate schools, government authorities, and other verifiers.

When you share the document with a third-party recipient directly through the MyCreds Learner portal, the recipient can verify with Waterloo that the document is authentic and current and will have access to the transcript in PDF format which they will be able to download and retain for their record-keeping purposes.

As a Learner, if you do need to download a copy of your official transcript for your own records, you have the option to share the document with yourself. Select the share button, then select "email", and input your email address in the recipient email field. You will then receive an email with a link to download a PDF copy. This option will use up one share credit; if you also need to share the document securely with another third party within the Learner portal, you will need to purchase additional share credits and share the document via the MyCreds Learner portal.

IMPORTANT: If you choose to download your transcript, and if you send this downloaded transcript to a third party, institutions and organizations may not consider it valid. By receiving a copy of a downloaded transcript, third-party recipients will have no way of verifying that the document you send them is valid, current, and up to date, as none of the security features will be available.

Instead, consider viewing and downloading your unofficial transcript as a PDF directly from Quest. This can be done at any time and at no cost to you.

How can I request an updated version of my transcript in MyCreds?

If you would like an updated version, submit a new request in Quest. Once your new request has been processed, you will receive an email notifying you that your previous transcript in MyCreds has been updated. Any previous shares of your document will also be updated for the recipients; however, a notification is not sent to those previous recipients. Note: A new share credit must be purchased to access an updated transcript if you do not have any available share credits. 

I received an email stating my document was updated, what does this mean?

You may only have one active official transcript at a time in the MyCreds Learner portal. If you have made a request for an official transcript and you had previously had one issued to you in MyCreds, the University will update the previously issued document instead of issuing a new one.

I have a hold in Quest and can't request an official transcript, what are my options?

If you have a hold on your account that restricts you from receiving a transcript, the format of that transcript (digital or paper) does not matter. Quest will prevent you from placing a request for a digital transcript until the balance and/or other obligations have been cleared to the satisfaction of the University. View your hold details in Quest and reach out to the appropriate unit on campus to clear your hold.

I'm a current student/alumni applying for a new program at Waterloo. Do I need to order a transcript for my application?

No. You are not required to provide a copy of your transcript for current/past education completed at the University of Waterloo. Admissions staff will upload a copy of your transcript on your behalf when you declare your previous University of Waterloo education. Transcripts sent in error are non-refundable.