Best Ways to Accept Online Rent Payments

By: ROS Team

Managing a rental property can be an overwhelming task. Fortunately, the digital revolution is proving to be a great help to landlords. Whether you manage one property or have oversight of several units, online rent-paying services can be a lifesaver. Landlords can accept rent payments online through rental payment apps. Online rent payment for landlords has minimized the headache associated with collecting rent in person.

1- Features of Payment Apps
2- Best Ways to Accept Rent Payments Online
3- Rental Payment Apps
4- Advantages of Accepting Online Rent Paying Services
5- Frequently Asked Questions

Features of Rental Payment Apps

The best online rent payment for landlords includes apps with the following features:

Features that allow tenants to pay from their phones;
Set up for automatic payments;
Automatic late fee calculation;
Notifications to the landlord and reminders to tenants when late fees are incurred;
Credit card payments; and
Alerts for tenants and landlords about upcoming payments and due dates.

Ultimately, if you choose to accept rent payments online, it’s a good idea to include an automatic payment option. Automatic payments can help reduce the number of late payments assessed.

Why Should Landlords Accept Rent Payments Online?

Paying rent online is a more convenient and cost-effective method of collecting payments. Online rent payments is a secure way for landlords to collect rent payments, thus eliminating the need to chase down misplaced checks or lost cash from tenants.

Money Transfer Software Programs

Best Ways to Accept Rent Payments Online

There are several programs available to property managers and landlords if you’re looking for the best way to accept rental payments online. You should first figure out whether you want a property manager or need a full-service property management software solution. You can also consider a money transfer software program to collect rent payments. We have compiled a list of the best online rent payment services for landlords to accept rent payments online.

AppFolio

Website: Appfolio.com

Landlords who have 50+ rental properties can register to use AppFolio. It’s the best option for more prominent rental property investors and property management companies. AppFolio offers all services related to managing a rental unit, including marketing and leasing applications, portfolio management and growth tools, maintenance tracking, and online rent collection.

Rentec Direct

Website: Rentecdirect.com

Online rent collection is one of the significant features that Rentec Direct’s property management software offers landlords and property managers. The software package has a tenant portal that is accessible both via web and smartphone app. Tenants can also pay rent using a credit card or an e-check.

Landlords can also activate partial or complete rent payment options. The program allows landlords to track payments and collect late fees. What’s best is that this rent-paying service includes property marketing tools, a complete accounting and reporting portal, tenant screening, online leasing, and renters insurance at no additional charge.

Buildium

Website: Buildium.com

Buildium allows renters the option of setting up recurring payment schedules. It also allows tenants to pay rental expenses using their credit cards and bank accounts. This rent-paying service incurs a cost per transaction, which may be a turnoff to some landlords and property managers, but it also offers budgeting and accounting tools, tenant screening resources, reporting, and lease management features.

Rental Payment Apps

If you are already managing other aspects of the rental property and only need assistance with converting to online rent collection, you might want to consider a rent payment-only software program. The rental payment app designed solely for rent collection will not offer the other features included in most property management software platforms.

You can encourage renters to utilize rental payment apps by providing them with the option to pay using electronic funds transfer from their bank account or with a credit or debit card.

PayRent

Website: Payrent.com

Online rent payment for landlords becomes extremely easy with PayRent; this software allows landlords to accept rent online with a tenant credit card or e-check payment. Along with online rent payments, PayRent also sends automated rent reminders to tenants, has reporting and tracking options, and gives landlords the ability to accept full or partial rent payments. It also makes the funds transfer to the landlord account within three days. PayRent does not charge monthly but does assess a 0.25% fee per bank transfer.

RentTrack

Website: Renttrack.com

RentTrack is another rental payment app for property managers and landlords. This program gives tenants the option to make fast online rent payments. The best thing about RentTrack is that it is one of the few rent-paying services connected with rent payment reporting to all three credit bureaus. In addition, it offers same-day funds transfers to landlords.

There is a fee associated with using this rental payment app, which is determined by the payment method used. E-checks are either free or have a fixed fee, but credit card payments include a fee that is a percentage of the payment amount.

Cozy

Cozy is another trusted name among rental payment apps. This software allows tenants the ability to make rent payments online with a credit card (with a 2.75% fee) or with their checking account for free. Along with rent-paying services, Cozy gives landlords options like tenant screening and renters insurance, and marketing and maintenance request tracking. Fund transfers typically take five business days.

Landlord Studio

Website: Landlordstudio.com

This program is designed specifically for landlords and manages the entire rent collection process. It also helps you manage all other property expenses.

Landlord Studio allows the tenant to safely and quickly transfer their rent payments directly to the landlord’s account, making late payments a thing of the past.

Venmo

Website: Venmo.com

Venmo can also be used for accepting rent payments. Tenants can send payments to the landlord’s account using a designated email or phone number.

Paypal

Website: Paypal.com

Landlords have used Paypal as a rent-paying option for a while now. This is a great option because many people already have Paypal accounts and can easily access the site from their phones or laptops.

PayPal also has an app through which tenants can send rent payments. If you want to collect rent using Paypal, be sure to set up a business account to avoid conflicting with the company’s terms and conditions.

Apple Pay

Website: Apple.com/apple-pay

Apple is well-known for its mobile products. Still, they are taking some extraordinary steps in the online payment arena by allowing U.S. customers to make payments from within the messaging app.

Simply connect Apple Pay to a debit card; once it’s set up, you can send contacts money from within the messaging app.

Apple is also making life easier for U.S. customers by providing a no-fee Apple credit card so that you can send money directly to your landlord’s account.

Standing Order

The Standing Order Mandate allows the bank or other financial institution to make payments regularly for a fixed amount to a specific bank account.

The tenant would have to set up a standing order for rent payments to be sent to the landlord’s bank account on a specific date each month. It can run indefinitely once set up.

Advantages of Accepting Online Rent Paying Services

1) Less Risk of Fraud and Theft
2) More Flexibility with Payments
3) The Convenience of Rescheduling Recurring Payments
4) Enhanced Security for Both Tenants and Landlords
5) Payment/Rent Reminders
6) Time Savings
7) Faster Payments
8) Enhanced Payment Organization
9) Potentially Improved Landlord Tenant Relationships

Full Service Online Rent Payment for Landlords

One of the best ways to accept rent payments online for property managers and landlords is with property management software. Property management software offers a complete range of characteristics that a landlord needs, including accepting rent payments online.

In addition to rent paying service, you can also manage and organize your rental properties.

FAQs

What is the Best App for Collecting Rent?

If you are a landlord, there are several apps you can use to help simplify rent collection. These include:

Rentec Direct
Buildium
Pay Rent
Rent Drop
Clear Now
Turbo Tenant
Zillow Rental Manager

Can you use PayPal to Collect Rent?

Yes, tenants can use PayPal to pay their rent online.

Can I use Venmo to Accept Rent Payments Online?

You can use Venmo for rent collection, but it lacks the ability to schedule future payments and payees. There also is no feature for landlords to collect late fees if their tenant makes a payment after the due date.

Does Venmo Charge a Fee for Rent Payments?

Yes, Venmo charges a fee for rental payments, even if a personal account is used. They charge a fee on every transaction.

Is Zelle a Good Option for Paying Rent Online?

Zelle has a transaction limit for rent payments. Once you exceed that limit, future transactions will not be processed.

Is Paying Rent through Zelle Safe for both Landlords and Tenants?

This form of payment is safe, but Zelle doesn’t provide any specific payment protection to landlords since they were designed for person-to-person non-business transactions.

Which is the Most Secure Way to Pay Rent?

The most secure way to pay rent is through a cashier’s check or a bank draft. They are safe because the bank issues withdrawal on their funds after they deduct the amount of money from the account holder.

Final Words

There is no shortage of options for property managers and landlords who want to explore modern rent paying services. Which option you use will ultimately depend on your unique circumstances, business needs, and budget.

Whichever method and software you use, one thing is for sure: online rental payments are the wave of the future.