How to Collect Rent Online: Card, ACH, and Auto-Pay

Published 2026-06-24

Chasing checks is a tax on your time. Online rent collection gets you paid faster, on a schedule, with a clear record for taxes. Here’s how to set it up.

Your payment options

  • ACH bank transfer — lowest fees; the best default for recurring rent.
  • Card — convenient for tenants, higher processing fees (often passed to the tenant).
  • Digital wallets — Apple Pay and Google Pay for fast mobile payments.
  • Manual record — for tenants who still pay by Zelle, cash, check, or Venmo, log it so your books stay complete.

Turn on auto-pay

The biggest win is auto-pay: the tenant authorizes a recurring charge once, and rent is collected automatically each month on the due date. On-time payment rates jump and you stop sending reminders. Pair it with automated late-fee rules for the exceptions.

Collecting rent in PropertyFolio

PropertyFolio collects rent online via card, ACH, Apple Pay, and Google Pay (powered by Stripe), with recurring auto-pay, shareable payment links, and automatic late fees. Every payment flows straight into your property’s budget and Schedule E tax report — and you can still record offline payments so nothing is missed.

Bottom line

Default to ACH, offer card and wallets for convenience, switch tenants to auto-pay, and let software track everything. You’ll get paid on time and have clean books at tax time.

Collect rent online with PropertyFolio — free to start.