How to collect rent online without chasing your tenant

Quick answer: What works best is a fixed payment day, an easy way to pay (card link or direct debit) and receipts and reminders that go out by themselves. Chasing by message every month is what wears the relationship down.

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The four ways to collect rent

Bank transfer is the most common: free, but it depends on the tenant remembering and on you checking the bank. A standing order set up by the tenant pays on a fixed day but only they can change it. Direct debit collects by itself with a signed mandate and a tool to run it. A card payment link is instant and leaves a receipt at once; it carries the gateway’s fee.

For monthly rent the sensible mix is a payment link with automatic reminders today, and direct debit when available.

What the tenancy agreement should say

The payment day, the payment method, the account or link where rent is paid, what happens on late payment and whether bills are separate.

How to automate it with iSign Payments

Create the “Rent” due date. First payment date, repeats monthly, reminder 7 days before.
Add the amount and the tenant’s email. Tick “request payment automatically”.
The tenant gets the link every month and pays by card. If they don’t, we remind them the day before.
A receipt for both and the instalment marked in your calendar. Paid by transfer instead? Record it and the receipt goes out just the same.

Dealing with late payments

A few days late is solved with a friendly automatic reminder. After a month unpaid, put the demand in writing with proof of delivery: see what to do when a tenant doesn’t pay.

Requesting payments from clients is a Pro feature

€4.99/month and 1% per payment: if you don’t collect, you don’t pay. Includes unlimited due dates, unlimited sends and your brand.

See the Pro plan →

Frequently asked questions

Can I require tenants to pay by card?

You can agree the payment method in the tenancy, but the reasonable approach is to offer the link as the convenient option and accept transfers too. In iSign you can record payments received by other means.

Who pays the card fee?

The landlord, who receives the money. Stripe’s fee in Europe is around 1.5% + €0.25 per payment, plus iSign’s 1%. For high rents, direct debit will be cheaper once available.

Can rent be paid before the 1st?

Yes. The tenant can pay as soon as they receive the link, and the due date in the agreement does not change.

From contract to payment, without chasing anyone

Create the due date, add your client’s email and we request the payment. Once paid, the instalment is marked automatically and you both get the receipt.

Start with iSign Payments →