Can You Pay Rent With a Credit Card? And Is It a Good Idea?
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Written by
Joseph Hostetler
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Edited by
Jasmin Baron, CCC™
Here’s an alarming statistic, courtesy of Zillow: The average monthly rent price in the U.S. is $1,995. That’s tens of thousands of dollars per year. It’d be a shame not to earn credit card rewards for that expense.
So, can you pay rent with a credit card? The answer is yes, but unfortunately, many of the best rewards credit cards can’t offer a return rate that justifies the fee typically associated with credit card rent payments.
Still, it can absolutely be worth paying rent with a credit card in some cases. I do it all the time. Let’s look at how to pay rent with a credit card (and how to determine whether it’s worth it for your situation).
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How To Pay Rent With a Credit Card
There are several ways to pay your rent with a credit card. The right choice for you will depend primarily on two things: your landlord’s acceptance of credit cards and the specific credit card you plan to use.
Online Portal
If you’re lucky, your rental company will have an online payment portal that accepts credit cards. There’s typically a fee involved. My current landlord uses Zillow to process my payments, and the fee is 3%. But my previous apartment complex charged just 1.9%. Your results may vary.
Bilt
Bilt is a rewards program and platform that allows you to pay your rent with a credit card without incurring fees. That’s unheard of in the credit card industry. But there are some intricacies to note.
First, to receive waived fees, you must pay with a Bilt credit card (we’ll discuss those in a minute).
Second, Bilt gives you two options for unlocking rewards on rent payments:
- Non-housing spend: The amount you earn for rent depends on your monthly non-rent spending. You can earn up to 1.25 points per dollar spent and as few as 250 points on your rent bill.
- Bilt Cash: With these cards, you can opt to earn 4% back (in addition to Bilt points) on non-rent spending. If you want to earn points for rent with your Bilt card, you’ll need to trade in Bilt Cash at a rate of $30 per 1,000 points (effectively 3%), up to 1x of your monthly payment. You can also redeem Bilt Cash at eligible merchants.
In diplomatic terms, Bilt Rewards is like paying rent with a 12×12 Rubik’s Cube. But the prospect of earning valuable points for rent, fee-free, is appealing. To fully grasp the Bilt Rewards program, block out an evening and open a Jeroboam of wine.
Peer-to-Peer Payment Services
Your property owner may accept payments via a peer-to-peer platform such as Venmo or PayPal. When you use one of these services to send a payment with a credit card, the transaction will count as a purchase on your card. However, you’ll pay a 3% fee for the privilege of using a credit card instead of a bank account or debit card.
Plastiq
Plastiq is a service that lets you pay for virtually anything with a credit card — even if the merchant you’re paying refuses to accept that form of payment. Simply pay Plastiq with a credit card and tell them who you want to pay. They’ll then send a check, ACH or wire transfer to whomever you request. You’ll pay a 2.99% fee to do it, but there are occasionally promotions that lower this penalty.
Pros of Paying Rent With a Credit Card
There are many obvious benefits to paying rent with a credit card. The most convincing are those related to earning extra rewards.
Earn Rewards on a Huge Transaction
Rent is the biggest monthly expense for many of us. Paying with a cash-back or travel rewards credit card can result in hundreds of dollars in value each year. You may be able to easily earn enough rewards for a (nearly) free round-trip flight to Europe each year.
Helpful To Meet Credit Card Minimum Spending Requirements
Earning credit card welcome bonuses is the fastest way to rack up travel rewards. The problem is that each often requires you to spend thousands of dollars over a few months to earn them. Unless you’re a big spender, you probably can’t achieve many welcome bonuses throughout the year.
Paying your rent with a credit card can change that, as you’re capable of funneling thousands more in spending through a credit card each month. This can help you to achieve more bonuses each year — or give you the ability to go for bonuses with lofty spending requirements that you may otherwise never even consider.
Earn Annual Credit Card Spending Incentives
On a related note, many credit cards offer annual rewards earned after spending a specified amount each year. For example, the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card confers an annual free night reward, valid for a standard room at most Hilton hotels, after you spend $15,000 on purchases in a calendar year.
Putting rent on your credit card can make many benefits like these more accessible and can add hundreds (even thousands) of dollars in rewards value each year.
Cons of Paying Rent With a Credit Card
Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Consider these downsides before you get too excited about the benefits of paying rent with your credit card.
Typically Incurs Fees
Again, depending on how you pay rent with your rewards card, you may be charged up to a 3% convenience fee. This often negates any rewards you’ll earn for your spending. In most cases, it’s simply not worth it.
The big exception is when you’re trying to meet a minimum spending requirement. I frequently pay my rent with a credit card for just this reason. If I still have a way to go on a spending requirement but don’t think I’ll meet it with my everyday spending, I’ll add a rent payment to the card. I’ll pay a fee, but it’s well worth it for the valuable bonus I wouldn’t otherwise achieve.
Dangerous To Carry on a Credit Card
Putting a large charge like rent on your card can be risky unless you pay your balance in full each month. Credit cards have extremely high annual percentage rates (APRs). If you carry a balance month-to-month, you’ll begin accruing interest, which will far outweigh any rewards you earn.
Potentially Cumbersome Process
Remember, not all landlords accept credit card payments. Putting your rent on a card may require workarounds, such as Plastiq or Venmo. Add a bit of inconvenience to the fact that you’ll likely be paying fees, and you may decide to call the whole thing off.
Credit Cards That Allow You To Earn Rewards on Rent Without Fees
Bilt specializes in letting you earn rewards on rent with no fees. With the Bilt Blue Card, Bilt Obsidian Card and Bilt Palladium Card, you can earn up to 1.25 points per dollar on rent. Here’s how they compare:
| Bilt Blue Card | Bilt Obsidian Card | Bilt Palladium Card | |
| Welcome Bonus | Get $100 of Bilt Cash when you apply and get approved. Terms apply | $200 of Bilt Cash when you apply and get approved | Get $300 of Bilt Cash when you apply and get approved, plus earn 50,000 Bilt Points and Gold Status when you spend $4,000 on purchases outside of rent and mortgage in your first 3 months. |
| Annual Fee | $0 | $95 | $495 |
| APR | 10.00% Introductory APR applies to Purchases that post to your account during the first 12 billing cycles after the date you open your account. After that, a 26.74% to 34.74% Variable APR will apply to Purchases based on your creditworthiness. A 26.74% to 34.74% Variable APR applies to Balance Transfers based on your creditworthiness. | 10.00% Introductory APR applies to each New Card Purchase that posts to your account during the first 12 billing cycles after the date you open your account. After that a 26.74% to 34.74% Variable APR applies to Purchases. A 26.74% to 34.74% Variable APR applies to Balance Transfers, based on your creditworthiness. | 10.00% Introductory APR applies to each New Card Purchase that posts to your account during the first 12 billing cycles after the date you open your account. After that, A 26.74% to 34.74% Variable APR applies to purchases. A 26.74% to 34.74% Variable APR applies to Balance Transfers, based on your creditworthiness. |
| Rewards Rate | Earn up to 1X points on rent and mortgage payments Earn 1X points + 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases | Earn up to 1X points on rent and mortgage payments Earn 1X points + 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases Earn 2X points on travel Earn 3X points on your choice of grocery (up to $25K/year) or dining. Your 3X category choice remains in effect for the entire calendar year. | Earn up to 1X points on rent and mortgage payments Earn 2X points + 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases |
| Standout Feature | No annual fee | Useful bonus categories | Premium travel benefits |
The information related to the Bilt Blue Card, Bilt Obsidian Card, Bilt Palladium Card, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Credit Card and Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® was collected by CardCritics™ and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardCritics™ does not receive a commission for this product.
Frequently Asked Questions About Paying Rent With a Credit Card
Which app allows credit card payments for rent?
Several apps accept credit card payments for rent. For example, Bilt Rewards partners with millions of properties across the U.S. to help lower your fees when paying rent with a card. Zillow accepts credit card payments for rent, and peer-to-peer apps like Venmo allow you to send cash to a landlord via credit card.
Do apartments accept credit card payments?
Many apartments do accept credit card payments, but you’ll have to check if yours is one of them.
Which credit cards are best for rent payments?
Bilt Rewards credit cards are generally considered the best for rent payments. Other options include Alaska Airlines credit cards, such as the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Credit Card and Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature®, which earn 3 points per dollar on up to $50,000 in annual rent paid through Bilt (though you’ll be charged a 3% fee).
