Credit cards offer the convenience of making hassle-free payments. They are thus a great way to cover your bills, and so it is only normal to wonder whether one can use a credit card to pay rent.

People traditionally pay rent through paper checks. Once the landlord cashes the check, the rent amount is deducted from the tenant’s checking account. However, you can also pay rent through a credit card but only under specific circumstances. Here are some of the factors that you should consider before you commit to paying rent using a credit card.

Will your landlord accept rent payment via credit card?

Some landlords accept credit card payments while others do not. It should thus be the first thing to consider before proceeding.  Many landlords refuse this option because of the interchange fees charged on credit card transactions. A landlord may opt to avoid this option if they do not want to lose some cash through interchange fees.

You can bypass this by offering to top up the interchange fee on top of the rent. Doing so would probably convince the landlord to accept rent via credit card payment. Also, major apartment complexes usually collect rent through third-party management companies. They may provide a credit card option because it is easier and faster as opposed to the tedious process of collecting checks and going to the bank to cash those checks.

Reasons to consider paying rent via credit card.

Credit cards are traditionally not ideal for paying rent considering the charges associated with them. However, there are instances where it makes sense to pay your rent via a credit card. Some credit cards offer handsome bonus points upon reaching specified spending milestones. For example, you may receive 50,000 or more bonus points if you spend a specified minimum, such as $4,000 within the first few months. You can then redeem those points for rewards such as hotel room rewards or travel rewards.

Another reason to consider paying rent via credit card is so that you can ensure timely rent payment. You can achieve this by setting up your credit card such that the rent amount is deducted at a specific date every month, thus saving you the time you would take to mail the check. The automatic deductions would allow you to pay rent on time every month.