Pay rent automatically with auto-pay

Who this is for

Tenants who want their rent paid on its due date without signing in. Auto-pay uses a bank account; it can't use a card.

Before you start

• Your landlord must accept online payments.
• Save a bank account and make it your default. Open Payment Methods, click Add a bank account, log in to your bank through Stripe or enter your account and routing numbers, and click Save bank account. eSamaHomes never sees your bank login. An account you typed in is saved once it is verified.

Steps

1. Open Payment Methods.
2. In the Auto-pay row for your lease, switch auto-pay on. If you rent more than one place, there is one row per lease.
3. The row shows "Rent of $X will be paid on the Nth of each month from" your bank account.
4. To pay from another account, add it and click Set default on it. Auto-pay uses your default account.
5. To stop, switch auto-pay off. If you run auto-pay, you can turn it off at any time.

Example

James Park and Ana Silva share 21 Birch Road, Unit 5, at $1,800.00 a month, due on the 1st. James turned auto-pay on from his account ending 2208.

• Ana's Auto-pay row says James runs auto-pay for this lease from his own bank account, and only he can turn it off.
• James moves banks, so Ana takes over: she clicks Use my bank account instead, then Replace auto-pay. James is emailed that Ana runs auto-pay now.
• On December 1, the $1,800.00 is charged to Ana's default account.

What happens next

• On the due date, auto-pay pays every open invoice on the lease that is due that day, for the amount still owed. An invoice already paid or already processing is skipped.
• The payment then works like any bank payment: it takes up to 4 business days. See Pay your rent from your bank account.
• Auto-pay pays only invoices due that day. It never pays one that is already past due; pay those on Pay Rent.
• A lease you share has one person running auto-pay. Only they can turn it off; another tenant can take it over from their own bank account.

If something looks wrong

• "Add a bank account below to turn on auto-pay." You have no saved bank account yet.
• "Your landlord isn't accepting online payments yet." Ask your landlord.
• "Auto-pay is on but there is no bank account to charge" (on Pay Rent). Add a bank account and make it your default, or the next payment won't be made.
• An auto-pay failed notice. The charge didn't go through and isn't tried again. Pay the invoice yourself on Pay Rent.
• Auto-pay switched itself off. Your bank stopped the account. Add another account and turn auto-pay on again.
• You can't turn auto-pay off. Another tenant on the lease runs it. Ask them, or click Use my bank account instead to run it yourself.