How to Accept and Make Online Payments Easier for Residents

A growing number of retail, entertainment, and travel outlets are turning to self-service checkout kiosks for their customer service needs. For many businesses, kiosks have the ability to enable customers to make their purchases or check in quicker and avoid lines waiting for an agent or cashier. It’s another solution that allows people to go use their money online, at their own convenience. In the apartment industry, residents have those same expectations. Industry data shows that a majority of residents want to pay for rent online, ideally by credit card. Online payments give residents options Providing a means for residents to pay rent online, quick and easily, helps apartments keep up-to-date with consumer purchasing preferences. With online payments, your residents gain control over how they pay, anywhere, on any device, around the clock. They can even set up recurring payments so their rent is automatically deducted from their account every month. It’s easy to accept online payments for both residents and property staff, says Jeremy Ford, a Payments Industry Principal at RealPage, Inc. “Automated payment systems are transforming the way apartments do business and residents pay their rent,” he said. “There are several ways that online payments provide convenience for the resident and create efficiencies for the property management team.” Here are a few: Taking payments online or at self-service kiosks Online portals and self-service kiosks at apartment communities provide residents with the convenience of paying securely over the internet. Portals integrated with a property management system enable residents to either pay in the privacy of their homes via desktop or mobile technology or at a station provided by management, usually set up in the leasing office or business center. Residents log into the system, make their payment, and the transaction is immediately posted to the Resident Ledger. The automated proc...