Can my real estate agent insist I pay rent via their preferred platform?

In certain states like Victoria and NSW, it is illegal for a landlord or real estate agent to insist a tenant uses a platform that charges the tenant a fee. In other words, they must offer a fee-free option.

How do I earn points by paying with a credit card?

You'll need a credit card that lets you earn frequent flyer points (Qantas or Velocity Points) or rewards points. Earn rates vary on cards, with some letting you earn as much as 1 point per dollar (or even more).

What are the costs of paying rent with a credit card?

Every method of paying rent with a credit card we've found comes with a percentage fee. This fee varies based on the type of card you use. It's typically 1.15% to 1.5% on domestic cards, but can reach 4.8% on international cards. Some platforms may charge other fees, like account fees. And if you don't repay your rent spending in full before interest charges kick in, then you'll pay interest as well.

Which credit card is best for paying rent?

The best cards for paying rent with a credit card are ones that let you earn frequent flyer points on your spending. The higher the earn rate the better. Given that there's a transaction fee for paying rent with a credit card, you really need to get value out of your points in order to make it worthwhile.

Pay rent with a credit card: Costs, Options & Risks

You can earn tens of thousands of reward points annually but third-party platforms charge fees.
Fees typically average 1.5% of your rent, costing hundreds yearly; weigh this against point value.
Tenants in NSW and Victoria are legally entitled to at least one fee-free rent payment option.

Paying rent with a credit card can help you boost your rewards points and grow your frequent flyer balance. If you pay $500 a week rent and earn one point per dollar, that's a whopping 26,000 points you could earn in a year. But these platforms charge a fee for every transaction. You have to decide if the points you earn are worth the costs.

When can I use a credit card to pay rent?

A few third-party companies allow you to pay rent with your credit card in Australia.

Platform	Fees	Points Earned
DEFT	1.2% - 4.8%	None
Rental Rewards	4.5% for international cards	Same as other purchases
Sniip	1.29% - 1.5%	Same as other purchases
RentPay	1.15% - 2.20%	Same as other purchases

DEFT

Picture not described Powered by Macquarie Bank, DEFT lets you make one-off payments by credit card online or over the phone. But you won't earn points via this method. To use this service, your landlord or agent has to be registered as a DEFT biller and give you the 20-digit DEFT reference number. Once you have that, you can pay online through the DEFT website. DEFT transaction fees vary based on factors such as the card or payment method used and the biller’s preferences. The maximum costs for credit card payments are as follows:

Visa Credit: 1.50%
Visa International: 4.00%
MasterCard Credit: 1.20%
MasterCard International: 4.80%
American Express: 1.5%

Rental Rewards

Picture not described Rental Rewards is an online payment platform that lets you earn points by paying your rent with a credit card. It has direct partnerships with real estate agents and brands. Your agent has to be signed up before you can use Rental Rewards. You can earn points as normal through your credit card if you're set up with Rental Rewards. The Rental Rewards website doesn't publicly list domestic card payment fees, but there is a 4.5% fee if paying with an international card.

Sniip

Picture not described Sniip lets you pay bills with your credit card as long as the bill has a BPAY option. If it's a rewards card, you'll also earn points per $1 spent at the same rate as other purchases. To use Sniip, you just need to get the app and scan the BPAY details from your bill (or enter them manually), then choose how you want to pay. Costs are as follows:

Visa credit card: 1.50%
Mastercard credit card: 1.50%
American Express card: 1.29%

RentPay

RentPay lets you pay for rent in a variety of ways, including credit cards and PayID. You can earn points on your credit card if you set up this payment option. There's no monthly subscription fee. Instead you'll pay a card transaction fee.

Fees are:

1.15% for payments via credit cards or debit cards
1.75% for PayPal
1.50% for Alipay and WeChat Pay
2.20% for UnionPay

How much will paying rent with a credit card cost in the long run?

Earning points for paying your rent sounds like a great idea. Especially if you're a serious points hacker. But you need to factor in the cost of fees.

Example: Rewards vs. platform fees for paying rent with a credit card

Rent. You pay $600 a week in rent, via monthly payment.
Points. You earn 1 Qantas Point per $1 spent on your card.
Platform fee. You pay a 1.15% fee per rental payment.

In this scenario your points and costs work out to be:

Rent. $31,200 a year.
Points earned. 31,200 Qantas Points.
Fee for paying with a credit card. $6.90 a week or $358.80 a year.

$358.80 a year is substantial. Whether it's worth it depends on how much you value those Qantas Points.

Qantas prices a one-way economy Classic Flight Reward from Sydney to Melbourne at 9,200 points, so 31,200 Qantas Points would cover about three of those flights (plus taxes, fees and carrier charges). How to use your Qantas Frequent Flyer Points

Watch out for interest charges

If you pay off your credit card balance each month you can avoid interest charges. But paying your rent on your credit card and forgetting to pay it off could cost you a lot in interest charges.

Remember: There are other ways to pay rent

Even if your rental agent, property manager or landlord uses a third-party payment service, they should give you more than one way to pay. For example, renters in NSW and Victoria must have at least one fee-free way to pay rent. You can check with the tenants agency in your state or territory to find out your rights or how to make a complaint if you don't think you're being treated fairly.

Our expert says: Is paying rent with a credit card worth it for points?

"The fees you get charged for paying rent with a credit card will add up to a few hundred dollars a year. That's as much as the annual fee on a points-earning card. It can be worth it. Rent is one of your biggest expenses, so it's a way to earn tens of thousands of Qantas or Velocity Points. If you're a serious points hacker who will use those points for free reward flights, it could still be worth it. Do the maths and make sure you get good value from the points you earn. "

Richard Whitten

Senior Money Editor

Want to earn points for your everyday spending? Compare rewards credit cards that offer points per $1 and introductory bonus point offers. Want to know what your rights are as a renter? Get tips and insights in Finder's guide for renters

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Written by

Richard Whitten

Senior Money Editor

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Richard Whitten is Finder’s Senior Money Editor, with over eight years of experience in home loans, property, credit cards and personal finance. His insights appear in top media outlets like Yahoo Finance, Money Magazine, and the Herald Sun, and he frequently offers expert commentary on television and radio, helping Australians navigate mortgages and property ownership. Richard started his career in education and textbook publishing in South Korea. He holds multiple industry certifications, including a Certificate IV in Mortgage Broking (RG 206) and Tier 1 and Tier 2 certifications (RG 146), as well as a Bachelor of Education from the University of Sydney and a Graduate Certificate in Communications from Deakin University. See full bio

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2 Responses

PennyAugust 4, 2018

Can easyshare be used to pay the ATO by credit card and earn FF points with that card?
I’m not sure if the way it works is that the credit card payment is *to* easyshare and then they pay the ATO (or deposit into the landlord’s account) using the payment instructions provided?

Thanks!

Finder

JeniAugust 12, 2018Finder

Hi Penny,

Thank you for getting in touch with Finder.

Currently, Easyshare cannot be used to pay the ATO. According to ATO, The quickest and easiest way to pay is with BPAY or a credit/debit card.

Most frequent flyer credit cards offer you points per $1 spent on everyday transactions. However, the range of “eligible transactions” that earn points can vary between providers. For example, many rewards programs exclude utility payments and government charges from earning points or offer a reduced rate of points for these types of payments. Please go through our list of frequent flyer credit cards and ways to earn points on eligible transactions.

I hope this helps.

Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any other enquiries.

Thank you and have a wonderful day!

Cheers,
Jeni

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How to pay rent with a credit card (for those sweet points)

Platforms like Deft and Sniip let you pay your rent with a credit card. You can earn points this way, but you will have to pay a fee for each payment.

Key takeaways

When can I use a credit card to pay rent?