Win $500 just for converting residents to electronic payments!

Ultimately RentPayment is here to help Property Manager’s jobs easier. Electronic rent payment can help managers collect more on time payments and also means having to deal with less paperwork and manual record keeping for all incoming rental payments. We know that the managers who realize these benefits already work very hard to promote electronic payments at their communities and we’d like to reward them for their efforts.

The Community Incentive Contest is exclusive to RentPayment Property Managers and/or Community Representatives, offering a $500 prize to the representative who can collect the most points in April and May 2011! The contest begins April 1st and entrants have until May 31st to earn points and be eligible to win.  Points are earned based on the percentage of residents who use RentPayment’s online rent payment services during the promotional timeline.  Managers can also earn extra points for doing certain activities to promote online payment, including:   ordering/displaying marketing materials, posting on their Facebook or Twitter page, and making a short video about RentPayment at their community..

For more information on the promotion and how to earn points>>>

Dear Residents,
Help me help you avoid late fees with electronic payments from RentPayment.  Pay online, by text, or by phone 24/7!

Sincerely,
Property Manager

P.S.  Please ditch those checks!

As a middle school teacher for 10 years, I would incorporate technology into my lessons, but more often than not, I would go by the book, both literally and figuratively. I knew that there was a huge opportunity to work in a tech related field, but I was happy as a teacher, and I didn’t have a broad background working with technology. After having taught for many years in the South Bay, I wanted to venture out and do something different, challenge myself and explore what this technology industry was all about. I was fortunate to find out about an opening at RentPayment for an Account Manager. I knew my attention to detail, teaching skills, and dedication to service would make me the perfect Account Manager.

While I didn’t know exactly what the job would entail, after working at RentPayment for four months, I’m extremely that happy I made the switch. I enjoy the client care aspect of RentPayment as well as training clients on how to use our services. We are rapidly progressing as a company and are introducing more ways to pay rent, such as with the iPhone app- RentPayment Mobile. The switch from teaching children to teaching adults has been fantastic! It amazes me on a daily basis how we are able to use technology to improve industries and the way people interact with money. The thought of paying rent online, by phone, text message, and more is incredibly convenient and easy for renters. But the real benefit is how much it improves the operations of a property management team. I enjoy being able to show Accountants, Property Managers, and Leasing Agents all the great ways RentPayment can benefit them. From in person credit card acceptance for Leasing Agents, to transaction summary reports with excel exports for Accountants we have a suit of resources to help their day to day operations. The switch from teaching education to teaching technology isn’t very different.   I’ve come to learn, that they are both all about educating the future.

If I were to grade Yapstone as a company both to work for and what it is capable of doing for residents and property managers, I’d give them an A+!

Written by:
Tony Maskell, Client Account Manager for RentPayment

As the chaos of the holiday season nears, remember that rental payments are not at the top of renter’s minds.  Between Thanksgiving and New Years people often spend beyond their means, procrastinate on monthly bills, or forget about payments in the midst of festivities.  Here are some tips to help your community retain on time rental payments:

1. Announce both normal and adjusted office hours.

Although you may always have office hours posted, announce the hours again because renters are not likely to have this schedule memorized and may not be able to visit during their normal time.  In addition, it is especially important to announce all adjusted holiday hours and to do so well in advance.

• Post office times on doors.  Adjusted holiday hours should have their own attention-grabbing signage.
• Update the community’s automated voice recording to announce any adjusted hours.

2. Remind renters of their electronic payment options.

The ability to pay online or by phone can be a saving grace to a renter who who has forgotten to pay rent.  Forgetfulness is especially common during this season with adjusted work schedules and holiday events.  Make sure that even renters who prefer paper checks know they have the option to pay electronically, just in case.  They may elect to use the service to avoid a late fee or if they need to make their payment quickly.

In addition, many residents travel during this time of the year.  With major holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years all falling near the beginning/end of the months, renters may need to pay on-the-go.  Residents can save postage and get their payment in instantly by paying online.

3. Gifts got you low on cash?  Pay rent with your Credit Card!

During this time of the year more than any other, people tend to find themselves low on cash.  Between gifts, events, meals and vacations, renters may find they have exhausted the funds in their checking account.

An excellent solution to this problem is the ability to pay rent with a credit card using RentPayment.  Even if there is a convenience fee at your community for paying with a credit card, it is usually a much better option than incurring a late fee.  Plus, it’s another opportunity to earn rewards points!

After months in development, the RentPayment Mobile iPhone application is here! The iPhone application is available for FREE to any renter with an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad and allows renters who reside at any RentPayment community to:

• Set up a new account with RentPayment
• Login to an existing account
• Make a payment on-the-go using a credit card or eCheck
• View Payment History
• Setup AutoPayment

Just like with online payments, the RentPayment iPhone app is 100% secure, ensuring that all renter credit card data and personal information is safe. Please let your renters know this application is available for November rent and remind them that they have another flexible option for paying electronically.

View in iTunes App Store

Test the application out yourself to see first hand it’s features and functionality. Please also feel free to rate the application and leave your comments!To download the app on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, just search “RentPayment” in the iTunes app store. Or, to download from the app store online: Click here.

RentPayment: The leader in mobile payments
RentPayment is truly the industry leader in mobile payments for today’s on-the-go renter. Our flexible payment options are not only appreciated by tech savvy renters but also by those who can be forgetful about paying rent and prefer recurring payments.

In addition, RentPayment is the only rent collection service with a channel to accept apartment payments via text message through RentByText™. RentPayment also allows renters to pay rent by phone using both IVR and live Client Care Representatives 24/7. In addition, the upcoming RentPayment iPhone application will provide yet another option to paying rent over the phone! RentPayment clients should use these amenities as leasing tools for apartment rentals, because you’re supplying and amenity your renters want!

Top 3 Reasons I Pay My Rent Electronically
BY LAUREN BOSTON

I’m 24 years old, and I learned how to write my first check last year.

This makes me sound like the spoiled daughter of a rich entrepreneur, but I’m actually the self-sufficient offspring of a high school teacher. I just pay for everything online—rent included.

We all know the operational benefits of electronic rent payments, but what’s in it for the renters? There will always be elderly, cautious or technologically challenged residents who insist on paying their rent in person, but for the majority of today’s residents, the more that can be done on the computer, the better.

Following are three reasons I pay my rent online:

1. I’m Losing My Mind. I have difficulty remembering to pack my lunch every day, so do you really think I can remember to pay my rent? Electronic payments are the best way for absent-minded renters to pay their bills on time, with most programs offering an automated withdrawal option. My bank account is linked to my resident portal, and money is transferred on the first of the month—an incredibly helpful option for someone who has racked up way too many late fees at the library. Now I can sit back, relax and rest assured my rent is paid on time. I just wish I could find my keys…

2. I’m Anti-Social After Work. The leasing office at my apartment community is nicely decorated and the employees are friendly, but it’s still not on my Top 10 list of favorite places. When I get home after work, I want to hibernate in my apartment until it’s time for bed, not trudge down to the leasing office to pay my rent and socialize with a pack of prospective residents. Not to be Mrs. Scrooge here, but I’ve just spent half an hour fighting for a seat on the bus home and I need some peace and quiet. If I can pay my rent from the comfort of my couch, sign me up. Bah, humbug!

3. I Live in a Fantasy World. If you paid top dollar for a Liberal Arts degree like yours truly, chances are you have a pretty meager salary, a good chunk of which is allocated to rent. I know having a roof over my head is one of those necessary expenses—just like the four bottles of nail polish I purchased this week—but it’s a big investment that I don’t want to think about any more than I have to. And because I’d prefer to live in a fantasy world, I want my rent to tip-toe out of my bank account automatically, without so much as a whisper. Writing out and delivering a check somehow seems much more real and depressing. Yes, I understand it’s still the same amount of money, but automated payments feel less painful. I was aware of the monetary sacrifice I’d have to make when I signed the lease; I don’t want to be reminded of it every month. Hey, ignorance is bliss.

Lauren Boston is NAA’s Staff Writer. For more of her blogs, check out www.naahq.org/blog. She can be reached at lauren@naahq.org or call (703) 797-0678.

Three Easy Ways to Remind Residents about ePayments

1. Community Newsletter: Include a RentPayment Reminder

Your community newsletter is the place to inform renters about news, property updates and the option to pay rent electronically. We’d like to encourage our managers to include a friendly reminder to residents about paying rent online RentPayment. This would also be a great place to include any fees associated with payments or answer any frequently asked questions your renters may have about the service.

Feel free to write your own original article, or you can copy and paste an article directly from our “how-to guide.”

For RentPayment logos and and sample article text:
Download a how-to guide for including RentPayment in your community newsletter!


2. Signage: Rent Drop Box Signage

Many properties have a “rent drop box” like the one pictured to the right. This is an excellent place to post a reminder message about available electronic payment options. An ideal message to post on a rent drop box sign would include features and benefits of ePayments and how to get started. We can supply material upon request.

EXAMPLE: Residents, remember you have the option to pay rent online with a credit card or electronic check using RentPayment. To make a payment visit: www.RentPayment.com

3. Flyers

After consulting with many property managers and staff, we know that the #1 way to communicate with renters is with printed flyers. The next time your staff is distributing flyers to all units, include a reminder message about electronic payment options. Below are a few great fliers to include.

If you would like to download an 8.5″ x 11″ RentPayment flyer to print, display in your office, or to email to renters. Here are 3 options:

Click Here if your property accepts credit card and eCheck payments online.

Click Here if your property accepts online eCheck payments only and credit card payments over the phone.

Click Here for a flyer translated into Spanish

Need help? Feel free to email marketing@rentpayment.com if you’re not sure which flyer is best for your property or if you’d like to request a custom flyer or other marketing collateral for your property.

To many, the thought of paying your rent or bills online may include hesitation and concerns about security. Since the Internet has become so pervasive and fast, it can be hard to know which online services to trust with your money.

However, RentPayment makes the transition to ePayments easy and comfortable.  With the quality services RentPayment offers, you can relax knowing your money is always transferred securely and on time.

Some may think paper checks and billing are still the safest way to go.  However, there are huge risks associated with paper payments compared to online payment. According to American Banker Magazine, more than 1.2 million fraudulent checks are written each day. That equals more than 13 per second! By utilizing e-Payments, the chance of lost, misplaced or stolen checks is no longer a concern.

The truth is, problems with electronic payments are extremely rare.  Due to accelerated processing times and instant return notification to the payee, the electronic check conversion process has proven effective in fewer returns, earlier fraud detection, and fewer errors.

Paying your rent and bills online can actually be safer than taking them to a bank or writing checks. According to NACHA (The Electronic Payments Association), almost 85 percent of identity theft occurs with offline transactions. In addition, RentPayment’s ePayment platform has received the highest level of security the federal government can award to a business processing ePayments, including PCI compliance and SAS 70 certifications.  Personal data remains safe and secure on a private network that is only accessible by RentPayment security-screened employees.  Furthermore, payer information is never released to third parties or banks.

With RentPayment, safety is guaranteed and convenience is promised. With our services, you’ll never forget to pay your bills again thanks to the email and text alert applications that remind you when money is due and/or withdrawn.  To add to the list of conveniences, our electronic payments typically clear your account in about two business days, whereas paper payments can take weeks. Recurring direct debit payments can also be set up using AutoPay, eliminating late fees and penalties.  In addition, keeping record of your payments and direct deposit details has never been easier thanks to our payments archive, which keeps track of your payments in an online database that you can easily access from anywhere.  Now you don’t have to worry about endless amounts of paper and books to keep track of.

It’s time for a more convenient and lower risk solution – ask your property management company today if you can pay your rent using RentPayment!

RentPayment: Where Paying Rent Pays you Back!

RentPayment has hosted more promotions this year than ever and awarded several renters with cash, gift cards and even a month of free rent.  We will be ending 2010 with our biggest and best, and would like to announce the RentPayment Sweepstakes which will run for the remainder of 2010.  This exciting offer will help Property Managers get the most value out of their service by boosting RentPayment awareness and providing an incentive to convert to electronic payments.

Each month from August 1 to December 31, 2010, 10 renters that pay their rent using RentPayment will be awarded a $100 gift card and at the conclusion of  the Sweepstakes, one renter will win the $10,000 Grand Prize!   In all, RentPayment will award $15,000 in prize money over the remainder of 2010.

“It’s exciting to reward our customers for their loyalty to our service,” said Matt Golis,  CEO. “We’ve experienced tremendous growth in electronic rent payments in 2010 and look forward to continuing to provide the highest quality of  service to our customers in the future.”  The RentPayment Sweepstakes runs from August 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010 and is  open to ALL individuals mte social media oaking a payment during that time period. Payments can be made online, over the phone, in-person, and via mobile devices including our exclusive RentByText technology.  Each payment is recorded as one entry towards the Grand Prize, giving users a maximum of 5 entries towards the $10,000 Grand Prize. The sweepstakes will also incorporautlets such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and more.

Full details of the Sweepstakes are available at:
http://www.rentpayment.com/sweepstakes