PayRent alternatives, compared on the fees tenants pay to send rent
PayRent lists bank rent at $9.95 on Free-for-five, $5 on Do-it-yourself and free on Go-like-a-pro, with debit at $19.95 flat and credit at 3.5% plus $6.95, always paid by the tenant. Alternatives list lower card fees and different bank fees: Hemlane free bank rent and 3% card, Azibo free bank rent and 2.99% card, Rentec Direct from $0.50 per bank payment and 2.95% card on Pro, Landlord Studio $2.50 and 3.49%, and DoorKeeping free bank rent and 3% on credit cards.
When owners compare rent collection tools
PayRent's pricing page ties the plan to unit count and the payment fee to the plan, so the cheapest plan can carry the highest bank fee. Owners who collect rent from a few dozen tenants usually want two numbers side by side: what the tenant pays, and what the owner pays.
Published bank and card fees
| Tool | Bank rent | Card rent (paid by tenant) |
|---|---|---|
| PayRent | $9.95 / $5 / free by plan | Debit $19.95; credit 3.5% + $6.95 |
| Hemlane | No fee | 3% on debit or credit |
| Azibo | Free | 2.99% convenience fee |
| Rentec Direct Pro and PM | Free for one a month per active property, then $0.50 each | 2.95% on Visa, Mastercard and Discover, minimum $1.00; Amex 3.50% |
| Landlord Studio | $2.50, landlord or tenant | 3.49% |
| Avail Unlimited | $2.50 added to the tenant payment | 3.5% |
| DoorKeeping | Free, straight to the owner's bank | 3% on credit cards only, where state law allows it |
Example a made-up tenant pays $1,400 rent by credit card. At PayRent that is 3.5% x $1,400 = $49 plus $6.95, so $55.95. At Hemlane's 3% it is $42, at Azibo's 2.99% about $41.86, and at Avail's 3.5% it is $49.
What about autopay and late fees?
PayRent lists automatic late fees as a feature without an amount. Late fees are limited by state law, and a good tool applies the right cap for the property's state. DoorKeeping posts late fees automatically within state caps, after the owner approves the rule once, using a default of due on the 1st and a fee after the 5th unless the state requires a longer grace period.
Tenants at DoorKeeping set up autopay with their own bank's bill pay or recurring transfer, and each deposit is matched to the tenant by a memo such as 12B SMITH and an exact amount with its own cents. Anything unclear waits for the owner's one-tap confirm.
Beyond collecting rent
If rent collection is the only job, the table above is the comparison. If you also keep books, DoorKeeping's $2 per unit includes a ledger for each property, bills read and coded, and Schedule E and 1099-NEC reports. You reach it from Claude or ChatGPT, and anything involving money waits for your tap. See the full fee tables.
How do you move tenants without a missed rent month?
The safest switch overlaps two periods. Announce the change at least a month before rent is due, share the new payment details only with signed-in tenants, and keep the old method open until the first payment under the new one has arrived. Do not move the switch to the first of the month, when most payments land.
Match deposits to tenants as they arrive. DoorKeeping reads the deposits in the bank account you connect and matches each to a lease by the memo and the exact amount, so a payment that does not match a lease waits for your confirmation instead of landing in the wrong ledger. Partial payments are flagged in the morning brief, and where state law makes accepting one risky, you are warned before you accept it. After the first full month, compare the deposits you received with the rent roll line by line; any difference now is cheaper to fix than one found at year end.
Sources
- PayRent, Pricing, read Oct 30, 2026
- Hemlane, Pricing, read Oct 30, 2026
- Azibo, Pricing, read Oct 30, 2026
- Rentec Direct, Pricing transparency, read Oct 30, 2026
- Landlord Studio, Pricing, read Oct 30, 2026
- Avail, Pricing, read Oct 30, 2026
- DoorKeeping, Pricing, read Oct 30, 2026
Questions
- Who pays PayRent card fees?
- The tenant, on every plan, per its pricing page.
- Which rent collection tool has the lowest card fee?
- On published rates Rentec Direct lists 2.95% on Pro and PM for Visa, Mastercard and Discover, Azibo 2.99%, Hemlane and DoorKeeping 3%. Check the minimums and who pays.
- Is bank rent free anywhere?
- Hemlane, Azibo, PayRent's Go-like-a-pro plan and DoorKeeping list no fee for bank rent.