Can I Pay Rent Without ClickPay? Cheaper Ways and Your Rights

The short answer

ClickPay is the channel your property chose, not the only door. ClickPay’s own resident page — now branded “LOFT Payments by ClickPay” — says it plainly: “Pay through your bank’s website,” and “Paper check? No problem, send it along.”

Whether your property accepts those depends on your lease and your manager. But the infrastructure exists: ClickPay’s association-manager page describes a lockbox for paper cheques and a bank bill-pay service that converts payments sent from bank websites into electronic deposits for the property.

Your options, cheapest first

Method	Cost to you	Time to arrive	Best for
Bank bill pay	Usually free from your bank	About a week	Avoiding all ClickPay fees
Paper cheque by mail	A stamp	Depends on the post	Properties that still accept cheques
E-check in ClickPay	Often free; some properties charge about $1–$3	About 1–2 business days	Speed with little or no fee
Debit card in ClickPay	Varies — sometimes a flat fee	3–4 business days to settle	Rarely the best choice
Credit card in ClickPay	Usually 2.95% or more	3–4 business days to settle	Emergencies or sign-up bonuses
Phone payment	$6.95–$9.95, per ClickPay’s help centre	As card or e-check	Avoid

Paying with your bank’s bill pay

Most banks let you send a payment to any payee. For rent or dues:

1. Add a payee using the name on your statement — the property or association.
2. Enter your account number from the statement in the account or memo field.
3. Use the payment address printed on your statement. There’s no universal ClickPay address; the PO box in ClickPay’s brochure is a sample.
4. Send at least a week before the due date. ClickPay notes that bank-website payments otherwise arrive at management offices “a week later.”

Bill-pay payments don’t show in ClickPay’s Payment History. Keep your bank’s confirmation in case you need to trace one.

Money orders and cashier’s cheques

If your property accepts paper payments but not personal cheques — common after a bounced payment — a money order or cashier’s cheque usually works. Write your account number and unit on it, keep the receipt stub, and mail it to the address on your statement. Like other paper payments, it won’t appear in ClickPay’s Payment History, so your stub is your only proof until the payment posts.

Can your landlord require ClickPay?

That depends on where you live. A few states limit landlords who want online-only rent.

California. Civil Code §1947.3 requires landlords to allow at least one form of payment that is neither cash nor an electronic funds transfer, and bars charging a fee for paying by cheque. A landlord may demand cash only for up to three months after a bounced cheque, with written notice.

Washington and Oregon. Both states regulate how landlords can take rent. Oregon’s legislature passed SB 1523 in February 2026, aimed at stopping landlords from making portals or cards the only option and limiting when electronic processing fees can be passed on. Washington’s landlord-tenant act, RCW 59.18, also has rules on accepted payment forms. Read the current text on each state legislature’s website before relying on either.

Elsewhere. Many states have no specific rule, so your lease governs. Federal agencies have criticised online-payment “convenience fees” in rental housing as junk fees, but that isn’t a legal ban. Bills to ban such fees in New York had not become law when we checked.

This is general information, not legal advice. For a dispute, contact a local tenant organisation or legal aid office.

Cutting fees if you stay on ClickPay

• Use e-check, not card. ClickPay says e-check payments are “generally at no cost to you.”
• Use recurring e-check. Some properties charge for one-time e-checks but not AutoPay — our AutoPay guide explains how to set it up.
• Avoid paying by phone. It’s the most expensive way to pay.
• Watch Visa. Some properties charge Visa a flat fee based on the building’s average payment, which can exceed the payment itself on a small bill. See ClickPay’s credit card fees.
• Check the Fee Chart before every payment. Fees change, and ClickPay shows them before you submit.

What about credit card rewards?

Rewards rarely beat the fee. On $2,000 of rent:

Card reward rate	Earned	2.95% fee	Net per month
1.5%	$30	$59	–$29
2%	$40	$59	–$19
3%	$60	$59	+$1

The exception is a short burst to hit a sign-up bonus. Paying two months’ rent by card to unlock a $750 bonus costs about $118 in fees — worth it once, not every month.

How to ask your manager

A short written request gets a clearer answer than a phone call:

Subject: Payment methods – [address and unit]

I'd like to pay rent by [bank bill pay / cheque] instead of through ClickPay.
Could you confirm that this is accepted, the payee name and address to use,
and how far ahead of the due date it needs to be sent?

If the answer is no and you live in a state with payment-method rules, you can mention them — politely — and ask which non-electronic method they accept. Keep the reply with your lease.

What to do next

1. Read your lease for any required payment method.
2. Ask your manager in writing which non-online methods they accept.
3. Switch to bank bill pay or e-check to cut fees, sending a week early for bill pay.
4. Check your state’s rules if your landlord insists on online-only payment.

If a payment you made outside ClickPay hasn’t shown up, see ClickPay payment not showing. We are independent of ClickPay and RealPage — see our disclaimer.