RentMerchant

RentMerchant brings rent collection and core property-management tasks into one service for independent landlords. It is strongest for owners who want tenants to pay online while keeping leases, repair requests, and owner reporting in the same workflow. Its three-property Free cap and transaction fees make portfolio size and payment costs central to the decision.

Overview

RentMerchant combines rent payments with leasing, tenant records, and reporting for property owners. Tenants can pay by bank transfer or debit and credit card, either as a one-time payment or through autopay. Monthly invoices, reminders, and automatic late fees reduce routine follow-up, while the tenant portal gives renters access to payment history, a full ledger, and repair requests.

The service also covers parts of the rental process beyond collection: landlords can accept applications online and obtain electronic lease signatures with an audit trail. Reports, CSV and Schedule E exports, and bulk property import from CSV support recordkeeping and portfolio setup. Stripe processes payments; RentMerchant says it does not store raw card or bank numbers, and accounts can use two-factor login.

Key features

Payments and tenant records

Autopay, recurring invoices, payment reminders, and automatic late fees can make monthly collections more consistent. The tenant ledger and repair-request portal give renters a self-service route for common account and maintenance tasks. ACH fees deserve attention: Free adds a $2 RentMerchant fee to the 0.8% processing fee, capped at $5; Pro waives that additional $2 fee.

Leasing and owner reporting

Online applications and electronically signed leases with an audit trail make RentMerchant more than a payment-only tool. Each property owner can receive a read-only login to view collections, fees, and net amounts, a useful boundary for landlords who need to share financial visibility without granting editing access.

Exports, imports, and support

CSV and Schedule E exports support financial recordkeeping, and bulk CSV import can ease the initial setup of multiple properties. The contact page says a real person usually responds within one business day. Tenant screening, credit-bureau rent reporting, and faster payouts are described as upcoming Pro features, so they should not be treated as current capabilities.

Pricing

Plan	Price	What it suits
Free	free	Landlords with up to three properties who want core collection and management tools.
Pro	$15 a month (billed annually)	Owners needing unlimited properties and units, no per-door fees, and priority support.
Pro (month-to-month)	$20 a month (billed month-to-month)	Landlords who need unlimited properties without an annual billing commitment.
Custom	Custom pricing	Agencies and large portfolios seeking volume pricing, a dedicated account manager, and guided onboarding and data migration.

Free keeps the entry cost at zero but caps the account at three properties and charges the extra $2 RentMerchant ACH fee. Pro removes the property cap and waives that fee, but the $15 monthly rate requires annual billing; the month-to-month option costs $20 monthly. Pro also includes priority support and unlimited units without per-door fees. Custom is aimed at larger operations that need managed onboarding and migration rather than a published fixed rate.

Platforms

RentMerchant is available on the web and iOS. Its RentMerchant Pay & Collect app is free to download for iPhone and iPad.

Who it's for

RentMerchant is a sensible fit for independent landlords who want tenants to handle payments and repair requests through a portal, while keeping leases and owner statements alongside collections. Free is most appropriate for owners with no more than three properties who can accept its ACH fee. Pro better suits growing portfolios that need unlimited properties and units or want to avoid the additional $2 ACH charge. Owners looking only for rent collection, or whose portfolio fits the Free cap and payment costs are a concern, may prefer a narrower or lower-fee option.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Autopay, recurring invoices, reminders, and automatic late fees address several recurring collection tasks in one service.
• Pro: Tenant repair requests, payment history, and a full ledger give renters a useful self-service portal.
• Pro: Leasing tools, owner read-only access, and Schedule E exports extend the product beyond payment processing.
• Con: Free stops at three properties, so landlords who outgrow that cap must move to paid pricing.
• Con: Free adds a $2 fee to ACH payments on top of the capped 0.8% processing charge; Pro waives only that additional fee.
• Con: The lowest paid price requires annual billing; month-to-month Pro costs $20 per month.

Alternatives

For a broader search across software categories, compare Rent Payment Software. The other linked products focus on salon and booth operations rather than the landlord workflows RentMerchant provides. Salon Booth Rental Software is a category directory for that different use case.

• BOOTH is the more relevant choice for shop owners who need booth listings and slots: its free plan has unlimited listings and booth slots, with a 5% platform fee and no monthly or setup fee.
• Salonist is better aligned with appointment-based salons; its free Marketplace Listing plan includes 50 appointments per month, online booking, scheduling, and staff shift management.
• Bookables suits service businesses managing bookings rather than rental properties, with a free web plan for 200 bookings per month and unlimited staff, estimates, services, and territories.
• Meevo is a paid salon and spa option, with Lite listing five users, 2,500 email contacts, and 100 SMS marketing credits.
• Phorest is a paid salon platform whose Starter and Grow plans include unlimited devices and staff.
• Salon Suite Solutions is another paid option for salon-suite operations.
• Orbis Salon is worth considering for a small salon: Lite costs £4.99 a month and includes one staff member, one location, 30 bookings, and five services, with a 50p service fee per booking.
• SuiteManager offers several packages with pricing by inquiry.

Verdict

Independent landlords who want rent collection, tenant self-service, leasing, and owner reporting together should put RentMerchant on their shortlist. Its broad rental workflow is the main reason to choose it; the three-property Free cap, ACH add-on fee, and annual commitment for the lowest paid rate are the reasons to look elsewhere if cost or flexibility matters more.