Is there any way I can pay my rent without going to a bank branch?
April 4, 2020 6:01 AM   Subscribe

I make a deposit into my landlord's business bank account.

I write his name and account number on the deposit slip, make the check out to him, and write 'for deposit only' on the back of the check. I've been doing this for years, and it works fine.

Obviously I'm not on the account, so I don't have a PIN and can't use an ATM. I assume for the same reason I wouldn't be able to use the Chase mobile banking app to make a deposit? Also, I have Chase credit cards and would prefer not to entangle or associate his account with mine in any way.

My main bank account is at another national bank. I'd be willing to do an electronic transfer, if that would be possible (and free). That's generally not a big deal with personal accounts, but I wasn't sure if it would work since this is a business account and at another bank. I'd also be willing to set up a Chase account and transfer funds into it that I then use to transfer to his account, if doing it from one Chase account to another would be any easier.

I can't use Venmo. It no longer works with my bank. I do have a PayPal account. Thanks.
posted by unannihilated to Work & Money (13 answers total)
 
I mail checks to deposit services at my landlord's bank. Call and ask if they have an address for this. I don't use a deposit slip, just write my landlord's account number on the back of the check.
posted by pinochiette at 6:28 AM on April 4, 2020 [2 favorites]


Is there a reason why you couldn't ask your landlord for their address and tell them you need to mail the check to them this month? I am sure their preference is for you to make all the effort, but these are not normal times. Unless your landlord is in a high risk category, right now they should be doing everything reasonable to ease the process for you to get them their money. They very well might be able to deposit the checks themselves without visiting their branch.
posted by prewar lemonade at 6:31 AM on April 4, 2020 [6 favorites]


I've used Google Pay (formerly Wallet) to pay my rent for the past four years. It takes a minute on both your and your landlord's end to set up but is fee-free for all and the funds get transferred in a day or so. My landlord was initially hesitant bit came around quite quickly.
posted by Ufez Jones at 6:34 AM on April 4, 2020


I pay my landlord via an ACH transfer through my bank's online system. If I use the 3 day option it costs $3.

Depending on how much your rent is, you could also use Zelle through your bank's online portal.
posted by AugustWest at 7:04 AM on April 4, 2020


Response by poster: Just to save everyone the energy -
Already of alternatives that don't involve depositing into his business account. Thanks.
posted by unannihilated at 7:12 AM on April 4, 2020


I've paid several businesses through e-transfer. As long as the recipient has registered for online banking with that email, it should work.
posted by bonobothegreat at 7:25 AM on April 4, 2020


Why not simply call your bank, explain the situation you are in, the information you have and what you want to do? The bank rep should be able to tell you how they can help you and what you can do as well as any additional information you might need.

That said, if your landlord banks at Chase and you can set up a Zelle account with your bank account (which should be possible with a large national bank) you should be able to send money electronically with minimal setup by your landlord because Zelle/QuickPay is baked into every Chase account.
posted by slkinsey at 7:26 AM on April 4, 2020 [1 favorite]


Zelle isn’t free or automatic for business accounts (at many banks) so that may not be an option. In general, I’m surprised that you are allowed to deposit in person into someone else’s bank account, under AML (anti-money laundering) and Know Your Customer regulations.

Call your landlord and ask him what he wants you to do, or call the bank.
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 7:43 AM on April 4, 2020


You used to be able to do a transfer over the telephone into another Chase account, given the name on the account and account number (and after verifying your identity to their satisfaction)

Some banks allow you to initiate ACH transactions to arbitrary checking accounts (given a routing and account number), sometimes for a nominal fee, through their online banking, but that feature is often limited to business accounts.
posted by wierdo at 8:01 AM on April 4, 2020 [1 favorite]


Just an FYI about Zelle: it may not work for you if you belong to a credit union rather than a bank. It will ask you to link your Zelle account to your debit card instead. But if your landlord has a Zelle Small Business Account, they won’t be able to send or receive money to your debit card.
posted by ejs at 8:15 AM on April 4, 2020


Does your bank have online bill pay? Often, there's an option to generate a physical check and send it to a recipient of your choice. Same deal as mailing a personal check to the bank, but you won't have to pay postage.
posted by toastedcheese at 8:51 AM on April 4, 2020 [2 favorites]


I have deposited checks by mail. Endorse the check with account number, for deposit only and mailed it to the branch. I would call first to check the address to use. There may be a delay (US mail plus processing time on their end) but it has worked for me the two-three times I needed to do it.
posted by metahawk at 8:58 AM on April 4, 2020 [1 favorite]


Just to add more to my answer at the top- I did previously go into the bank branch to deposit directly into my landlord's account, but stopped doing that when I realized that I could use the mail to do the same thing. My landlord doesn't have Chase, so I don't know if they offer that option, but try calling them.
posted by pinochiette at 9:16 AM on April 4, 2020


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