Paying rent with credit cards to earn cashback or miles is a savvy strategy to maximize your rent payments. By paying a small transaction fee to rent payment platforms like Rentsmart and KeyChain Pay, you can easily reap the benefits of credit card rewards!
In the following blog post, we will introduce these rent payment platforms and tips to help you make the most out of the rent payments. So, continue reading to learn more!
Table of Contents: Paying Rent with a Credit Card
- How can you pay your rent with a credit card?
- RentSmart
- KeyChain Pay
- Citi PayAll
- Cardup: No longer available in Hong Kong
- Which cashback credit card is best for paying rent?
- Which miles credit card is the best for paying rent?
- What should you pay attention to when paying rent with a credit card?
- Frequently asked questions: Paying rent with credit cards
- Related articles
How can you pay your rent with a credit card?
Paying rent with a credit card involves using a rent payment platform as an intermediary. This platform charges your rent payments along with additional expenses to your credit card.
To put it simply, you make an online transaction to the rent payment platform using your credit card. This payment is eligible to earn rewards.
Just a quick tip here: remember to check if the rewards are greater than the transaction fee. Otherwise, you may pay for the transaction fees for nothing.
Here is an overview of the most popular rent-paying platforms in Hong Kong:
| Transaction Handling Fee | Rental Property Type | Types Of Credit Cards For Points Accumulation | |
| RentSmart | Visa credit card: 1.5-2.4% MasterCard credit card: 1.9% Airwallex Visa: 1% |
Private Residential Property / Co-working space | Visa/MasterCard/UnionPay credit cards |
| KeyChain Pay | Varies per credit card (2.1%-3.3%) | Private Residential Property / Office | Visa/MasterCard/American Express credit cards |
| Cardup | No longer available in Hong Kong | No longer available in Hong Kong | No longer available in Hong Kong |
| Citi PayAll | Varies per transaction (up to 4%) | Private Residential Property / Office | Citibank credit cards |
RentSmart
RentSmart provides a simple way to pay rent using a credit card and charges a reasonable transaction fee. The RentSmart service is currently not only limited to residential properties in Hong Kong, but also applicable for the payment of rent for public housing, commercial shops, and parking spaces.
If you need to pay a large amount of rent, RentSmart’s combined payment feature allows you to split each rent payment into 2 or more transactions. You can use up to 6 credit cards to pay rent that exceeds your credit card limit.
RentSmart Transaction Fee
| Credit Card Type | Transaction Fee | Promotion |
|---|---|---|
| Prime Credit EarnMORE Credit Card | HK$25 / Commercial Rent 0.5% | – |
| Other UnionPay Credit Cards | HK$25 / Commercial Rent 0.5% | – |
| AEON Credit Card | HK$25 per transaction/Commercial Rent 0.5% | New account holders can enjoy HK$100 rent rebate or 1.5% service fee |
| Bank of East Asia Credit Card | 1.5% | BEA Credit Card new account holders can enjoy HK$100 rent rebate or 1.5% special low service fee, UnionPay card can enjoy 3 months fee waiver |
| Dah Sing Bank Credit Card | 1.5% | First 3 times renting paying for a parking spot can enjoy 0% service fee, UnionPay card holder can enjoy first 3 months fee waiver and HK$100 RentSmart rent rebate |
| HSBC Credit Card | 1.5% | – |
| Airwallex Visa Card | 1% | – |
| Other Visa/Mastercard Credit Cards | Visa: 2.4%, Mastercard: 1.9% | – |
| Data updated to April 15, 2024. |
How To Use RentSmart?
- Download the “RentSmart” app and register for a free account
- Provide an email and identity card for verification (It takes around 1 working day.)
- Fill in the lease information, tenant information, and landlord collection information
- Take a photo and upload the lease for verification (about 1 working day)
- After successful verification, you can pay rent with a credit card.
Note that the payment is processed within 3 working days, and if you need to pay rent with a check, it would require 7 days. So it’s best to plan ahead and pay rent in advance.
AEON Credit Card x RentSmart Rent Discount
From now until December 31, 2024, when you use AEON CARD WAKUWAKU at RentSmart to enjoy up to 6% cashback, AEON x Rent Smart also has a new account welcome offer.
- Min. Annual Salary
- HK$0
- Cash back on online shopping
- 6%
- Cash back on Japanese spending
- 3%
【Limited Time Offer】From now until 30 April 2024, apply for the AEON CARD WAKUWAKU through MoneySmart, you can exclusively enjoy extra 3,000 SmartPoints and free to redeem HK$300 vouchers (over 20+ brand vouchers including Apple / Wellcome/ HKTVmall etc). Alternatively, you can convert them into HK$200 cash and cash out directly! Click here to explore limitless possibilities (T&C applied)!
New AEON Customers successfully applied AEON CARD WAKUWAKU through “AEON HK” Mobile App and input the welcome offer code “MSWAKU” to enjoy an extra HK$200 cash rebate (Offer by AEON) and up to 16% cash rebate + HK$400 cash rebate! Enjoy a 6% cash rebate on online spending! Earn 3% cash rebate on purchases in Japan and enjoy waived transaction fees on foreign currency transactions (except charges imposed by Cards Associations)!
Enjoy HK$100 rent rebate upon account opening
New users only need to enter the invitation code ‘AEON100‘ when registering for a RentSmart account. The HK$100 rent rebate will be deposited into the RentSmart account immediately after successful registration. Please note that the rebate must be paid with AEON Visa or AEON Mastercard for a rent transaction exceeding HK$5,000.
New users enjoy 1.5% special low service fee
New users can also enter the invitation code ‘AEONUP‘ when registering for a RentSmart account to enjoy the following promotion.
| AEON Visa / AEON Mastercard | AEON UnionPay |
|---|---|
| 1.5% | First three housing rent transactions: HK$0, each subsequent transaction: HK$25 |
Dah Sing Bank Credit Card x RentSmart Rent Discount
From now until July 31, 2024, you may use Dah Sing Bank credit card to pay rent and enjoy the following benefits:
First 3 car park rent transactions can enjoy 0% service fee
When registering for a RentSmart account for the first time, enter the invitation code ‘DSBCAR‘ and pay the car parking rent with Dah Sing MyAuto car owner credit card, the first 3 car park rent transactions fee will be waived.
- Min. Annual Salary
- HK$150,000
- Miles Conversion (local spend)
- N/A
- Cash back on local spend
- 0.4%
From now until 30 April 2024, successfully apply for the Dah Sing MyAuto Credit Card through MoneySmart to get an HK$150 PARKnSHOP Supermarket Voucher or HKTVmall e-Voucher!
Apart from that, receive an AutobotV mini max 2 Handheld Vacuum Cleaner (Suggested Retail Price: HK$588) upon accumulating eligible spending of HK$10,000 or above within the first 2 months from the date of card issuance or Enjoy HK$400 Cash Rebate upon accumulating eligible spending of HK$6,000 or above within the first 2 months from the date of card issuance (Fulfilled by Dah Sing Bank)
New users enjoy 1.5% special low service fee
When registering for a RentSmart account for the first time, pay the rent with an eligible credit card to enjoy a special low service fee of 1.5% for car park/housing rent. In addition, UnionPay cards can enjoy a 3-month waiver of service charges.
HK$100 RentSmart Rent Rebate
New customers enter the invitation code ‘DSB100‘ when registering for the first time, and pay a rent of HK$5,000 or more with an eligible Visa or Mastercard, to enjoy a RentSmart rent rebate of HK$100.
AirWallex x RentSmart Special Offer (Update Pending)
AirWallex has previously launched a special offer where users can use the AirWallex credit card to pay for co-working spaces and office rent to earn a 10% cashback, and enjoy a RentSmart 1% ultra-low service fee offer. However, no new offers have been launched in 2024.
- Monthly Account Fee
- 0
- Minimum Initial Deposit
- N/A
- New Funds Offer
- $0 fees and 0% margin in FX conversions
KeyChain Pay
KeyChain Pay is another rental payment solution with credit card in Hong Kong. With the option to use credit cards, Apple Pay, or Google Pay, tenants can earn flight miles or cash rewards while paying their rent through the online platform or mobile app. Not just limited to residential rent, it also covers monthly or annual parking, co-working spaces, and serviced office rentals.
KeyChain Pay establishes a smart contract between tenants and landlords, collecting rent from the tenant’s credit card approximately 2 weeks before the effective date of the monthly lease.
With competitive transaction fees and an easy-to-use interface, KeyChain Pay simplifies the rent payment process for residential, commercial, and office properties in Hong Kong and beyond. Additionally, if the total rent amount exceeds HK$10,000, you have the option to use up to 2 credit cards per transaction. For rent amounts surpassing HK$20,000, up to 3 credit cards can be used. This allows you to easily split payments and maximize returns without exceeding your spending limit.
KeyChain Pay Transaction Fee
| Credit Card | Residential | Parking | Commercial |
| HSBC Credit Card | 2.1% | 2.1% | 2.6% |
| Local Commercial HSBC Credit Card | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.6% |
| Local Personal Mastercard | 2.1% | 2.1% | 2.6% |
| Other Credit Cards / Visa / Apple Pay / Google Pay | 2.9% | ||
| American Express | 3.3% | ||
How To Use KeyChain Pay?
- Download the “KeyChain Pay” app and register for a free account
- Choose the property category for the rent payment
- Set up a smart contract (enter property address, credit card information for payment, rent, and landlord account information, etc.)
- Rent will be automatically deducted from the credit card and deposited into the landlord’s account every month.
Citi PayAll
Citi PayAll, is a payment platform provided by Citibank. Users can use any Citibank credit card to pay rent, property management fees, parking fees, and tuition fees through the mobile application. If payment is made to a designated payee, the monthly limit is HK$150,000, and the platform’s monthly rent transaction limit is HK$50,000, with a maximum of 10 transactions per month. If you want to earn credit card points or rebates, you can choose to pay a 1% transaction fee for each transaction; if you choose to waive the handling fee, you cannot earn credit card points or rebates.
Transaction Fee
The transaction fee is subject to variation and will be adjusted by the bank in accordance with market changes. Currently, the basic fee is set at 1% for each transaction. However, you have the option to waive the charge by forgoing the credit card cash rebates.
How to Use Citi PayAll?
On the Citi Mobile® App, select “Pay Bills” and “Citi PayAll”, enter payment details, including the payee’s name, bank number, branch number, and account number, choose the payment credit card, and choose one-time payment or monthly payment. Check the information for accuracy and confirm the payment.
Please note that it takes at least 4 working days to process a payment, so it is safer to make the payment at least 7 days in advance.
Citi Credit Card Only
Citi PayAll only accepts Citibank credit card transactions. For instance, with the Citi PremierMiles credit card, every HK$8 spent locally earns 1 mile. With a monthly payment of HK$30,000, users can earn up to 45,000 miles per year, enough to redeem for round-trip tickets to Sydney! It’s like earning a free vacation just by paying your rent. (Checkout more details about Cathay Pacific Miles Redemption)
- Minimum Income Requirements
- HK$120,000
- Miles Conversion (local spend)
- HK$8 = 1 mile
- Miles Conversion (overseas spend)
- HK$3 = 1 mile
Cardup: No longer available in Hong Kong
Update: Cardup is streamlining the Hong Kong operations to focus on select businesses and discontinuing personal accounts.
Cardup offers a smart solution for SMEs or corporate entities to pay bills with credit cards, thereby earning rewards and improving cash flow. With Cardup, you can pay for a variety of expenses, such as rent, tuition and education fees, insurance premiums, supplier fees, salaries, and more.
Which cashback credit card is best for paying rent?
After knowing the tips for using your credit card to pay for your rent, Here are some smart credit card picks:
AEON CARD WAKUWAKU: Enjoy 6% cashback on online consumption
AEON CARD WAKUWAKU offers a 6% cashback every month for online transactions, with a cashback limit of HK$300, meaning that you can maximize your earnings with HK$5,000 in rent. Although it may not be enough to pay all the rent, it can be used as one of the credit cards for split rent payments.
- Min. Annual Salary
- HK$0
- Cash back on online shopping
- 6%
- Cash back on Japanese spending
- 3%
【Limited Time Offer】From now until 30 April 2024, apply for the AEON CARD WAKUWAKU through MoneySmart, you can exclusively enjoy extra 3,000 SmartPoints and free to redeem HK$300 vouchers (over 20+ brand vouchers including Apple / Wellcome/ HKTVmall etc). Alternatively, you can convert them into HK$200 cash and cash out directly! Click here to explore limitless possibilities (T&C applied)!
New AEON Customers successfully applied AEON CARD WAKUWAKU through “AEON HK” Mobile App and input the welcome offer code “MSWAKU” to enjoy an extra HK$200 cash rebate (Offer by AEON) and up to 16% cash rebate + HK$400 cash rebate! Enjoy a 6% cash rebate on online spending! Earn 3% cash rebate on purchases in Japan and enjoy waived transaction fees on foreign currency transactions (except charges imposed by Cards Associations)!
Hang Seng MM Power World Mastercard: 5% +FUN dollar rebate with online spending
Hang Seng MM Power offers a 5% +FUN dollar cash rebate when the monthly spending exceeds HK$5,000 and you can earn up to $500+FUN dollars with a maximum spending of around HK$10,000.
- Annual fee
- Perpetual annual fee waiver
- +FUN Dollars rebate on selected spending categories
- 6%
- +FUN Dollars rebate on Online Retail Transaction
- 5%
HSBC Visa Signature Credit Card: Get 3.6% reward cash rebate with KeyChain Pay
Earn a 3.6% cash rebate when you pay your rent through KeyChain Pay with the HSBC Visa Signature Credit Card. Here’s how it works: You get 2.4% from the HSBC Red Hot Rewards of Your Choice, with all additional RewardsCash allocated to the Home category, and you receive an additional 1.2% from the HSBC Visa Signature Card.
MoneySmart Tip: Pay your rent via KeyChain Pay to get a 2.1% transaction fee offer exclusively for HSBC credit cards.
- Min. Annual Salary
- HK$240,000
- RewardCash Rebate
- Up to 3.6%
- Miles Conversion (local spend)
- HK$2.78 = 1 Mile
EarnMORE UnionPay Diamond Card: Earn 2% cash rebate for all transactions
For those in Hong Kong wishing to earn rewards while paying rent, consider the EarnMORE UnionPay Diamond Card with RentSmart. This card charges only HK$25 per transaction. By paying a monthly rent of HK$20,000 with this card, and paying HK$25 transaction fees, you can earn up to HK$375. (HK$20,000 x 2% – HK$25)
For any other eligible expenses, you can instantly earn 2% cashback. However, bear in mind that the 2% cashback is capped at a total expenditure of $150,000 per year. Once you surpass this amount, the cashback rate becomes an unlimited 1%.
- Min. Annual Salary
- HK$0
- Cash back on overseas spend
- 2%
- Cash back on local spend
- 2%
【MoneySmart Exclusive Offer】Want to get extra $300 vouchers from MoneySmart? From now until 30 April 2024, new customers who successfully applied for EarnMORE UnionPay Diamond Card via MoneySmart, can enjoy 3,000 SmartPoints without further spending! Use your SmartPoints to redeem vouchers of your choice worth HK$300 in the Rewards Store(over 20+ brand vouchers including Apple / Wellcome/ HKTVmall etc)!. Click here for more details. T&C applied. (fulfilled by MoneySmart)
[PrimeCredit x MoneySmart] From now until June 30, apply EarnMORE UnionPay Diamond Card through MoneySmart and earn extra HK$200 cash rebate + Welcome offer: HK$670 cash rebate (included the extra up to 2% cash rebate) Or OTO Vanda 2.0 massage chair (VN-05) (Suggested price: HK$13,800) Or German Pool Smart Air Purifier Fan (EFB-426HM-SC) (Suggested price: HK$2,480) Or Up to HK$90K Interest-free and Handling Fee-free Cash Instalment Program or **Tertiary Student: HK$400 Klook e-Gift Card (**Extra reward will be fulfilled by PrimeCredit)
Which miles credit card is the best for paying rent?
Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard: HK$6/mile for local spending
With the Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard, you can accumulate miles quickly. For every HK$2 spent on Cathay Pacific and Hong Kong Express-related expenses, you earn 1 mile. But that’s not all – for every HK$4 spent on online, dining and overseas categories, you also earn 1 mile.
If you use the card to pay for your monthly rent of HK$15,000, you can easily earn 3,750 miles each month. It’s an excellent way to rack up miles while paying your rent in Hong Kong.
- Miles Conversion(Eligible spending on Cathay and HK Express)
- HK$2=1 mile
- Miles Conversion (Eligible spending on dining, online and overseas category)
- HK$4 = 1 mile
- Bank Welcome Offer
- 60,000 miles
【Free BRUNO Oval Hot Plate!】From now until 30 April 2024, new Cardholders who successfully apply for for Standard Chartered Cathy Mastercard now via MoneySmart to get BRUNO BOE053-BGY Oval hot plate (Value: $1,598) or $900 ParkNshop vouchers / $900 Apple store gift card / AirSim sim card with $900 value!
HSBC EveryMile Credit Card: HK$2/mile
You can earn up to HK$2/mile or HK$5/mile for every dollar spent in certain categories or on other items, respectively.
- Local and oversea spending
- As low as HK$2 = 1 Mile
- Minimum Annual Income
- HK$240,000
- Welcome Offer
- Up to $1,200 RewardCash
What should you pay attention to when paying rent with a credit card?
When it comes to paying rent with credit cards, there are a few things to keep in mind.
Maximum monthly rewards
One of the most important is the maximum monthly reward that each credit card offers. Be sure to check this, as exceeding the maximum amount means you won’t earn any rewards for paying your rent with that card. So, choose wisely and reap the most rewards possible!
Calculate cash back and transaction fees beforehand
Please note that not all platforms and credit cards are profitable. For example, RentSmart charges a fixed transaction fee of HK$25 for UnionPay cards. If the cash back amount of the UnionPay card is less than the handling fee, you will end up losing money. Therefore, you must carefully compare all rebates and transaction fees.
Large rental payments can be split across multiple credit cards
If you need to pay a big rent bill but your credit card limit is too low, some rent payment services let you use several cards for one payment. This means you can split your rent into 2 or more payments, each with a different card. This way, you can get more rewards from all your cards.
Frequently asked questions: Paying rent with credit cards
What should be noted when paying rent with a credit card?
Remember to repay the credit card balance on time to avoid overdue interest charges.
What information is needed to use a payment platform to pay rent?
You will need a stamped lease agreement, the landlord’s bank account number and name, and the landlord’s contact information.
Is landlord approval needed to use a payment platform to pay rent?
The platform will directly transfer the funds to the landlord’s account, but to avoid disputes, it is best to notify the landlord in advance.
Related articles
If you’re new to the world of credit cards, fret not! MoneySmart’s got your back. Check out our blog post on the About Credit Cards and you’ll be a pro in no time.
Looking for credit cards in Hong Kong with no annual fee? Check out MoneySmart’s article on the best credit cards with no annual fee in Hong Kong and how to apply for a credit card annual fee waiver. Don’t miss out on these great options!
Wanna stay ahead of the herd? Let’s check out the MoneySmart blog for more financial tips!
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