Should You Pay Rent With a Credit Card?

By Bryce Casson, Founder · Cardocrat · Updated August 2026
The short answer: Most landlords do not take credit cards, and third-party services charge about 3 percent to pay rent by card, which usually wipes out the rewards. The big exception is the Bilt card, which earns points on rent with no transaction fee, making it the default way to turn rent into rewards.

The Bilt exception

Rent is most people’s biggest monthly expense, and the Bilt cards are built to earn points on it with no fee, whether your landlord takes cards or not. For renters who want rewards on rent without paying a surcharge, Bilt is effectively the only no-fee option. See our Bilt guide and the ranked best credit cards for rent.

Third-party services and their fees

Services like Plastiq let you pay almost any landlord by card, but charge around 2.9 percent, which usually exceeds the rewards a card earns. That math only works to meet a welcome bonus or a spending threshold, not for ongoing rewards.

When it makes sense

Pay rent by card for rewards only through Bilt, or temporarily through a fee service to hit a big welcome bonus. Never carry a balance on rent charges, since interest dwarfs any reward.

Frequently asked questions

Can I pay rent with a credit card?
Sometimes directly, but most landlords do not accept cards. The Bilt card earns points on rent with no fee, and services like Plastiq let you pay by card for about a 2.9 percent fee.
Is it worth paying rent with a credit card?
Through Bilt, yes, because there is no fee. Through a fee-based service, usually only to hit a welcome bonus, since the roughly 3 percent fee exceeds normal rewards.

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Bryce Casson

Written by Bryce Casson, Founder of Cardocrat. About the author and how we rank cards.